File Photo

CHATTOGRAM, Sept 30, 2025 (BSS)- The Hindu community today celebrated Maha 
Ashtami, the third day of the five-day Sharadiyo Durga Puja, at various 
temples in the port city and its adjacent district. 

The main event of the day was Kumari Puja, where devotees performed rituals 
and distributed prasad at temples and makeshift Puja pandals.

Kumari Puja is being celebrated this year in various Puja Mandaps, including 
Sri Sri Radha Govinda and Shantaneshwari Matri Mandir in Patharghata, under 
the Kotwali Thana in the city.

On Ashtami, six Kumaris have been installed in the seat of the Kumari Mother 
as a symbol of motherhood purity for the Kumari Puja.

The six Kumaris worshipped this year are: six-year old Radheshree Datta as 
Vrinda Uma, 11-year old Subhadra Biswas (Pratiksha) as Rudrani, nine-year old 
Adrija Biswas and nine-year old Nibhrit Datta as Kalsandarbha, eight-year old 
Preet Dhar as Kujjvika and seven-year old Brinda Das as Malini.

During the five-day Sharodiya Durgotsab, the Goddess Durga is worshipped in 
various forms and one of those is worshiping Kumari as an epitome of 
virginity. 

Thousands of Hindu devotees gathered at the city's Kumari Puja venue to 
welcome and worship the goddess at the podium. 

According to scriptures, worshipping a Kumari named Uma brings blessings and 
enemy destruction while worshipping Malini brings wealth, Kujjvika attracts 
enemies and Kalsandarbha brings poverty and enemy destruction.

The worship started at 10:30 am today with offerings of flowers, sandalwood, 
betel leaves and basil leaves in the form of the mother. 

The ceremony was led by the priest of the Shantanveswari Matri Temple, 
Shrimat Shyamananda Das Mohant Maharaj. 

Following the worship, the temple's priest, Shrimat Shyamal Sadhu Mohant 
Maharaj, explained to reporters that the Kumari symbolizes the supreme power 
of Mahamaya.

Devotees of all ages offered flowers at the feet of the Kumari, adored the 
girl with gold, silver, and clothes as part of their rites seeking blessings 
from the Goddess.

The organisers also arranged cultural programmes on the occasion, and later, 
Mahaprasad (sweets) along with anjali (flowers) were distributed among the 
devotees present there.

All puja mandaps are given decorative looks with colorful designs and lights, 
while additional law enforcers have been deployed in all the temples in the 
city to maintain law and order during the festival.

Besides, the district and Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) have already 
opened separate control rooms at their respective headquarters to monitor the 
situation of 2,494 puja Mandaps in the district, including 292 puja Mandaps 
in the port city.