Devotees seek blessings on Maha Ashtami in Patna

Devotees seek the blessings of a young girl dressed as Goddess Durga during Kanya Puja at a Bengali Akhada in Patna, Bihar on 19 October 2026, the auspicious day of Maha Ashtami. (Photo: NationPress)

At a Bengali Akhada in Patna, a young girl adorned as Goddess Durga receives reverence from devotees during Kanya Puja on Maha Ashtami, 19 October 2026 — a central rite of the Navratri festival. (Photo: NationPress)

A priest conducts Kanya Puja rituals at a Bengali Akhada in Patna, Bihar on 19 October 2026, marking Maha Ashtami — the eighth and one of the most sacred days of the Navratri festival. (Photo: NationPress)

A priest leads traditional Kanya Puja ceremonies at a Bengali Akhada in Patna on Maha Ashtami, 19 October 2026, as part of Durga Puja observances across Bihar. (Photo: NationPress)

The Maha Ashtami observance at a Bengali Akhada in Patna, Bihar on 19 October 2026 concluded with priests performing Kanya Puja — a Hindu ritual venerating young girls as living forms of the divine feminine. (Photo: NationPress)