Durga Ashtami 2023- Gifts for Kanya Pujan based on Zodiac Signs

Durga Ashtami 2023 is on the offing. Known as Maha Ashtami too, it is one of the most important days of Sharad Navratri according to Hindu mythology and scriptures. It is the 8th day of the nine-day festival of the Durga Puja festival. On this day, devotees go for special Puja and perform different rituals to invoke the blessings of the Mother. Many people opt for fasts and other rituals. On this particular it is believed that the divinity of Goddess Durga is at its peak. Hence, if appeased, she is ready to grant the wishes of her devotees. On this very day Kanya Puja or the worshipping of little girl children as the epitome of the Mother, take place in various Puja pandals or homes where Mother is worshipped. The Puja has tremendous impact on the Puja. Various gifts are offered to the little girls known to be Kanyas the girl children incarnation of the Mother to appease the Mother. But in this blog we are going to discuss about Durga Ashtami 2023- Gifts for Kanya Pujan based on zodiac signs.

Durga Ashtami 2023: Date & Shubh Muhurat for Kanya Puja

On Sharad Navratri 2023 the Ashtami Tithi will start at 21:55:15 on October 21 and it will come to an end at 20:00:57 on October 22th. You can perform Kanya Puja and other rituals during this period.

Kanya Puja on Durga Ashtami 2023

Kanya Puja, also known as Kumari Puja or Kanjak Pujan, is a significant ritual part of Durga Ashtami. It helps to seek blessings from young girls who are regarded the embodiments of divine feminine power. 

In the Hindu dharma it is told that God resides in human body but when the issue of Kanya Puja comes to the forefront the issue takes a different turn. The young girls are regarded as the forms of the mother. These girls should be either 3 or 9 years of age. These girls seem most auspicious and having clear souls as the divine power. Then there comes the question, how many girls should be worshipped. There is no rule in this regard, how many girls you should worship. But basically the numbers 3 and 9 are preferred. Now we shall try to focus on the impact of Puja on you in reference to numbers of girls.

• Once you worship 1 girl you are sure to have blessings after your desire.

• Worshipping of 2 girls is sure to offer you salvation

• Three girls offer you tremendous merit

• Worshipping of 4 girls helps you to show your authority

• If you worship 5 girls you are sure to have knowledge

• Worshipping of 6 girls will cater you 6 ‘siddhi’ or aspirations.

• Once you worship 7 girls you can become a king and be endowed with a kingdom.

• Eight girls will shower on the blessings of wealth

• You can have super powers one you worship 9 girls.

How Can You go for Kanya Puja?

In the initial stage try to wash the feet of the girls you have invited to be Kumari for worshipping. Then offer them seats to sit on. Then red and yellow threads are tied on their wrists, especially on the wrist one. Then tilak is applied on the forehead of the girls. The food items that were offered to Maa Durga are shared between the girls. The dishes may be packed with Puri, chana and halwa as it is the Ashtami day. Now it comes to the very moment of offering the girls some gifts. These gifts can be of various kinds ranging from money, dresses, or bangles. At the end of the offerings, you have to touch the feet of the girls and seek their blessings. Don’t forget that they are the embodiments of the Goddess, so have deep devotion in mind and do accordingly.

Now, one may ask me- why the girls are worshipped on the very day of Ashtami tithi? To answer these questions we have to dip delve into the Hindu scriptures and traditional Hindu philosophy. According to Hindu scriptures and philosophy, feminine force plays the leading role in creation. It is the power of the Ma Mahamaya or the Super Force of the universe that is the root cause behind all creations in this universe. It is she who has created the gods and at the same time focuses on the creation of the animal world. Without her divine power the cosmos remained inert. So to please the Mahamaya or the Great Mother is the first thing to achieve anything in this mundane world and even in the spiritual world. To show respect to this Great Feminine Force it is the idea of Kumari Puja or Kanya Puja came into being.

Mantras That Should be Chanted on Maha Ashtami 2023

Some powerful mantras should be chanted on Durga Ashtami to win the favor of Maa Durga and her blessings. Here we are pointing at 7 very powerful mantras that you should chant on the particular occasion of Durga Ashtami Kanya Puja 2023:

• 1st Mantra is thus Om Dum Durgayei Namaha. This mantra invokes Ma Durga and seeks her vigilance.
• 2nd Mantra is Sarva Mangala Maangalye Shive Sarvaartha Saadhike Sharanye Tryambake Gaurii Naaraayanii Namostute. This mantra seeks the blessings of Ma Durga to overcome all obstacles and challenges coming on the way.
• 3rd Mantra goes thus Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu Shakti Rupena Samsthita Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah. This mantra of Ma Durga should be chanted to overcome fears and all types of negative energies.
• 4th Mantra is Om Hrim Dum Durga Devyai Namaha. This mantra is chanted to pray to Ma so that She can remove all obstacles and negative energies.
• 5th Mantra Om Aim Hrim Klim Chamundaye Vichche is known as the Chamunda Mantra. The mantra has such power that it can overcome all sorts of panic, apprehensions and negative energies.
• 6th Mantra is Om Shri Durgayai Namaha. This mantra invokes absolute peace, prosperity, and robust health.
• 7th Mantra Om Jayanti Mangala Kali Bhadrakali Kapalini Durga Kshama Shiva Dhatri Swaha Swadha Namostute helps to overcome obstacles and challenges in life.

Hence, if you can chant these mantras with utmost devotion and sincerity on the auspicious occasion of the Durga Ashtami 2023, it is hoped that you will sure to please Ma Durga and bring absolute peace, total prosperity, and glowing health in your life.

Astrological Significance of the Durga Ashtami

Durga Ashtami, or Maha Ashtami is a significant day of Sharad Navratri and is noted for great astrological significance. According to Hindu mythology, Ma Durga on this particular day appeared in a furious form to defeat demon Mahishasura, symbolizing the very victory of good over evil forces. Durga Ashtami has keen link with Rahu the very planet that represents only materialism and desire. Once you worship Ma Durga on this very day, you have the blessings to mitigate all the malefic effects of Rahu and add to your life prosperity, happiness, and total success.

The 9 day long festive occasions of Navratri bring before us 9 embodiments of Ma Durga, each representing a special aspect of her divinity and prowess. Worshipping each form of Ma Durga during the Navratri days invokes blessings of the Holy Mother related to every particular aspect of your own life and the lives of your dear ones. Durga Ashtami helps to seek blessings from young girls who seem to be the embodiments of the divine feminine prowess. Here we are trying our best to put before the readers the steps how to go for the Kanya Puja based on specific zodiac signs.

• Aries: Aries natives should offer red clothes, bangles, and sweets to the young girls.
• Taurus: Taurus men must offer yellow flowers, fruits, chana dal (split chickpeas) to the girls.
• Gemini: Gemini natives must opt for white sweets, like rasgulla or mithai, and other gifts like books, pencils, sketch pens to the girls.
• Cancer: Cancer natives should offer milk, sweets, and ripe bananas.
• Leo: Leo men should opt for fruits like pomegranates, and kesar halwa.
• Virgo: Virgo natives must go for sweets made of suji. They may be sooji ka halwa or suji laddoo.
• Libra: Librans can offer white sweets, like kalakand or rasmalai, and cosmetics like hair clips, bangles or things related to it.
• Scorpio: Scorpio people should offer red clothes, turmeric and sweets like peda or barfi.
• Sagittarius: Sagittarius natives should offer besan laddoo, chana dal, and sweet fruits
• Capricorn: Capricorn men must opt for dry fruits like almonds and cashews, and sweets like kaju katli.
• Aquarius: Aquarians may offer fruits like guava, papaya, and suji ka halwa to the little girls or kanyas.
• Pisces: Pisceans should offer rice kheer and white flowers to the girls.

The Takeaway

Maa Durga, in the form of Maha Gauri, is worshipped on the occasion of Durga Ashtami. It is known to all that Mother Parvati went through rigorous penance to have Lord Shiva as Her husband. This penance inflicted her skin in a bad manner and turned it black. When Shiva accepted her as His consort, He cleaned all the impurities off her body in the holy water of the Ganga. Again the complexion of Maa became extremely white. Hence she is called ‘Maha Gauri’ too. It is hoped that Durga Ashtami 2023 will bring for everyone living in this mundane world total peace, harmony and glowing vigor.