New Delhi: Kanya Puja or Kumari Puja is an auspicious ritual which takes place during Navratri and Durga Puja. According to Drikpanchang, Hindu texts suggest that one girl on each day of Navratri should be worshipped as a dedication to each form of Durga. However, people prefer to perform the ritual on Ashtami Puja day or Navami Puja day.
This year, the Kanya Puja day is on October 3.
Ashtami Tithi Begins - 6:47 PM on October 2, 2022
Ashtami Tithi Ends - 4:37 PM on October 3, 2022
On this day, girl children between the age of 2 and 10 are invited home to be worshipped and given offerings. At least 9 girls should be invited for the puja for each form of Durga for a meal, the child is considered a symbol of Batuk Bhairav.
Usually, the meal includes Kheer, Poori-Halwa among other prasad as per your liking and the girls are also given Dakshina. Only after feeding the children are those conducting the puja supposed to break the fast.
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Puja Vidhi
- Wake up early and take a holy bath followed by cleaning and decorating the place of worship.
- Take a clay pot and add clean soil and add jowar and wheat grain and plant them with some water.
- On the home temple place a clean cloth preferably a red cloth and place the idol of Goddess Durga.
- Take a Kalash, put Ganga Jal, sandalwood paste, flowers, turmeric betel nuts, and durva grass and cover the Kalash with a coconut.
- Perform morning and evening artis and read Durga Chalisa.
- On the last day of the puja, distribute the grains from the container and also worship little girls and perform Kanya puja.
Significance
It is believed that conducting Kanya puja has many benefits, including acquiring knowledge, power, wealth, prosperity and forgiveness of past sins.