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Puja
During the sacred occasion of Navratri, Maa Durga showers her special grace on all devotees. During this time, people worship Maa Durga and all her forms at home. What makes Navratri even more special is Kanya Poojan. This tradition takes place on Ashtami or Navami. In Kanya Poojan 2025, devotees will worship nine little girls as the embodiment of the Goddess. It is believed that young girls symbolize Navdurga and by serving them one receives Maa Durga’s blessings. Have you ever wondered why Kanya Poojan is performed? Let us know on the occasion of Sharadiya Navratri 2025 what its significance is and what benefits it brings.
Sharadiya Navratri 2025 holds special importance for Kanya Poojan. Devotees perform Kanya Poojan on Ashtami or Navami. Therefore, Kanya Poojan will take place on 30 September and 1 October 2025. On this day, devotees worship nine little girls as forms of the Goddess, offer them bhog and seek blessings, which brings prosperity and peace at home.
In Hinduism, people consider women as the form of Shakti. Navratri Kanya Poojan celebrates the belief that Maa Durga resides in every girl. Little girls symbolize innocence, purity, and divine energy. Scriptures also mention this. It is believed that Maa Durga took the form of a little girl to destroy demons. Worshiping girls is in fact worshiping the Goddess herself. Navratri Kanya Poojan holds great importance not only from a religious perspective but also socially. It conveys the message of giving daughters equal rights in society.
Kanya Poojan 2025 is a very simple but extremely sacred ritual. First, devotees clean and decorate the home or temple space. After bathing and wearing clean clothes in the morning, devotees invite little girls. The tradition is to invite at least nine girls. Devotees wash the girls’ feet with water or Ganga Jal, seat them on an asana, and apply a tilak of kumkum and akshat on their forehead. They adorn them with flower garlands and then serve them special food, usually halwa, puri, and chana. After the meal, devotees give clothes, bangles, ribbons, sweets, and dakshina. Finally, they touch the girls’ feet to seek blessings and bid them farewell with love. In some traditions, devotees also invite a small boy as ‘Bhairav’. This symbolizes that Shakti and protection walk together.
While performing Kanya Poojan, devotees must keep certain points in mind. The puja place and environment should be clean. Food must always be sattvic and without onion or garlic. The most important point is to never discriminate among girls. Whether rich or poor, giving equal respect and love is the real worship. From a time perspective, the morning to noon period is considered best for the puja, but with faith, it can be performed at any time.
