Kumari Puja was held for the fifth time on Maha Ashtami of Durga Puja at the Sriramakrishna Ashram in Gondogram, Shajahanpur upazila,Bogra, on Monday.
The ritual began at 9am, drawing devotees and visitors from different religious communities.
This year, six-year-old Rupkatha Saha was worshipped as the Kumari, symbolising the purity of the Divine Mother. She was seated on a ceremonial pedestal and worshipped as a manifestation of Goddess Uma.
Basudeb Banerjee, a priest at the ashram, said Kumari represents Adyashakti Mahamaya, the primordial divine power, and is another name for Goddess Durga.
“The ritual reflects the belief that women should be accorded their rightful dignity and respect. While the goddess is worshipped through clay idols, Kumari Puja honours her living manifestation,” he said.
Labannya, a visitor to the ceremony, said every woman embodies the divine.
“We do not want women to face disrespect or abuse. Everyone should treat women with respect,” she said.
Advocate Atia Kanta Barman, secretary of the Gondogram Sriramakrishna Ashram, echoed the sentiment, saying women should be treated with dignity as they embody the divine.
Rupkatha’s mother, Priyanka Saha, expressed joy at seeing her daughter worshipped as the Kumari and prayed for the well-being of everyone in the country.
According to theBogra District Puja Udjapan Parishad, Durga Puja is being celebrated at 731 mandaps across the district’s 13 upazilas this year.
The administration and temple committees have taken extensive measures to ensure peaceful celebrations. The festivities will conclude with Bijoya Dashami on Wednesday.
