The Kumari Puja held during Durga Puja at the Ramakrishna Mission here has been called off after the seven-year-old girl chosen to be worshipped as the symbol of the deity tested Covid positive along with some of her relatives.

Swami Tyagarupananda, secretary of the Malda branch of the Ramakrishna Mission, and two other civil workers of the centre also tested positive.

Nearly 10,000 people rush to the Malda Ramakrishna Mission to see Kumari Puja every year.

A monk of the Ramakrishna Mission said that earlier they had decided to hold a low-key Kumari Puja ceremony. But recently, when the girl finalised to be worshipped as the symbol of Durga tested positive, the Kumari Puja was called off.

Swami Tyagarupananda added: “I am in quarantine and under treatment. Two other employees of the branch (Ramakrishna Mission, Malda) have also been tested positive. All others who stay at the branch have been asked to undergo tests in a day or two.”

The decision by the Ramakrishna Mission authorities to cancel Kumari Puja left many Malda residents disappointed.

Biswanath Sanyal, a teacher in a college, said on Ashtami, all roads in Malda lead to Ramakrishna Mission to witness Kumari Puja. “The pandemic has stopped it too. The charm of Durga Puja at the Ramakrishna Mission has been largely diminished by Covid-19,” he lamented.

At Ramakrishna Mission, sources said entry of people on ashram premises would be restricted. “The office and quarters of the secretary were sanitised on Thursday. We will ensure there is no overcrowding on our premises,” said a source.