Overview
Kanyā Pūjā, also known as Kumārī Pūjā, is a Hindu ritual observed especially on Ashtami (the eighth day) and Navami (the ninth day) of the Navaratri festival. The ceremony centres on the veneration of nine young girls, who are regarded as embodiments of the nine forms of Goddess Durga, collectively known as Navadurga.
In Hindu tradition, the girls invited for the ritual are considered manifestations of the natural force of creation, and their worship forms an integral part of Navaratri observance in many households and temples. The rite typically marks the culmination of the nine-day festival.
According to legend associated with the festival, it was on the ninth day of Navaratri that Shakti assumed the form of Goddess Durga, at the request of the devas, in order to slay the demon Mahishasura. The observance of Kanyā Pūjā is linked to this narrative and to the broader devotion to the goddess during Navaratri.