Bangladesh, Oct. 20 -- Hindu devotees across Bangladesh worshipped young girls as embodiments of Goddess Durga on Monday, marking Maha Ashtami with the traditional Kumari Puja, a ritual celebrating the divine feminine and its power to create, preserve and destroy.

The ceremony was held at temples and puja mandaps across the country, where prepubescent girls were honoured as symbolic manifestations of the goddess. Devotees offered prayers and sought blessings for peace, prosperity and the well-being of their families and communities.

In the capital, Kumari Puja was held at Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission in Gopibagh, where six-year-old Irya Chakraborty was worshipped as the Kumari under the ceremonial name Uma. Following the rit...