Without Kanya Pujan, the worship of nine little girls to honor Goddess Durga’s nine different forms, the pious Hindu celebration of Navratri is incomplete. Read on to get more insights into the Kanya Pujan, including when Kanya Pujan 2022 will be, its rituals, significance, and more.
Kanya Pujan, also known as Kumari Puja or Kanjakk, is a Hindu ritual performed on the eighth or ninth day of the nine-day long holy Navratri festival. During Navratri, devotees invite nine little girls to their house to worship them, who represent the nine Avatars (known as Navardurga) of Maa Durga or Goddess Durga. The Kanya Puja honors Durga in her nine forms, namely-
Kumarika
Trimurti
Kalyani
Rohini
Kali
Chandika
Shambhavi
Durga
Bhadra or Subhadra
As per the holy texts, worshiping one girl child is said to bring good fortune, two girls bring perception and salvation, and three girls bring merit. Worshiping four and five girls is thought to bestow authority and knowledge, respectively, whereas nine Kanya Puja is believed to bestow supremacy. The Indian states of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar are among those where Kanya Pujan is primarily practiced.
Let’s discover more about the pious ceremony of Kanya Pujan ahead.
The Navratri Kanya Pujan 2022: Date and Time
The Navratri festival often takes place in the Hindu calendar month of Ashwin, which corresponds to September and October in the Gregorian calendar. Shardiya Navratri is another name for the Navratri festival that occurs in September and October. This year, the Navratri festival will begin on 26th September (Monday) with Ghatasthapana and end on 5th October (Wednesday) with Vijayadashami and Durga Visarjan.
Kanya Pujan is usually performed on the 8th day or Ashtami or the 9th day or Navami during the Navratri.
Durga Ashtami 2022- 3rd October (Monday)
Ashtami Tithi Starts- 06:47 PM on 2nd October 2022 (Sunday)
Ashtami Tithi Ends- 04:37 PM on 3rd October 2022 (Monday)
Maha Navami 2022- 4th October (Tuesday)
Navami Tithi Starts- 04:37 PM on 3rd October 2022 (Monday)
Navami Tithi Ends - 02:20 PM on 4th October 2022 (Tuesday)
During the Shardiya Navratri 2022, Goddess Durga will ride on an elephant as she descends to Earth. According to Vedic scriptures, the Goddess is believed to arrive on an elephant when Navratri starts on Sunday or Monday. The elephant is considered to be the auspicious vehicle of Goddess Durga. Vedic texts also state that when Durga rides an elephant, there will be happiness and prosperity everywhere.
How To Perform Kanya Pujan?
Kanya Puja is recommended in religious texts to be performed on all nine days of Navratri. On the first day of Navratri, only one girl should be worshiped, and one girl should be added each day thereafter. Many people, however, prefer to perform Kanya Puja or Kumari Puja on a single day, either Ashtami or Navami. Hence, depending on your beliefs, you can perform Kanya Pujan at home on the day of Ashtami or Navami. According to religious texts, girls between the ages of two and ten are appropriate for Kumari Puja, while girls under the age of one should be avoided. The girls, who range in age from two to ten, represent nine different forms of Goddess Durga.
What are the Rituals or Vidhi of Kanya Pujan 2022?
Devotees wake up early and take a bath before beginning the rituals. Then they worship Goddess Durga with vermillion, flowers, diyas, incense, and mantras from Durga Saptashati.
It is customary for the devotee to wash and clean the nine little girls' feet as a sign of reverence for the Goddess before giving them new garments. The girls are then made to sit on a pedestal.
Following that, a holy thread known as Kalawa is tied around their wrists, and red Kumkum is applied to their foreheads.
The little girls are worshiped by offering Akshat (rice grains) and by burning incense sticks.
The girls are then served a special Bhog. Following the Bhog, devotees present the girls with gifts and money.
Kanya Pujan rituals are completed by touching the feet of young girls and seeking their blessings.
Do’s and Don'ts of Kanya Puja
According to astrologers, you should always invite one boy to the Kanya Pujan. This is a remedy for those who are having difficulty conceiving a child. Additionally, it is thought that Bhairava (an Avatar of Lord Shiva) was chosen by Lord Shiva to guard Adi Shakti, also known as Maa Durga. Therefore, it is crucial to worship Maa Durga alongside at least one boy in the form of Lord Bhairava.
The nine girls who enter your home should all have their feet washed with clean water in a Kalash (a water vessel). You can also use Gangajal to wash their feet. To wipe their feet, use a fresh piece of cloth. In addition, take some fresh flowers and greet the nine girls as they enter your home.
The food that you serve the nine girls should not have onion or garlic in it. Prepare a special bhog which includes Halwa, Puris, coconut, and black Chana for each girl. This is traditionally prepared for Kanya Pujan. You can also make Kheer or sweet rice for Bhog, though. You can either pack it for them or ask them to eat the Bhog at your house.
According to popular belief, feeding at least nine girls is essential for Kanya Pujan. If you can't invite them to your home, go to a temple and offer them homemade Bhog.
Because Kanya Pujan is a sacred ritual, it is important to take a bath before performing the rituals.
This Puja also necessitates that the girls be in good health and free of disease.
You should give the girls gifts such as new clothes, bangles, dupattas or money, according to your desire, as Dakshina.
Also Read: 7th Day of Navratri - Worship Maa Kalratri
Significance of Kanya Pujan
Hinduism holds that the feminine gender represents the universal creative forces. Mahamaya, or Goddess Durga, is the very first power inspired by whom the gods and the rest of the cosmos were made. The purpose of Kanya Puja, which is a kind of Devi (goddess) worship, is to acknowledge the girl child's inherent feminine strength.
Because women represent Mahamaya (Durga) in the "Striyah Samastastava Devi Bhedah" ideology, girls are worshiped to honor the Goddess. Even among these, a girl child is thought to be the purest due to her innocence. It's also said that Goddess Durga transformed into a young girl to battle the demon Kalasura and save the Earth. Young girls are, therefore, still seen as possessing universal creative forces in today’s times.
Kanya Pujan is one of the most important rituals performed during Navratri to receive Goddess Durga's blessings. Devotees perform this Puja to achieve the goals of Moksha, Karma, Dharma, and Arth since each of the nine forms of the Goddess represents a unique power. The devotee is said to receive tranquility, wisdom, fame, prosperity, and power from the Goddess after the Puja is completed. The devotees also find healing from poverty and illnesses, as well as power over their senses and enemies.
According to the Devi Bhagwat Purana, worshiping little girls on the ninth day of Navratri grants devotees the true merit of prayers. Goddess Durga is said to be very pleased with her devotees who worship the girls in the form of the Goddesses. According to the Devi Purana, Durga is more pleased with the worship of a girl than with Havan and charity.
Astroyogi wishes you a Happy Navratri and Happy Kanya Pujan 2022!
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