On the auspicious occasion of Maha Ashtami, Hindu devotees across Bangladesh are observing Kumari Puja, venerating the goddess Durga in the form of a young girl.
According to scriptures, Kumari Puja symbolizes reverence for womanhood, the establishment of dignity for women, and devotion to the divine.
This year, as in previous years, the largest ceremony took place at the Ramakrishna Mission in Dhaka’s Gopibagh, where thousands of devotees gathered from the morning.
The temple premises reverberated with the sound of dhak, conch shells, and devotional chants as the Kumari was brought to the mandap around 11 am. Following the rituals, devotees offered anjali and received prasad at noon.
Before the rituals, the chosen Kumari was bathed, dressed in a new red sari, adorned with ornaments, floral garlands, and placed on the worship seat holding a lotus. She was then worshipped with mantras and hymns as a living embodiment of the goddess.
Speaking about the significance of the ritual, Swami Debdhyanananda of Ramakrishna Mission said, “We perform Kumari Puja to honor all women. Generally, girls between one and sixteen years are considered eligible, but they must be unmarried and pre-menstrual.” Ramakrishna Mission authorities noted that the large crowd exceeded available space, leading to some congestion.
Ramakrishna Mission’s head, Swami Purnatmananda, explained that Kumari Puja is essentially a worship of the divine in maternal form. He added that although the tradition is strongly associated with Ramakrishna Math and Mission, the ritual has been a part of Durga Puja for centuries across the subcontinent.
At the Dhakeshwari National Temple, Chief Priest Dharmadas Chattopadhyay elaborated on the spiritual essence of Durga Puja. He noted that worship on Saptami is believed to absolve sins of seven lifetimes, Ashtami brings “ashtamangal,” Navami marks the culmination of the rituals, and Dashami embodies the goddess as Aparajita before her departure.
According to Hindu belief, Durga descends to earth on Mahalaya in the form of a daughter, stays until Dashami, and returns to her heavenly abode after slaying evil forces to restore peace. The festival also commemorates Lord Rama’s worship of Durga during autumn to seek her blessings in the battle against Ravana.
This year, the number of Durga Puja mandaps in Dhaka rose to 259, an increase of seven compared to last year, while nationwide the number reached 33,355—around one thousand more than last year.
The celebrations will continue with Mahanabami rituals at Dhakeshwari Temple on Wednesday, including kalparambha, bihit puja, and arati competitions. The festivities will conclude on Thursday with Vijaya Dashami, featuring morning rituals, darpon bisorjon, voluntary blood donation at noon, and a grand immersion procession at 3 pm.
Vijaya Dashami will mark both the sorrow of bidding farewell to the goddess and the anticipation of her return next year, bringing an end to this year’s Sharadiya Durga Utsab.
