DHAKA: Kumari Puja, a ritual of the ongoing Durga Puja of the Hindu religious festival, was held at the premises of Ramkirshna Mission in the city on Thursday morning.

The ritual, which began at 10:00am, concluded at 11:10am on Thursday, on the 8th day of the festivity.

Following the tradition, a seven-year girl Annesha Mukharji was conferred as ‘Malini’ and worshipped as a manifestation of the divine female energy.

As in the tradition, the younger girls are conferred in sixteen titles from the age of one to 16.

For example, a one-year girl is called ‘Sandhya’, a two-year girl as ‘Saraswati’, three-year girl as ‘Tridamurti’, four-year girl as ‘Kalika’, five-year girl as ‘Subhaga’, six-year girl as ‘Uma’ and seven-year girl as ‘Malini’.

Ramkrishna Mission chief Swami Drubasananda told banglanews that mother Durga incarnates to the earth as a female figure that’s why the Kumari Puja is celebrated.

The pre-pubescent girls are considered as the manifestations of simplicity and purity. So the devotees worship them, the Mission chief added.

Rituals at the Mission began earlier at 6:10am as a part of the eighth day’s festivity. Other rituals will also be held in different hours of the day.

Dhakeshwari Temple Premises:

Unlike the other Puja grounds, Dhakeshwari National Temple premises in city are different as people of every walk of life gather here.

Earlier on the seventh day of the festival, on Wednesday, opposition leader Rowshan Ershad visited the place and distributed clothes among the destitute people. She was accompanied with other Jatiya party leaders and activists.

Ruling Awami League joint secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif along with other party leaders and activists visited the place in the evening of the day.

Among others, India high commissioner Sandeep Chakrabarty and popular singer Subir Nandi also visited the puha ground on the temple premises on Wednesday.

BDST: 1514 HRS, OCT 02, 2014