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Thursday | October 22, 2026 | Dhaka

200-year-old Saheb Bari Puja draws foreign dignitaries

 Mirzapur Correspondent
 Published: 12:09 AM, 22 October 2026
Students from Bharateswari Homes, Kumudini Women's Medical College and Nursing College, along with local artists, perform at the 200-year-old Saheb Bari Durga Puja mandap in the district as part of four days of cultural programmes during the festival.

A 200-year-old Durga Puja tradition at Saheb Bari in Mirzapur, Tangail, drew local and foreign dignitaries this year, with four days of cultural programmes captivating guests and visitors.

The Ronda Puja Mandap at the ancestral home of philanthropist Ronda Prasad Saha was decorated elaborately for the festival, while the Kumudini Complex and nearby Sahapara village also took on a festive look.

Cultural programmes were organised every evening in honour of guests, featuring performers from Bharateswari Homes, Kumudini Women’s Medical College and Nursing College, along with local artists from Mirzapur.

Extensive security measures were put in place at the puja mandap and across the Kumudini Complex to ensure the safety of foreign dignitaries visiting the venue.

Dr Pradip Kumar Roy, a senior physician and director of Kumudini Hospital, said on Wednesday that RP Saha’s ancestors had been prominent worshippers at the mandap, popularly known as Saheb Bari.

The family traditionally arranged various programmes over seven to eight days during Sharadiya Durga Puja, a practice that RP Saha continued.

Mirzapur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Zahirul Alam and Officer-in-Charge Abdullah Al Mamun said the Saheb Bari puja mandap had been particularly attractive this year and that the daily cultural programmes had impressed visitors.

However, on May 7, 1971, Pakistani forces took Ronda Prasad Saha and his only son, Rabi, away. Their whereabouts have remained unknown since then.

The current generation, led by Rajib Prasad Saha, has continued the family’s 200-year-old tradition by maintaining the decorated puja mandap and organising cultural events.

Among the prominent visitors to the mandap on Saptami, Ashtami and Maha Navami were Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, minister for local government, rural development and cooperatives; Abul Kalam Azad Siddiqui, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on civil aviation and tourism; Dhaka Divisional Commissioner Md Moniruzzaman Mia; Dhaka Range Deputy Inspector General Md Mostafizur Rahman; and Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi.

Other visitors included Tangail Deputy Commissioner Said Mia, Superintendent of Police Mohammad Shamsul Alam Sarkar, Mirzapur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Zahirul Alam, Assistant Commissioner (Land) Toufiq Reza, the Indian deputy high commissioner and a delegation, and ambassadors and representatives from the United States, Germany, Canada, Nepal, Brazil, Bhutan, Switzerland and Norway.

A World Bank delegation and prominent figures from the cultural sector also visited the venue.

The Durga Puja festivities concluded on Wednesday with the immersion of the idols. Idols at 272 other puja mandaps across the upazila were also immersed after sunset.