Navratri is not just about fasting, music, or dance. It is a journey into devotion, discipline, and the celebration of the feminine divine. Across nine days, each form of Maa Durga is invoked with mantras, offerings, and rituals. But even after the lamps are lit and the mantras are chanted, there is one ritual without which Navratri is considered incomplete: Kanya Pujan.

In Navratri 2025, Kanya Pujan will be performed on Ashtami (October 1, 2025) or Navami (October 2, 2025), depending on family tradition. Some also perform it on both days or even daily in smaller forms. But no matter when it is done, its significance remains the same: it is the heart of Navratri, where divinity is worshipped not in idols, but in living form.

Why Kanya Pujan is Special in Navratri

The ritual of Kanya Pujan, also known as Kanjak Puja, is rooted in the belief that girls between the ages of 2 and 10 embody the energy of the Navadurga (the nine forms of Maa Durga). Each age is connected to a specific form of Shakti:

• 2 years: Kumari (innocence)

• 3 years: Trimurti (the three powers)

• 4 years: Kalyani (auspiciousness)

• 5 years: Rohini (growth)

• 6 years: Kali (fierce protection)

• 7 years: Chandika (the invincible one)

• 8 years: Shambhavi (graceful strength)

• 9 years: Durga (the complete goddess)

• 10 years: Subhadra (divine radiance)

By honouring young girls, devotees symbolically worship all the forms of Durga at once.

The deeper meaning of Kanya Pujan

Kanya Pujan is not just a ritual for prosperity or blessings. It is a reminder that divinity lives in every being, especially in innocence and purity. Washing their feet, offering food, and bowing before them represents surrender, the humbling of ego before the Goddess herself.

It is said in the Markandeya Purana and Devi Mahatmya that Navratri puja is incomplete without Kanya Pujan. Only after serving the Kanyas does a devotee’s sadhana find fulfilment.

When to Perform Kanya Puja in 2025

• Most Auspicious Days: Durga Ashtami (October 1, 2025) or Mahanavami (October 2, 2025).

• Daily Worship: Some families honour one kanya each day of Navratri.

• Morning Hours: Perform the puja after sunrise and before noon for maximum blessings.

• Tantric Tradition: Sandhi Kaal, the exact transition between Ashtami and Navami, is considered extremely powerful.

This year, devotees across India will gather with joy and reverence on these sacred mornings, inviting little girls into their homes as if Maa Durga herself has arrived.

Step-by-Step Kanya Pujan Vidhi

If you are planning to perform Kanya Puja at home during Navratri 2025, here’s a simple guide:

Preparation

• Invite 7, 9, or 11 girls aged 2–10 years.

• Invite one young boy, if possible, to represent Batuk Bhairav, the guardian form of Shiva.

• Keep clean mats or seats ready for them.

• Arrange puja items: water, sandal paste, akshat (rice grains), kumkum, flowers, red chunri, prasad (puri, halwa, chana).

Worship Steps

• Welcoming: Wash their feet gently with water, apply sandal, rice, and kumkum.

• Seating: Offer them clean asanas (mats).

• Tilak: Apply haldi, kumkum, and akshat on their foreheads.

• Chunri and Flowers: Offer red chunri, flowers, and bangles if available.

Mantra Recitation: 

• Chant: Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu Kanya Rupena Samsthita | 

Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah ||

• Aarti: Perform Durga aarti in front of the girls and Batuk Bhairav.

• Bhog/Prasad: Serve puri, halwa, and chana: the traditional Navratri prasad.

• Dakshina and Gifts: Give fruits, sweets, money, or small gifts.

• Feet Touch: Humbly bow and touch their feet, receiving blessings as if from Maa Durga herself.

Batuk Bhairav in Kanya Pujan

Alongside Devi’s energy, the Batuk Bhairav form of Lord Shiva is also worshipped. He is the protector deity, symbolising the masculine guardian force that balances Devi’s feminine grace.

Why is he included?

• Kanya = Shakti (energy of the Goddess)

• Batuk = Shiva’s Guardian Energy

Together, they create harmony of creation and protection.

Worshipping Batuk Bhairav in the form of a small boy (aged 2–10) ensures that Devi’s blessings are preserved and safeguarded.

The mantra often recited is: Om Hreem Batukaya Apaduddharanaya Kuru Kuru Batukaya Hreem.

The Spiritual Rewards of Kanya Pujan

The beauty of Kanya Pujan lies not only in the ritual itself but in the blessings it draws into everyday life. When devotees welcome little girls as living goddesses, they invite purity, strength, and grace into their homes. The rewards of this puja go beyond tradition; they touch every aspect of family, health, and spiritual growth.

• Completion of Navratri: The puja symbolises the final step in the nine-day sadhana.

• Blessings of Purity: Innocent energy of children clears karmic blocks.

• Family Prosperity: Brings harmony, protection, and abundance.

• Divine Balance: Honouring both Devi (Kanya) and Shiva (Batuk) invokes cosmic balance.

• Wish Fulfilment: Scriptures say those who perform Kanya Pujan with faith are granted their heartfelt desires.

Navratri is about inviting the Goddess into our lives in every form. By performing Kanya Pujan in 2025, you are not just worshipping little girls; you are recognising innocence as divine, purity as sacred, and humility as the highest offering. So this Navratri, prepare the halwa-puri, call the Kanyas, and welcome Maa Durga into your home with devotion and love.

Ask Agastyaa on Astrosure.ai: Complete your Navratri with divine balance