Devotees honour Goddess Durga in Kumari Puja on Ashtami

Hindu devotees across Bangladesh have marked Ashtami, the eighth day of Durga Puja, by worshipping the goddess in the form of a young girl -- a ritual known as Kumari Puja.

The largest ceremony took place at the Ramakrishna Mission in Dhaka's Gopibagh, where thousands of worshippers gathered on Tuesday.

According to Hindu belief, the cosmic energy that creates and sustains the universe resides in the form of a seed within a young girl, making her worthy of veneration as Durga. Scriptures describe the ritual as affirming respect for women, dignity, and devotion to God.

This year, 6-year-old Labannya Chatterjee from Nilphamari was chosen as the Kumari -- the living embodiment of the Goddess Durga, dressed in red, and adorned with ornaments.

“Kumari Puja is essentially the worship of the divine mother,” said Swami Purnatmananda Maharaj, head of the Ramakrishna Mission. “It reminds us to honour all women.”

Crowds filled the mission’s pavillion as the girl was brought in amid the beat of drums, conch shells and devotional songs. Some devotees complained they could not see the ceremony properly due to the sheer number of worshippers.

Brajmohan Das, who came from Manikganj, said: “I came early this morning to see the Kumari Puja. I prayed to the goddess for the welfare of the world.”

Mission authorities said the turnout had exceeded available space.

Durga Puja, the biggest festival for Bangladesh’s Hindu community, began on Sunday with Shasthi rituals and will end on Thursday with Bijoya Dashami, when idols of the goddess are immersed in rivers and water bodies.

This year, 259 pavilions are hosting puja in Dhaka, and 33,355 across the country -- nearly a thousand more than last year.