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A Photo Feature by Zahedul I Khan

This year Dhaka welcomed the divine mother, who protects people from the evil forces of selfishness, jealousy, hatred, anger and ego with its sprit.

The festival of Durga Puja starts with Mahalaya, the first phase of the rising moon in Aswin.

On these days, Goddess Durga arrives with much flourish amidst the beats of Dhaka to the earthly world, her own home from the heaven, accompanied by her four children, Laxmi, the goddess of wealth, Saraswati, the Goddess of knowledge, Kartik, the God of beauty as well as warfare and Ganesha, the 'Siddhidata' or the starter of everything good.

The Durga Puja extends over a period of ten days in case of traditional and household Pujas, however the main part of it is limited to five days only. The main Puja starts on the evening of 'Sasthi', the sixth day after the new moon, generally from beneath a 'Bel' tree for the traditional ones. In the tiny hours of 'Saptami,' the next day, the life of the Devi is brought from a nearby pond or river perched atop a banana tree. The main puja starts thereafter, and the prime time is reached in the 'Sandhikshan,' the crossover time between Ashtami and Nabami. Finally, on tenth day from the new moon, or the 'Bijaya Dashami,' a tearful farewell is offered to the Goddess Durga, back to her in-laws, in heaven, and her image is immersed in the river.