Navratri Kanya Pujan 2024 Date and Time: How to Perform Kumari Puja

Navratri Kanya Pujan 2024

Kumari Puja, also known as Kanya Puja, Kumarika Puja, or Kanjak Puja (कंजक पूजा), is a revered ritual that takes place during Navratri and Durga Puja. It will be celebrated on Thursday, October 10, 2024. This ritual holds immense significance as it is believed to worship and honor young girls, who are seen as living embodiments of Goddess Durga. Performed with great devotion, Kumari Puja highlights the importance of feminine energy and purity in Hindu traditions.

Navratri Kanya Pujan 2024: Date and Time

What is Kumari Puja?

The word "Kumari" refers to a young unmarried girl, and the ritual of Kumari Puja is all about venerating these girls as manifestations of the divine feminine. As per religious scriptures, Kumari Puja is ideally suggested for all nine days of Navratri. On the first day of Navratri, a single girl should be worshipped, and one more girl should be added each day, concluding with nine girls on the final day. However, many people choose to perform this puja on a single day, which could be either Ashtami (eighth day) or Navami (ninth day) of Navratri.

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Kanya Pujan 2024: Significance of Kumari Puja

Kumari Puja signifies the worship of young girls to seek the blessings of Goddess Durga. Each young girl is seen as an embodiment of a specific form of the Goddess, reflecting her various virtues like strength, compassion, wisdom, and courage. This tradition also emphasizes the importance of respecting and protecting girl children.

According to the scriptures, girls aged between two to ten years are considered ideal for Kumari Puja. Each age group corresponds to a specific name and form of the Goddess, as detailed below:

• Kumarika: Girl older than one year and up to two years old
• Trimurti: Girl aged between two and three years
• Kalyani: Girl aged between three and four years
• Rohini: Girl aged between four and five years
• Kali: Girl aged between five and six years
• Chandika: Girl aged between six and seven years
• Shambhavi: Girl aged between seven and eight years
• Durga: Girl aged between eight and nine years
• Bhadra or Subhadra: Girl aged between nine and ten years

Kanya Pujan 2024: How to Perform Kumari Puja?

Kumari Puja involves inviting young girls to the household, where they are treated with utmost respect and devotion. The steps to perform Kumari Puja are as follows:

1. Preparation: Cleanse the puja area and arrange the necessary items such as flowers, incense, turmeric, vermilion, and food offerings.
2. Welcoming the Girls: Invite the girls to the house and offer them a seat. Wash their feet with water, as it symbolizes cleansing and respect.
3. Offering Prayers: Recite specific mantras dedicated to each form of the Goddess corresponding to the age of the girl. These mantras are chanted to invoke the blessings of the divine feminine.
4. Applying Tilak: Apply a small mark of turmeric or vermillion (tilak) on the forehead of each girl as a symbol of purity and auspiciousness.
5. Presenting Offerings: Offer fruits, sweets, and food items like ‘puri,’ ‘chana,’ and ‘halwa’ to the girls. These offerings are considered as Prasad and are distributed among family members and devotees after the puja.
6. Giving Gifts: To conclude the ritual, present small gifts or money to the girls as a token of gratitude and respect.

Kumari Puja is a beautiful and meaningful ritual that celebrates the divine feminine energy and the purity of young girls. It serves as a reminder of the power, strength, and virtues embodied by Goddess Durga. By worshipping these young girls, devotees seek the blessings of the Goddess and strive to cultivate humility, devotion, and respect in their hearts.

In 2024, as you celebrate Kumari Puja, may the divine blessings of Maa Durga bring joy, prosperity, and harmony into your life. Happy Navratri!

Also Read: Ashtami and Navami Falling on the Same Day? Check Navratri Kanya Pujan Date and Timings