Chaitra Navratri Kanya Puja 2024 Date and Time:?Navratri is a festival that's dedicated to the?nine incarnations of Maa Durga. During the?nine-day-long festival, devotees try to seek the divine blessings of Goddess Durga with abundant prayers and making several offerings.
Known as Navratri, meaning "nine nights," each day of the festival is dedicated to one avatar of Goddess Durga. The nine forms of the Goddess are - Shailputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyayani, Kaalratri, Mahagauri, and Siddhidatri. Chaitra Navratri begins on April 9th and concludes on April 17th this year.
The festival of Navratri comes to an end with?Ashtami and Navmi puja. On the?eighth day of Navratri,?the eighth manifestation of?Maa Durga called Mahaguri is worshipped. On the ninth day, Navami is celebrated and Maa Siddhidatri is worshipped.?
On the auspicious occasion of Ashtami, several Hindu households conduct?Kanjak or Kanya Puja, where nine girls who have not yet attained puberty are welcomed into the house.
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This year,?Ashtami is being celebrated on April 16, 2024. On this day, people who observe Navratri fast, break the fast by feeding young girls?(Kanjak or Kanya Pujan)?with the traditional bhog of Poori, Sooji Halwa, and Sukha Kala Chana. Scroll down to learn more about Kanya puja and it's importance.
Kanya Pujan is generally performed on the last two days of Navratri, namely?Ashtami (Ashtami Kanya Pujan) and Navami (Navami Kanya Pujan).?People observe fasts on these days and perform the ritual of Kanya Puja. It is believed that the Navratri fasts are incomplete without Kanya Pujan.
Young girls are considered to be an avatar of?Nava Durga?on earth and?during?Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami, they are?worshipped. It is written in our sacred books that praying a human would get faster results than praying God himself and children are the purest form of human beings. So, to worship the pure soul and acknowledge the power of the feminine, people hold?Kanjak Poojan.
As per tradition, Kanjak Puja begins with washing the feet of young girls aged between 2-10 years. Next, kumkum and Akshat (rice) tilak is applied to their forehead and a kalava is tied in their hands. After that, they are given prasad made from tender coconut, followed by Poori, halwa, and Kala chana. At the end of puja, they are also offered gifts in the form of money, jewellery, clothes, toys, etc. Finally, the devotee touches their feet asking for their blessings, and after their departure, the devotee breaks the fast with leftover food.
- Stationery
- Jewellery Items And Hair Accessories
- Designer Assorted Chocolates Boxes
- Cute Doll Key Chains
- Toys and Games
It's believed, girls aged between 6¨C12 who have not reached puberty are worshiped with great devotion. Girls of these ages symbolizes purity, serenity, innocence and peace. They represent all forms of Durga and feminine energy is at its peak during this time. So they are worshiped.
Note: Dates/timings may be subject to change; details mentioned here are as per the information available.
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