Kumari Puja 2024 date – Importance - Symbolism of Age Girl Child During Kanya Puja during Navratri and Durga Puja
Kumari Puja is the worship of young girls (girl child) during Navratri and Durga Puja. Kumari Puja 2024 date is October 11 and October 12. Also known as Kanya Pooja or Kanjak Ashtami Puja, it is observed on Durga Ashtami day (October 11) in some regions and on Mahanavami (October 12) in some regions. Young girls who are considered to be the living incarnations of Goddess Durga are worshipped on the day. Each age holds a specific symbolism.
Chaitra Navratri Kanya Puja 2024 is on April 16 and April 17. Most people perform it on Ashtami.
Chaitra Navratri Kanya Puja 2024 is on April 16 and April 17. Most people perform it on Ashtami.
Kumari Puja means ‘Virgin Worship.’ The details of age and rituals of Kumari Puja are mentioned in the Nila Tantra.
Symbolism of Age of Girl in Kumari Puja
- Two-year-old girl child is known as Kumari; she is worshiped for attaining peace and prosperity
- Three-year-old girl is known as Trimurti - for attaining wealth, strength and moksha.
- Four-year-old girl is known as Kalyani - for Vidya (knowledge), power and position.
- Five-year-old girl is known as Rohini - to overcome diseases - for early cure and for health children
- Six-year-old girl is known as Kalika - to overcome enemies.
- Seven-year-old girl is known as Shambhavi - for wealth and desire fulfillment and also for attaining siddhis
- Eight-year-old girl is known as Subhadra - for achieving success in work
How to Perform Kumari Puja?
- On the each day of Navratri, puja and worship of a girl child is performed by some communities. On Ashtami (eighth) and Navami (ninth) tithi, nine girl child are worshiped.
- On Kumari Pooja day, young girls aged between two and eight are invited to homes and their feet are washed.
- Red colored thread is tied on their wrists.
- A tika is applied on the girl child’s forehead and are worshipped as incarnation of Mother Goddess Shakti.
- Family members take blessings of the young child by touching their feet.
- The children are given ‘Prasad,’ sweets, gifts and sometimes even a token amount of money.
- Kumari Puja is more popular in
But sadly some of the regions that are famous for Kumari Puja and Kanya Pooja are also famous for female feticide and sex-determination tests and the subsequent abortion of female fetuses.
In fact, on the day of Kumari Puja homes in some of the cities in these regions find it hard to get a young girl for puja. The male to female ratio is well below national average. In one the most popular cities in the region the ratio is 773 women for per 1,000 men.
No Bhagavad Gita or No incarnation can change the mindset of such people, who one day worship the girl child and on another day abort a female fetus without any consideration.