Chaitra Navratri 2023: Kanya Puja Vidhi, date and muhurat time

Chaitra Navratri 2023 was celebrated from March 22 to March 30. Devotees celebrate the nine-day festival by worshipping the nine forms of Goddess Durga. They offer prayers to God, wear festive outfits and observe fast. Before breaking the fast and ending the nine-day festivities, devotees invite young girls to their houses to worship them as a form of Lord Durga. This is known as kanya puja or kanjak. 

How to do Kanya Puja?

It is believed that young girls upto the age of 10 are a form of Goddess Durga herself and by worshipping and feeding them, one can impress the Goddess. For the process of the puja, devotees invite the girls for prasad one day in advance. Special prasad food is made on the day and is first served to the girls. 

Chaitra Navratri 2023 kanya puja vidhi

Kanya puja is generally performed on the eighth day (Ashtami) or the ninth day (Navami) of the festival. As per belief, devotees are required to invite a minimum of nine girls along with one boy for the puja. The girls are invited into the house and the devotees wash their feet before starting the puja. They then put vermillion (teeka) on the forehead and say a prayer. They then feed them clean, vegetarian food which is preferred to be made without onion or garlic. 

The first bite of the food should be served to Goddess Durga (bhog) and then the girls are fed. Before they leave, devotees should offer some money or a small token of gift to receive blessings from Goddess Durga. Devotees can break their fast once the kanya puja is concluded. 

Chaitra Navratri Kanya Puja date and shubh muhurat time 

Kanya puja can be performed on Ashtami, March 29 or Navami, March 30. As per Drik Panchang, on Chaitra Navratri day 8, March 29 the shubh muhurat begins at 07:02 PM on the previous day, March and goes on till 09:07 PM on March 29. On Chaitra Navratri day 9, the shubh muhurta commences at 09:07 PM on March 29 and ends at 11:30 PM on March 30.