Kanya Pujan holds special significance on the final days of Navratri (Ashtami and Navami). After worshipping the nine powers of Goddess Durga, young girls are honored and treated as goddesses. According to scriptures, girls aged 2 to 10 years symbolize the nine forms of Goddess Durga. Along with them, a boy (Languriya/Bhairav form) is also included in the worship.
Due to Kanya Pujan, Goddess Durga is pleased and bestows happiness, prosperity, power, and knowledge upon the devotee.
Essential Items for Kanya Pujan
- Clean seat
- Akshat (rice)
- Roli, vermilion
- Flowers and garlands
- Kumkum and sandalwood paste
- Lamp and incense
- Puri, halwa, gram (offerings)
- Chunri
- Dakshina
- Fruits and sweets
Method of Kanya Pujan
1. Preparation of the Place
- Lay a clean seat in a sacred place in the home or temple.
- Light a lamp and incense in front of the idol/picture of the Mother Goddess.
2. Welcoming the Girls
- Invite nine or eleven girls (9 or 11) aged between two and ten years.
- Wash their feet and have them sit on the seat.
3. Worship Process
- First, wash her feet with holy water and chant the mantra "Yatra naryastu pujyante, ramante tatra devata:."
- Apply a tilak (vermilion mark) on the forehead with vermillion and unbroken rice grains.
- Offer flowers and a scarf.
- Perform aarti with incense and lamps.
4. Offering Bhog
- Puri, black gram, and semolina/flour pudding are served as Prasad.
- This offering is considered a symbol of Mother Annapurna.
5. Dakshina and Farewell
- After serving the food, respectfully bid farewell to the girls by giving them gifts, dakshina, and a scarf.
- Feeding a small boy along with them is considered auspicious.
Benefits of Kanya Pujan
- Maa Durga's blessings remain.
- Happiness, prosperity, and peace come to the home.
- Negative energy is destroyed.
- Success and progress are achieved in life.
This ritual is commonly performed on the eighth or ninth day of Navratri.
