Eight little girls were worshipped at the Kumari puja at Bidhannagar Ramakrishna Vivekananda Kendra this year, and hundreds of devotees had gathered to seek blessings.

The girls were adorned in saris, ornaments and flowers, and were worshipped as the living embodiment of goddess Durga. The hall echoed with chants and prayers as the kids sat for almost an hour, calmly, and smiled at the crowd as the priests offered flowers and performed arati along with other rituals. “These rituals are a beautiful reminder that the divine exists within us,” said Tripti De of BD Block, who is a frequent visitor at the centre.

Parents beamed with pride as their daughters were worshipped, while onlookers folded their hands in devotion. “It is an honour to be selected as a Kumari. My daughter is very calm and enjoyed the experience. She has seen others sitting in the puja and wanted to be chosen herself, so when we got the chance, we were overjoyed,” said Annya Roy Choudhury, mother of Aariya Roy Choudhury, who was worshipped for the second time this year.

“During the selection process, the committee members asked us why we want her to be a kumari, and we said that she was born on Janmasthami and so that makes her special,” said Annya, a resident of IA Block.

Six-year-old Anshika Poddar sat at the ritual with her friend Anaika Dey. “ I was chosen two days ago, so did not have much time for shopping. Still, I’m happy with my look and am excited,” said the Karunamoyee resident.Overview

saltlake@abp.in