Minor girl worshipped in India's Tripura state on Maha Ashtami

At a time when aborting female foetus is common in many parts of India, especially in the northern provinces, a seven-year-old girl has been worshipped as living embodiment of goddess Durga in Tripura.

The ritual of Kumari Puja was organised by Ramakrishana Mission in Agartala on Sunday.

‘Kumari’, or ‘Kumari Devi’, is the tradition of worshipping young pre-pubescent Brahmin girls as manifestation of the divine female energy or Devi in South Asian countries.

‘Kumari’ literally means virgin in Sanskrit.

An unmarried girl, who has not yet reached puberty and is bereft of desire, worldly pleasures and anger, is selected for the ritual to highlight the importance of women.

The preparation for the ritual which started over two months ago, culminated in the girl being worshipped exactly as goddess Durga on the eighth day or Maha Asthami - the most auspicious of the five-day Durga Puja festival.

At break of dawn, the Kumari was bathed, draped in a red sari, adorned with flowers and jewellery, with a ‘sindur (vermillion) tilak’ applied on her forehead.

The young ‘Kumari’ fasts the whole day until the Puja is over. She is made to sit before the goddess's idol on a decorated chair with priests chanting hymns and dhak (traditional drum) being played in the background.

This year Kumari Ashani Chakraborty, a seven year child of Krishnanagar in capital Agartala, was selected for Kumari Puja.

According to religious belief, after the Puja, the divinity of the goddess is believed to descend into the Kumari.

But according to the Rig Veda ,it was prevalent in ancient India. But Swami Vivekananda made it popular by introducing Kumari puja at Ram Krishna Math in Belur in 1901.

Later breaking free of religious sectarianism, Vivekananda during his travels even worshiped a Muslim girl child in Kashmir.

Secretary, Sri Ramkrishna Math, Tripura, Swami Hitakamananda said, "The concept behind the Kumari Puja is to worship the divine mother in human.”

Though largely restricted to the various centres of Ram Krishna Math, the Kumari Puja is also practiced at a handful of other pandals in the country.

 "In our social system we give priority to divine Mother worship. When we worshiping the Kumari, it is manifestation of our respect towards female power," said devotee Sukla Dam.