The Sharadiya Durga Puja festivities are in full swing, accompanied by the sounds of drums, conch shells, and ululations. The grand celebrations of Maha Saptami have already concluded, and today, Friday (October 11), is Maha Ashtami. The main attractions of the day are Kumari Puja and Sandhi Puja. This year, Sandhi Puja will take place in the morning, between 6:45 AM and 7:43 AM.
On Maha Ashtami, the day begins with Kalparambha and Bihit Puja, worshipping Goddess Durga. Kumari Puja, where a young girl is worshipped as the embodiment of the goddess, will take place around 9 AM. Devotees revere the girl, believing she represents the pure form of the goddess. Following this, the sacred Mahaprasad will be distributed at noon.
According to Hindu scriptures, Kumari Puja is performed by worshipping an unmarried girl, typically between the ages of 1 and 16, as a manifestation of the goddess. As per the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna, Kumari Puja emphasizes the divine presence in a pure-hearted young girl and the celebration of the motherly aspect of the goddess.
In the scriptures, girls of different ages are worshipped under various names: at one year old, she is Sandhya; at two, Saraswati; at three, Tridhamurti; at four, Kalika; at five, Subhaga; at six, Uma; at seven, Malini; at eight, Kujjika; at nine, Kalsundarva; at ten, Aparajita; at eleven, Rudrani; at twelve, Bhairavi; at thirteen, Mahalakshmi; at fourteen, Peeth Nayika; at fifteen, Kshetragna; and at sixteen, she is called Annada.
The selected Kumari is bathed early in the morning on Maha Ashtami and dressed in new clothes. She is adorned like a goddess, with vermillion on her forehead, alta on her feet, and flowers in her hands. The Kumari is then placed on a decorated seat and worshipped with sixteen offerings, amidst the sound of conch shells, drums, ululations, and chants praising the goddess.
According to Sanatan Dharma, Goddess Durga destroyed evil forces and ushered in goodness in the world on the sacred day of Navami. Sandhi Puja, marking the juncture between Ashtami and Navami, is performed during the last 24 minutes of Ashtami and the first 24 minutes of Navami, totaling 48 minutes. It is during this time that Goddess Chamunda is worshipped. This is also the time when Durga defeated Mahishasura, and Lord Rama killed Ravana. Navami is considered the final day of Durga Puja since the next day is reserved for the immersion of the idol. The festival concludes on the night of Navami, and the farewell bell tolls in the puja mandaps.
The immersion of the idols on Vijayadashami will begin after 3 PM on Sunday. In the capital, under the leadership of the Dhaka Metropolitan Universal Puja Committee, a victory procession will begin at Palashi Mor and proceed to Wais Ghat in Sadarghat for the immersion of the idols.
According to the Bangladesh Puja Celebration Council, 252 puja mandaps have been set up in Dhaka this year, compared to 248 last year, marking an increase of four mandaps.
To ensure smooth celebrations, the Puja Celebration Council and the Metropolitan Universal Puja Committee have issued 22 guidelines for puja mandaps across the country. These include the immersion of idols by the evening of October 13, avoiding the use of loudspeakers, fireworks, or crackers, refraining from playing non-religious music, respecting religious sentiments, handing over any offenders of harassment or theft to the police, reporting any accidents to law enforcement or the central monitoring cell, contacting emergency services at 999 if needed, and maintaining constant communication with police and administrative officers.
