Kumari Puja: Devotees worship young girls on Ashtami

Kumari Puja, also known as Kanya Puja or Kumarika Puja, is one of the significant rituals during the Navratri festival or Durga Puja festival. Kumari Puja is often performed on Ashtami Puja day, where young girls are worshipped representing the nine forms of Goddess Durga.

A young girl is chosen to be worshipped as Goddess Durga on the day of Ashtami Puja in Navratri at Ramkrishna Math Khar west, Mumbai on Wednesday (October 21). (Source: Express Photo by Vasant Prabhu)

During Kumari Puja, the suitable girl should be healthy and free from all sorts of disease and defects.

A woman bows down to the young girl who is being worshipped as Goddess Durga and takes her blessings. (Source: Express Photo by Vasant Prabhu)

During Kumari Puja, the young girl is seated on a special pedestals and people wash her feets and chant mantras paying respect to Goddess Durga on Ashtami Puja day in Navratri. (Source: Express Photo by Vasant Prabhu)

People carry a young girl who is being worshipped during the Kumari Puja on the day of Ashtami Puja in Navratri at Ramkrishna Math Khar west in Mumbai. (Source: Express Photo by Vasant Prabhu)

During Kumari Puja, the chosen girl is worshipped by offering rice grains or burning incense sticks performing rituals and chanting mantras. (Source: Express Photo by Vasant Prabhu)

Rituals are being performed as people worship a young girl as Goddess Durga on Ashtami Puja in Navratri. (Source: Express Photo by Vasant Prabhu)

An old man carries a young girl to be worshipped as Goddess Durga considering the purest form of the girl and recognising the feminine power of a girl. (Source: Express Photo by Vasant Prabhu)

An idol of Goddees Durga at Kankurganchi Mitali Sangha in central Kolkata. (Source: Express Photo by Partha Paul)

An idol of Goddees Durga at Swapnar bagan Yubak Brinda in central Kolkata. (Source: Express Photo by Partha Paul)

A beautifully decorated pandal at Swapnar bagan Yubak Brinda in central Kolkata. (Source: Express Photo by Partha Paul)

Women celebrate Dussehra festival with commuters at Badlapur railway station on Wednesday. (Source: Express Photo by Deepak Joshi)

Women offer gifts and greet a train driver at Badlapur railway station. (Source: Express Photo by Deepak Joshi)

Women keep their belongings and circle around and celebrate Dussehra festival with commuters at Badlapur railway station. (Source: Express Photo by Deepak Joshi)