Ram Navami 2024: Celebrating Kanjak - Rituals, Significance, and Celebration of Kanya Pujan

Ram Navami marks a significant occasion during Chaitra Navratri, a ten-day festival venerating Goddess Durga and her diverse manifestations. Each day of Chaitra Navratri honors a specific form of Maa Durga, culminating on the ninth day with Maa Siddhidatri.

Rituals of Kanjak (Kanya Pujan)

Kanjak, or Kanya Pujan, is a ritual where young girls, typically aged two to ten, are revered as embodiments of Goddess Durga. The ceremony involves:

Preparation: Girls are bathed and then seated on a cloth in a sanctified area.

Adornments: A tilak (vermilion mark) is applied on their foreheads, and kalava (sacred thread) is tied around their wrists.

Offerings (Bhog): Special offerings like halwa, poori, chane (chickpeas), and tender coconut are presented to the girls. In some regions, gobi aloo (cauliflower and potato curry) or gobi tamatar (cauliflower and tomato curry) are also included in the bhog.

Gifts: Money and sometimes jewelry are given to the girls as blessings. Others seek their blessings by touching their feet.

Significance of Kanya Pujan

The act of worshipping young girls symbolizes the reverence for purity and innocence. Children are believed to possess untainted souls devoid of negative emotions, making them worthy of divine worship. By worshipping nine young girls, devotees parallel the homage paid to the nine forms of Maa Durga during Navratri.

Celebration and Timing

Ram Navami, including the Kanya Pujan ritual, will be observed on April 17, 2024. The auspicious Navami tithi begins at 1:23 PM on April 16 and concludes at 3:14 PM on April 17. Across India, Kanjak is celebrated fervently with deep devotion, marking an essential part of Ram Navami festivities.