Kanya Pujan, known as Kumari Puja or Kumarika Puja, is a significant ritual during Navratri or Durga Puja festivals. Kumari Puja involves worshipping young girls by offering them food, gifts, and blessings. As per religious beliefs, the ritual is a celebration of the divine feminine energy as it is believed that girls possess the Shakti of Goddess Durga. This year, Kanya Pujan 2023 falls on Sunday, October 22, on the day of Durga Ashtami. The Ashtami Tithi will begin at 09:53 PM on October 21, 2023, and end at 07:58 PM on October 22, 2023. As we celebrate the Durga Puja festival, here’s all you need to know about the Kanya Pujan 2023 date, timings, Puja Vidhi, and the significance of the auspicious day.

Kanya Pujan 2023 Date

  • Kanya Pujan 2023 will be celebrated on Sunday, October 22.

Kanya Pujan 2023 Tithi Timings

The Ashtami Tithi will begin at 09:53 PM on October 21, 2023, and end at 07:58 PM on October 22, 2023.

Kanya Puja Rituals

During Kumari Puja, each girl is worshipped with a dedicated Mantra. By performing Kanya Pujan, devotees seek the blessings of the young girls. It is believed that blessing them leads to prosperity, good fortune, and the fulfilment of wishes. It is believed that performing this ritual during Navratri pleases the Goddess Durga. It is an act of devotion and a way to seek her blessings for the well-being of the family. Devotees who perform Kanya Pujan keep a day-long fast on this day. They invite young girls from 2 to 10 years of age, wash their feet with holy water, Gangajal, and milk. Then, they perform the puja ritual of applying a tilak to the girl’s forehead. At last, devotees also tie a red-coloured thread on the wrists, perform aarti, offer bhog, and seek their blessings.

Kanya Pujan Significance

In religious texts, Kumari Puja is suggested on all nine days of Navratri. On the first day of Navratri, only a single girl should be worshipped, and one girl should be added on each day. However, many people prefer to perform Kumari Puja on a single day, either on Ashtami Puja day or Navami Puja day.  As per religious texts, two to ten-year-old girls are suitable for Kumari Puja. Kanya Pujan emphasizes the value and importance of girls. It promotes gender equality and respects the divine feminine. The girls from two to ten years represent various forms of Durga and are named as Kumarika, Trimurti, Kalyani, Rohini, Kali, Chandika, Shambhavi, Durga, Bhadra or Subhadra.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 22, 2023 10:02 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).