Durga Puja will be observed in 132 mandaps in and around the city this year. The number of mandaps has increased by two more than the previous year. Durga Puja starts from the 6th lunar day of new moon of Aashwin (6th Bengali month) and ends on the 10th lunar day.

The festival begins with aanjali, (offerings) made to the goddess on the first day, which includes the burning of incense bringing in about fragrant odours of various flowers.

On the 8th lunar day, Kumari puja (virgin goddess) is observed and the Ramakrishna Mission Temple is very famous and popular spot for this celebration. Every year a virgin of 6 to 12 is selected and worshipped as the goddess.

The finale of this festival is the immersing of the statue of the goddess in the waters of Buriganga, by the thousands of devotees, who flock to the site in song and dance, and the glamour of the festival then comes to an end.

According to the belief of the community, the goddess descends from the Kailash (a mountain) together with her children to visit her father's home. The goddess of strength stays in her father's residence for five days, and this is the duration of the puja. With the immersing of the statue of the goddess in the river, she goes back to the Himalayas.

The goddess is believed to descend on a swing, bringing in drought, famine and destruction to the fields. The ten-handed goddess would return home on Gaja (elephant) leaving good fortune with the devotees and plentiful harvests in the plain.

Many incidents of damages to the idols of the goddess in various parts of the country, Dhaka has not suffered any communal disturbances.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police is prepared to tackle any sort of trouble in the capital. It has engaged a fleet of 2,300 law enforcing agents from different sectors. "Apart from 1500 policemen, 550 personnel of Bangladesh Rifles and 300 Ansars, there will be law enforcing agents in civil dress around the puja mandaps," said SM Mijanur Rahman, additional deputy commissioner, Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

"We have identified 83 sensitive mandaps out of the 132 in the city some in the Katwali thana, most of them in Lalbagh and Hazaribagh thanas and some belonging to the Ramna thana," added Rahman.

People of the community were shopping till late hours of last evening. There was a rush of purchasers for many new arrivals of attire in the latest trend.

The entire old Dhaka was in a festive mood since last week. Shankari Bazar lane alone has arranged seven mandaps one along side the other, and thousands of people from in and around Dhaka are expected to flow in to see the decoration of the mandaps and the elegant lighting in the pandals.

Tantibazar is also very famous for its decoration and paintings of the different phases of the Devi. Competitions too are arranged to draw out the best portrayal of the goddess.