Rimisha, a Muslim girl, attracted widespread attention as she adorned a traditional Banarasi saree, a flower tiara, jewelry, and had her hands adorned with ‘alta’ (red dye). The reason for the spectacle was that she was being worshipped as Goddess Durga, and remarkably, this took place on the occasion of Eid.
Rimisha’s participation in the Kumari Puja was organized by a Durga puja committee in Kolkata as part of Khuti Puja, which coincided with Eid-al-Adha and took place on Thursday. Throughout the rituals, Rimisha’s mother, Sanjida, sat beside her, wearing a burqa.
Khuti Puja marks the commencement of the Durga Puja festivities and is conducted prior to the construction of the pandal. The Bengali term ‘khuti’ translates to ‘pole’ in English. Typically, Khuti Puja is observed on either the day of the Rath Yatra or Ulta Rath Yatra (the return Rath Yatra festival) due to their auspicious nature. However, Khuti Puja on Eid is an unprecedented occurrence.
The organizers expressed their desire to convey a message of communal harmony through this unique initiative. Kumari Puja pays homage to young girls who symbolize the avatars of Goddess Durga. It is believed that the goddess assumes the form of a young girl to remain untainted by the negative influences of the world.
As Rimisha participated in the puja, the captivating sounds of the traditional drum, ‘dhak,’ and the conch, ‘shaakh,’ reverberated throughout the pandal. The Khuti Puja was held at Kaashishwar Shiv Temple near Sinthi Circus Maidan and was organized by the Baranagar Friends Association, which has been associated with Durga Puja for 75 years.
Ajoy Ghosh, the president of the Baranagar Friends Association, explained the motive behind their decision: “We were saddened by the violence during the Ram Navami and Hanuman Janmotsav celebrations in West Bengal. Since childhood, we have read about Hindus and Muslims living together harmoniously. There are attempts to create divisions based on religion. Therefore, we chose to organize the puja on Eid.” Ghosh further urged other puja clubs to hold similar programs that foster unity among religious communities.
