New Delhi: Kanya puja is celebrated on the eighth and ninth day of Navaratri. Nine young girls representing the nine forms of Goddess Durga are worshiped and it is a custom to wash the feet of these girls as a mark of respect for the Goddess and then offer new clothes as gifts by the devotee. There is also a ritual purification and chanting of mantras. She is made to sit on a special pedestal. She is worshiped by offering ‘akshat‘ (rice grains) and by burning incense sticks. She is worshipped because, according to the philosophy of ‘Striyah Samastastava Devi Bhedah', women symbolize ‘Mahamaya‘ (The goddess Durga). Even among these a girl child is considered to be the purest, because of her innocence. Navratra deity Durga and all her dimensions are believed to be the manifestations of the same basic inspiration Mahamaya. Thus, a virgin girl is the symbol of the pure basic creative force according to this philosophy. If the worshiper is desirous of acquiring knowledge then he should worship a Brahmin girl child. If he is desirous of acquiring power, then he should worship a Kshatriya-girl child. Similarly if he is desirous of acquiring wealth and prosperity, then a girl child belonging to a Vaishya family should be worshipped by him. If a person is desirous of attaining Tantrik-power, Sammohan (hypnotizing), Uchchatan (causing hurdle in the path of other success), then he should worship a shudra-girl-child. Kanya puja as a part of Devi worship is to recognise the feminine power vested in the girl child and to give them as much importance in the social fabric as the so called heir apparents (boys) who are otherwise known to be pampered in an average household.
