LUCKNOW: Draped in a red sari, with a lotus in one hand and adorned with garlands, five-year-old Trisha Bhattacharya was a live incarnation of goddess Durga as a group of senior priests performed the annual ritual of Kumari Puja on the occasion of Maha Ashtami at Ramakrishna Math on Wednesday.
Amid resonating sounds of ‘ululudhvani’ (a high-pitched sound made by a group of Bengali women) and chants of mantras and shlokas, devotees at the pandal had their eyes fixed on the Daliganj resident, who sat gracefully all through the two-hour ritual. The Math was heavily crowded with masked devotees with their eyes set on the little Durga.
“Kumari puja symbolizes the special presence of the divine Mother within every woman, ‘’ said Swami Muktinathananda, president of Ramkrishna Math. Due to safety precautions against the pandemic, only the priests, and two-three key people along with the girl’s parents were allowed near her. The puja was live-streamed virtually for a large section of devotees.
“Usually, a month’s training is given to the little goddess to make her acquainted with the idea that the ritual will take place in front of hundreds of people thronging the Math to worship her. Her parents were advised to give her a glimpse of the entire ceremony, and treat her like a goddess already,” he added.
The girl sat silently but on a few occasions, got a bit overwhelmed witnessing a large crowd. Her innocence and piousness kept attracting visitors towards her. With her hands joined, devotees bowed in front of her. Many captured the divine goddess and the whole ceremony in their cameras. Even the priests offered obeisance to the little girl who was worshipped.
Alpana Mishra, a visitor since early morning, said, “The tradition is an integral part of Durga Puja and is believed to bring good luck to everyone attending it.” She said the girl is chosen from a family of devotees associated with Ramakrishna Mission.
Swami Muktinathananda added that this was the purest form of ‘Devi Puja’. “The manifestation of the divine is the maximum in young girls who are not yet influenced by materialistic forces. Every year, a new girl is given the stature of a Kumari,” he added.
