Written by: Mrinal Banik
Agartala: A young girl from Daleshwar, Agartala, was worshipped as the embodiment of the Divine Mother at the Ramakrishna Mission in Agartala on Maha Ashtami, as the traditional Kumari Puja brought devotees together to reflect on the spiritual significance of feminine power and purity of mind.
Vedantika Chakraborty, a resident of Daleshwar belonging to the Parashar gotra, was worshipped as Kumari Ma during Durga Puja 2026, following prescribed religious customs and rituals.
The ceremony began at 9 am and continued for about an hour, after which devotees offered pushpanjali and prayed for happiness, peace, prosperity and the welfare of all.
For the Mission, the significance of Kumari Puja extends beyond the ritual. Swami Amartyananda Maharaj, secretary of the Ramakrishna Mission in Agartala, said the practice was rooted in Hindu scriptures and tantric traditions, which recognise the feminine as a manifestation of divine power.
Explaining the religious origins of the ceremony, he referred to the account of the demon Kolasura and the manifestation of the Kumari. He said the tradition sought to recognise the divine in a young girl and encourage devotees to reflect on the spiritual potential within themselves.
“The Kumari is a seed, and she represents feminine power and the Mother of the Universe,” Swami Amartyananda said.
He explained that the seed symbolised the potential for spiritual growth, which could develop through purity of thought and conduct. The purpose of the worship, he said, was to encourage people to examine their own minds and work towards inner transformation.
According to the monk, Kumari Puja belongs to the tantric tradition of worshipping women as manifestations of divine energy. He drew a parallel with the worship of Goddess Durga and Goddess Kali, saying the ritual sought to recognise the feminine as a source of spiritual power.
He also referred to Sri Ramakrishna’s worship of Sarada Devi as the Divine Mother, citing it as an example of the spiritual significance attached to the feminine in the Ramakrishna tradition.
Swami Amartyananda said the ritual should prompt devotees to reflect on whether they were able to cultivate the purity associated with the worship.
He added that recognising the divine in the Kumari was also an opportunity to bring about a change in one’s own thoughts and conduct.
Kumari Puja is an established practice Tripura: Kumari Puja on Maha Ashtami spotlights spiritual significance of feminine powerin Hindu religious tradition and is observed during Durga Puja, particularly on Maha Ashtami.
The ritual involves worshipping a young girl as a manifestation of the Divine Mother, with the belief that divine power can be recognised in human form.
At the Daleshwar Mission, the ceremony concluded with prayers for the well-being of society. Hundreds of devotees from different corners of Agartala city and Tripura arrived at the temple to catch a glimpse of the unique ritual, which is performed every year at the Ramakrishna Mission.