The nine-day Navratri festival, dedicated to the nine forms of Goddess Durga, concludes this year with the revered Kanya Pujan on Tuesday, September 30, 2025. Celebrated with great devotion across India, this ritual sees devotees’ worship nine young girls, symbolizing the divine feminine energy of Durga.

Auspicious Date and Timing

According to Drik Panchang, Ashtami Tithi starts at 4:31 PM on September 29 and concludes at 6:06 PM on September 30, marking the ideal time for Kumari Puja ceremonies. Devotees use this period for prayers, offerings, and spiritual rituals to seek the blessings of Goddess Durga.

How to Perform Kumari Puja

The traditional steps of Kanya Pujan include:

• Inviting nine young girls (aged 2 to 10) into homes.
• Washing their feet, placing them on a pedestal, and offering respect.
• Tying a kalawa (holy thread) around their wrists and applying vermillion on their foreheads.
• Serving special dishes such as poori, chana, ghee halwa, coconut, sweets, and kheer.
• Offering gifts, money, or essential items like new dresses, bangles, and school supplies.
• Touching their feet to receive their blessings and completing the ritual with devotion.

Offerings and Significance

During Kanya Pujan, devotees present flowers, incense sticks, lamps, and prasad, expressing gratitude to the divine feminine. The young girls, or kanjaks, are given dakshina, gifts, and traditional sweets, embodying Goddess Durga’s blessings and ensuring spiritual prosperity for the household.

Kanya Pujan is not only a spiritual tradition but also a celebration of innocence, purity, and the divine feminine, bringing families together to honor the Goddess.