Kumari Puja held

Members of the Bengali Hindu community worshipped a young girl as the embodiment of Goddess Durga on Monday, marking Mahashtami, the eighth day of the Durga Puja festival.

The ritual, known as Kumari Puja, reflects the belief that the primordial divine power behind the creation, preservation and destruction of the universe exists in seed form in a young girl.

Following this belief, Hindus worship a Kumari, or prepubescent girl, as Goddess Durga on Ashtami. The tradition of Kumari Puja at Ramakrishna Mission centres and monasteries across the subcontinent follows the example of mystic Ramakrishna Paramahansa, who worshipped his wife Sarada Devi as the Divine Mother.

Kumari Puja conveys the ideals of reverence for humanity, respect and dignity for women, and devotion to God. At the Ramakrishna Math and Mission in Dhaka’s Gopibagh, the puja began at 9:45am on Monday. Six-year-old Irya Chakraborty, ceremonially named “Uma” for the occasion, was seated on the altar as the Kumari.

At the end of the ritual, she blessed the devotees, saying, “May everyone be blessed.”

Purnatmananda Maharaj, head of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, said, “Lord Sri Ramakrishna said this, and that is why we worship the Kumari during Durga Puja as the embodiment of Adya Shakti, the primordial divine power.”

Similar ceremonies were held at other Ramakrishna Maths across Bangladesh. Kumari Puja during Durga Puja is generally organised by Ramakrishna Mission centres.

Meanwhile, devotees gathered at temples and makeshift puja mandaps in Dhaka and elsewhere to offer prayers and anjali to Goddess Durga. Special rituals, Sandhi Puja and prasad distribution marked the day’s observances.

Many devotees observed fasting before gathering at puja mandaps in the morning to offer anjali at the feet of the goddess, accompanied by priests chanting sacred mantras.

The mandaps came alive with the sounds of dhak drums, ululation and religious recitations as devotees took part in prayers and rituals.

Sandhi Puja, another key ritual associated with Mahashtami, featured special offerings to the goddess, including fruits, sweets and other items. Prasad was distributed among devotees after the rituals.

Navami Puja is being observed today (Tuesday), while the festival will conclude with the immersion of Durga idols on Bijoya Dashami tomorrow (Wednesday).