Kanya Puja 2023: Durga Ashtami, Ram Navami dates, significance and other important details

The nine-day Navratri festival began on March 22, and it is being celebrated with great fervor and enthusiasm across parts of India. Navratri is considered the most auspicious and revered festival in the country, and it will culminate on March 30 with the celebrations of Durga Ashtami and Ram Navami. On the last two days of Navratri, devotees perform a ritual known as "Kanya Puja" to conclude the nine-day festival.


According to the Drik Panchang, this year's celebration of Durga Ashtami, which is the eighth day of Chaitra Navratri, will take place on March 29. The Ashtami tithi will begin on March 28 at 07:02 PM and conclude on March 29 at 09:07 PM. Similarly, this year's celebration of Ram Navami across the country will take place on March 30. The Navami Tithi is scheduled to commence on March 29th at 09:07 PM and conclude on March 30th at 11:30 PM. The Madhyahna Muhurat for Rama Navami is from 11:12 AM to 01:41 PM, and the Madhyanha Moment is at 12:27 PM.



This ritual is practiced to show gratitude towards Goddess Durga and her nine different incarnations. Nine girls, acknowledged as the nine avatars of Maa Durga, are welcomed into homes and offered saatvik bhog, which includes puri, chole, halwa, fruits, coconut, etc.


In the Kumari Puja ritual, girls aged between two to ten years are considered to embody the different forms of Durga and are referred to as Kumarika, Trimurti, Kalyani, Rohini, Kali, Chandika, Shambhavi, Durga, Bhadra, or Subhadra. As per the guidelines of Drik Panchang, one-year-old girls are not eligible for Kumari Puja, and only girls aged between two to ten years are deemed suitable. These girls are considered to embody the nine divine forms of Goddess Durga.


As part of the Kanya Puja ritual, it is traditional to host a group of nine girls along with a young boy. It is believed that the young boy represents the embodiment or manifestation of Bhairav Baba. Meals should be served only after taking a bath in the morning. The Kanyas' feet are washed, and Roli is applied to their forehead. A pious thread is tied on their wrist, and only after this, the girls are offered food. As the girls are believed to embody the form of the Goddess, they are offered grains, money or clothes while departing, and in return, blessings are requested from them.

FAQs

Q1. When is Kanya Puja performed?
A: Kanya Puja is performed on the eighth or ninth day of Navratri.

Q2. What is the significance of Kanya Puja?
A: Kanya Puja is performed to show gratitude towards Goddess Durga and her nine different incarnations, and to seek their blessings.