Navratri 2023 Kanya Puja: History, significance, puja vidhi to follow during Navratri ritual

The concluding days of Navratri are marked by devotees performing kanya puja on Maha Ashtami and Maha Navami. Maha Ashtami 2023 falls on October 22 and Maha Navami will be celebrated on October 23. On the last two days of the festival, devotees invite unmarried girls and feed them prasad as they are considered avatars of the Goddess.

Navratri 2023 Kanya Puja: Significance of the occasion

According to religious texts and rituals, girls from the age of 2-10 are eligible for kanya puja. Young women are considered an avatar of Goddess Durga and are believed to possess divine feminine energy. Holding kanya puja at one's residence, or partaking in the ritual in any way is believed to bring propensity, happiness and success.

Navratri 2023 Kanya Puja: History of the occasion

Kanya Puja or Kumari Pujan is one of the most prominent traditions of Navratri, the nine-day festival. According to Hindu beliefs, Goddess Durga had taken the form of a young girl and fought the demon Kalasura. Hence, by honouring young girls and praying to them is believed to be the ultimate form of worship of the Goddess.

The practice of kanya puja is believed to have started when Gods visited the creator of the Universe, Lord Brahma and asked him why human beings are most evolved on the planet. In response, Lord Brahma said that humans worship Gods and Goddesses which gives them powers.

Knowing that their power have made even the Gods curious, humans stopped worshipping Goddesses and became consumed by their ego. This then led to their downfall. Following this, Lord Brahma cautioned human beings to always respect women and worship Goddesses. This is believed to be the origin of kanya puja.

Kanya Puja Vidhi

While kanya puja is an easy tradition with not many complications, there are some rules that need to be kept in mind in order to make the most of the ritual. The number of invitees holds prominence. It is believed that having 9 girls for the kanya puja is ideal as each girl represents one form of Goddess Durga.

• The girls should be two to ten years old.
• It is essential to make the girls sit on a pedestal higher than the person performing the puja.
• Wash the feet of the girls after their arrival. Apply tilak, touch their feet and seek blessings.  
• Be sure to invite a boy to the puja. It is said that the child is the form of Bhairav ​​Baba.  
• The food served should be prepared without onion and garlic and should be vegetarian, with traditional sweet dishes like halwa and kheer included.
• It is also a common practice to give gifts in the form of money or kind after the puja.