Kanya Pujan on the day of Durga Ashtami, known as Maha Ashtami too, is one of the most important rituals of the Sharad Navratri. It is the 8th day of the 9 day festival I which devotees go on celebrating the Puja of Goddess Durga. On this very day, devotees offer special prayers and perform some special rituals to invoke the blessings of the Maha Shakti. Many people offer flower anjali and observe fasting on this day. On this particular day, the divine power of Goddess Durga seems to be at its peak. Hence, she grants all. As we all know on the Navratri, 9 special forms Ma Durga have been worshipped. The Ashatami and Navami titithis are given special importance as on these very days young unmarried child girls are worshipped as the forms of the Holy Mother. It is believed that once the child girls are worshipped on these two days either on Astami tithi or on Navami tithi, the grace of the Goddess is gained. Mother gets pleased very quickly. He liitle girls who are invited to be worshipped are called Kanjak or kanjakeyo. Hence this puja is known as Kanjak Puja too. Durga Ashtami 2023: Date and Shubh Muhurat for Kanya Puja
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For Sharad Navratri in 2023 the Ashtami Tithi begins at 21:55:15 on October 21, 2023, and it comes to an end at 20:00:57 on October 22, 2023. You can go for performing Kanya Puja and other rituals during this auspicious period.
Puja Rituals on Durga Ashtami 2023
Clean the Puja temple or room neatly and decorate it with colorful flowers and rangoli.
Already the idols or pictures of Goddess Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Lord Ganesha, and Kartikeya have already been placed in the Puja place.
You can begin the Puja invoking the Ma Durga by chanting mantras, ringing the bell, offering flowers, burning incense sticks, and lamps to the goddess.
Make ready Prasad that includes fruits, sweets, and various other things favorite to the goddess. Goddess Durga is sure to bless the devotees with over all prosperity and sound health. Again the light is burnt with the aid of camphor and aarti is performed in front of the goddess. Hymns and bhajans in praise of the goddess are sung too with utmost devotion.
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Somewhere Durga Saptashati, is read too. Reading of the Durga Saptashati helps to remove numerous obstacles and negative energies.
Many devotees go on observing a strict fast on the very thithi of Durga Ashtami and consume only fruits and water some keep aside those things too and fast consuming not a single drop of water.
Fasting is a scientific way of purifying the body and mind and to invoke the blessings of the goddess.
Going for charity among the needy on the very day of Durga Ashtami pleases the goddess and the holy act brings prosperity and good health.
On the very auspicious occasion of Durga Ashtami, young girls regarded as the manifestation of Ma Durga are worshipped. Thus, Kanya Pujan takes place in various locations.
How to go for Kanya Pujan?
For Kanya Pujan 9 little girls of the age group 2 to 10 are invited.
The legs of the girls are washed, moli is tied in their hands.
Now the perform aarti to the little girls and offer Bhog before them. Generally hey are offered Puri, halwa and chana made from milk. After feding they are offered some gifts.
Finally touching their feet blessings are sought and pray to them (thinking them as incarnations of the Holy Mother) that all th sins and misdeeds must be forgiven. When evrey ritual is over, with great humbleness bid them good bye.
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According to the Devi Puranam if the little girls are worshipped, Devi is pleased and all the wishes of the worshipper are granted. Not only that if the girls are fed with utmost devotion, all the placements of the planets in the birth chart are nullified from all sorts of negativities. Some Astrologers opine too that on this very occasion a little boy should be invited. It is believed that Lord Shiva appointed Bhairab to guard Adi Shakti or Ma Durga. Hence along with the Ma a boy should also be worshipped taking him as the ‘form’ of Lord Bhairab.
7 Mantras to Chant on Maha Ashtami 2023
Chanting of some auspicious and powerful mantras on Durga Ashtami is a powerful way to appease Maa Durga and win her blessings. Here we are going to mention 7 very powerful mantras you should go on chanting on the very occasion of Durga Ashtami kanya Pujan 2023:
1st Mantra goes thus- Om Dum Durgayei Namaha: This mantra is to invoke the blessings of Ma Durga and seek her vigilance.
2nd Mantra- Sarva Mangala Maangalye Shive Sarvaartha Saadhike Sharanye Tryambake Gaurii Naaraayanii Namostute: This mantra is related with the Mahishasura Mardini Stotram and seeks the blessings of Ma Durga to help to overcome all kinds of obstacles and challenges.
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3rd Mantra- Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu Shakti Rupena Samsthita Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah: This mantra has the power to seek the blessings of Ma Durga so that fears are overcome and negative energies are removed.
4th Mantra- Om Hrim Dum Durga Devyai Namaha: This mantra is chanted to seek the blessings of Ma so that She removes all obstacles and negative energies.
5th Mantra- Om Aim Hrim Klim Chamundaye Vichche: This mantra known as the Chamunda Mantra wins the blessings of Ma Durga to overcome all sorts of panic and apprehensions and at the same time negative energy.
6th Mantra- Om Shri Durgayai Namaha: This mantra brings absolute peace, total prosperity, and sound health.
7th Mantra- Om Jayanti Mangala Kali Bhadrakali Kapalini Durga Kshama Shiva Dhatri Swaha Swadha Namostute: This mantra helps to overcome obstacles and persistent challenges in life.
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Hence, chanting these mantras with utmost devotion and sincerity on Durga Ashtami will sure to please Ma Durga and bring absolute peace, utmost prosperity, and vibrant health to the devotees.
Astrological Significance of the Durga Ashtami
Durga Ashtami, known as Maha Ashtami too, is a significant day during Sharad Navratri and is specially hinted at for great astrological significance. According to Hindu mythology, Ma Durga appeared on this day in a vicious form to defeat notorious demon Mahishasura, symbolizing the victory of good over evil.
Again, Durga Ashtami is associated with planet Rahu that represents nothing but materialism and desire. Hence, worshipping Ma Durga on this very day can help mitigate all the malefic effects of Rahu and bring prosperity, happiness, and all round success.
The nine-day Navratri festival represents the 9 manifestations of Ma Durga, each representing a different aspect of her divine prowess. Worshipping each form of Ma Durga during the auspicious Navratri invokes sincere blessings related to every particular aspect.
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Durga Ashtami is a highly auspicious day to seek blessings for the well-being and protection of the children. So, devotees go on performing special Pujas, offer bhog, perform aarti, and recite various mantras to seek the blessings of Ma Durga on this particular day.
Kanya Pujan on Durga Ashtami 2023
Kanya Pujan, known as Kumari Puja or Kanjak Pujan too, is a significant ritual of Durga Ashtami. It helps to seek blessings from young girls who are regarded as the embodiments of the divine feminine power. Here we are trying to put before our readers the steps how to perform the Kanya Pujan based on specific zodiac signs:
• Aries: Aries people should offer red clothes, bangles, and various sweets to the young girls.
• Taurus: Taureans must offer yellow flowers, fruits, and by all means chana dal (split chickpeas) to the girls.
• Gemini: Geminians must go on offering white sweets, such as rasgulla or mithai, and various gifts like books, pencils, sketch pens to the young girls.
• Cancer: Cancerians should offer milk, sweets, and ripe bananas to the girls.
• Leo: Leo people should opt for fruits, especially pomegranates, and kesar halwa to the girls.
• Virgo: virgo men must go on offering sweets made of suji, such as sooji ka halwa or suji laddoo, to the young girls.
• Libra: Librans must offer white sweets, like kalakand or rasmalai, and gifts relaed to feminine cosmetics like hair clips or bangles to the young girls.
• Scorpio: Scorpio men should offer red clothes, haldi (turmeric), and sweets like peda or barfi.
• Sagittarius: Sagittarius men should offer besan laddoo (gram flour sweets), chana dal, and sweet fruits to the young girls.
• Capricorn: Capricornians must go on offering dry fruits such as almonds and cashews, and sweets like kaju katli to the young girls.
• Aquarius: Aquarians should opt for fruits, like guava, papaya, and suji ka halwa to the little girls.
• Pisces: Pisceans must go on offering rice kheer and white flowers to the girls.
Last But Not the Least
Ma Durga, in the form of Maha Gauri, is worshipped on the auspicious moments of Durga Ashtami too. The story of Mahagauri is another legend associated with the Durga Ashtami. It is known to all that Maa Parvati went through tough penance to get Lord Shiva as her husband. This penance had bad effects on her skin and turned it black. When Shiva accepted her finally as His consort, he cleaned all the impurities off her body in the water of the river Ganga. Again the complexion of Parvati Ma became extremely white. Hence she is called ‘Maha Gauri’ too.
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