Himaitpur in Pabna is vibrant with thousands of devotees from across Bangladesh attending the 139th Advent Anniversary of Sri Sri Thakur Anukulchandra and the holy bathing festival in the Padma River. The two-day religious festival began on Saturday aligning with the sacred Tal-Navami tithi.
The celebration features a diverse array of spiritual and community activities. Devotees are participating in dawn rituals, mass prayers, congregational chanting (Sankirtan) and scripture readings. The event also includes the hoisting of the national and Satsang flags, circumambulation of Thakur’s birthplace and dedicated conferences for youth, women and workers. The distribution of Mahaprasad and evening cultural programs remain major highlights for the attendees.
A central focus of the festival is the religious assembly which explores Thakur Anukulchandra’s divine teachings and the true nature of religion. Saturday’s opening session was presided over by Satsang Central Committee President Pran-Shankar Das. Local academicians, social workers and Satsang leaders delivered speeches reflecting on the spiritual leader's life and ideals.
The concluding day on Sunday is set to host several prominent dignitaries. Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury will attend as the chief guest. He will be joined by senior political advisors, local Members of Parliament, Pabna’s Deputy Commissioner the Superintendent of Police and leaders from the local press club and bar association.
The presence of high-profile government and civil society representatives underscores the festival's significance in promoting peace also religious teachings and communal harmony.
