Kanya Puja 2023: Worshipping Girl Child As Goddess Durga

Have you ever wondered what is the significance of worshipping little girls during Navratri? What is the relationship between little girls and Goddess Durga? Why are these innocent little girls known to be the form of Goddess Durga? Well, we are here to answer all these questions for you.

It is that time of the year! Yes, the Navratri season 2023 is back again, and all of India is excited to celebrate it with full energy and spirit. Navratri 2023 is a nine-day festival celebrated to worship Goddess Durga and her 9 avatars. Her 9 avatars are all associated with each day of Navratri. These 9 avatars of the Goddess include Maa Shailputri, Maa Brahmacharini, Maa Chandraghanta, Maa Kushmanda, Maa Skandamata, Maa Katyayani, Maa Kalaratri, Maa Mahagauri and Maa Siddhidatri. Continue reading the entire blog to know more about Navratri Kanya Pujan 2023 and its significance in Navratri. 

• Navratri Kanya Pujan Time:  23rd Oct, 2023 from 11:10 AM to 12:43 PM. 

Girls: The Avatar of Goddess Durga

Navratri is an auspicious nine-day-long festival devoted to 9 Hindu Goddesses. The ritual of Kanya puja is an essential aspect of Navratri. It is believed that girls are the avatar of Goddess Durga, so they are worshipped. The devotees invite the young girls below 13 to their homes, where Prasad is served.

Kanya puja aims to please the nine avatars of Goddess Durga during Navratri. The ritual is celebrated on the eighth or ninth day of Navratri. It is also said that children are the symbol of purity and innocence, as they have no evil inside them.

They worship nine young girls who represent the 9 avatars of Goddess Durga. Along with them a boy is also invited, who is known to be the Langur. The reason behind calling him a Langur is that the boy represents the form of Lord Hanuman. It is believed that any and every puja is incomplete without worshipping Lord Hanuman. 

History Of Kanya Pujan

According to the Hindu scriptures, the Asura king Kalasura was becoming a problem on Earth. He spared no one and was causing harm to each and everything he laid his hands on, including plants, animals and humans as well. None of the devtas was able to defeat the Asura king.

This is when they asked Goddess Durga for help. Goddess Durga took the form of a little girl and killed the demon king. Thus, Goddess Durga, in the form of a little girl, saved the earth. This is the reason why little girls are worshipped on navratri, as they are seen as the form of  Goddess Durga, which she took in order to save the Earth. 

Rituals While Performing Navratri Kanya Pujan

The navratri kanya puja is performed either on the 8th or the 9th day of Navratri. On this day, the devotees get up early and take a bath. After that, a special bhog is prepared, which is firstly offered to Goddess Durga during puja and then to the kanyas. The Navratri kanya pujan vidhi goes as follows: The girls are welcomed into the homes by the devotees, and their feet are washed. They are given special pedestals to sit on, and a particular thread called kalawa is tied to their wrists.

Red Kumkum tilak is applied on their foreheads along with rice grains. A Prasad is prepared for them, which comprises chana, puri, and halwa made in pure ghee. After this, they are given gifts and money. The devotees take blessings from the little girls as they believe that Goddess Durga resides in them. Only after feeding the little girls the leftovers can be consumed by the members of the family in the form of Prashad. 

Conclusion

Kanya puja is another way of paying gratitude and respect to the supreme Goddess. The devotees welcome nine girls in the belief that those girls are the avatars of nine divine Goddesses. The girls are worshipped as Maa Sailaputri, Maa Brahmachari, Maa Chandraghanta, Maa Kushmanda, Maa Skandamata, Maa Katyayani, Maa Kalarati, Maa Mahagauri, and Maa Siddhidatri, which are the nine Goddesses and the divine form of Goddess Durga.

This ritual is performed in most of the north and middle India, especially in the regions of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttrakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar. If you liked this blog and want to read more such interesting and amazing blogs, then do visit InstaAstro’s website. There, you will be able to read many more interesting and informative articles that will help you extinguish your curiosity. 

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