Best Wishes for Durga Puja

Tor Marancia, Rome, 23 September 2022

In a few days the great celebration for Durga will begin, the most important holiday for Hindus.

Last year, from 13 to 19 October, the most bigoted Muslim mob instigated collective violence against Hindu communities across Bangladesh during the Durga Puja festival, in response to a viral video in which the Quran was placed under the feet of an idol of the temple in Cumilla. Hindu temples were brutally attacked by mobs of angry Muslims: more than 50 temples and makeshift worship facilities were vandalized across Bangladesh, with a final death toll of 5 Hindus and many injured and arrested by police. 

I was with my Hindu friends in the temple at Tor Pignattara and there was a lot of anger and bitterness, but part of the Muslim community sympathized with them in a peaceful demonstration for the respect of Hindus in Bangladesh who are 10% of the Muslim majority population.

My best wish that this year there is no problem and that it is lived as a party for everyone, I express it with this photograph I took a few days ago: they are two of my students of the Italian Language Course at Casetta Rossa Spa, Monni is a young Muslim mother and Smrity is Hindu.

I think I don't need too many words, everything is enclosed in this image.

Sunday 25 was Mahalaya (Matripaksha) which marks the end of the preparation for Durga Puja.

May it be five days of Durga Puja in peace and harmony.

Italian version