Sanjeev Bhat
Come Navratras and its is spiritual ambience all around us. For nine nights, Goddess Durga is worshipped in all her nine manifestations: Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Lalitha, Durga Shashti, Kaalratri, Maha Gauri and Siddhidatri day in and day out. And Kanjak Pooja or Kumari Pooja is an important feature of these Navratras.
Traditionally, Kanjak Pooja is a ritual that is carried on either on Ashtami/Navami day in both Navaratris, after a 7/8 days fast with eating only restricted foods and abstaining from eating non-vegetarian foods, abstaining from alcohol and smoking at times. It is on this day that puri, halwa, chana and subji are prepared and young girls who have not attained puberty are given a feast.
At the time of Pooja, the girl is considered to be an ‘avatar’ of Durga on earth and worshipped. Kanya Pujan or Kanjak Pujan is performed with a belief that young girls are the replica of Goddess Durga. The devotees invite girls at homes and offer ‘bhog’. The faith is that Goddess Durga, who is worshipped in nine avatars during Navratri, gets pleased by `Kanya Puja’.
It is an age old tradition celebrated every year in the months of around April and September/October, marking the period when the household keeps fast and takes meals one time only. This festival of Navratri is auspicious for all the Hindus in the world. This also paves way for the tenth day, also known as Vijaya Dashmi (day of Victory over evils). This day is also known as Dussera which is significant to launch new activities or beginning of learning. It signifies the victory of good over evil. On this day, Lord Rama had killed Ravana (the demon). Thus this festival leads to another imperative festival signifying end of ills of society.
Notably, Kumari Pooja is observed as a day when Goddess Mahakali killed the demon Kalasura. According to legend, demon Kolasura occupied the heavens and the earth. All Gods were helpless and tired with the bad actions of Kalasura. They approached Goddess Mahakali for help. The goddess was born as Goddess Durga Devi and demolished Kalasura. Yet another legend has it that Goddesses Durga, Laxmi and Sarawati did penance sitting on a needle to get enough strength to slay the demon Mahisuran, who was causing havoc to everyone. It is said that finally on Vijaydasami Day they were able to get victory by slaying him.
Informs Pujari Kuldeep of Bawe Temple, “Kanjak Pooja is a ritual wherein the Durga devotees, with purity of mind and spirit, carry out Pooja and hold a seating for girls (mainly seven to nine in number) who they consider Goddess (Maa) in disguise. Their feet are washed as a mark of respect for the Goddess and then they are offered gifts by the worshipper. Then these young girls preferably around five years are given a feast. This ritual is performed across India”.
Highlighting the relevance of this ritual, Pandit Kuldeep adds, “This ritual has gained credence as it proves as an outlet to a feeling of guilt by seeking forgiveness (Shama) besides helping in clearing the road-blocks and hindrances in ones life. According to another tradition, feeding a maiden is equivalent to feeding the three worlds”.
Clarifying the method of Kanjak Pujan, Pandit Kuldeep emphasizes that there is flexibility in the number of girls for Kanjk Pujan and can range from one to nine depending on the availability as there is flexibility on the nature of Bhog to be offered and can be anything sweet ranging from fruit to barfi to biscuits. On the specific day for Kanjki Pujan, Pandit Kuldeep explains that throughout the nine days of Navratras one can perform Kanjki Pujan by first paying before Maa Durga and then performing Kanjki Pujan in a simple way at home.
Kumari Pooja is a biannual reminder to the folks that womanhood is to be honoured and respected because every woman is a manifestation of goddess Durga and the ritual is observed to reinforce the belief for maintaining the dignity of every woman.
In Hindu culture one of the most powerful forms in which goddess Durga is worshipped is the `Kumari’ — the virgin form. Even though Ma Durga is worshipped in several forms like a clay image, water, plants, fire and a living girl, Kumari is supposed to be the most pious of all. This is perhaps the most important part of Durga Pooja festivities.
It is on Kanjak Pooja or Kumari Pooja that a Girl becomes embodiment of Goddess.
However, over the years the people who perform Kanjak Pooja face many a difficulty in observing the ritual.
With skewed sex ratio making it tough to find small girls on the fast-breaking day, the Durga devotees in here have already started looking for small girls in advance to invite them on Ashtami of Navratri for it is only after ‘Kanjak Pujan’, wherein the later are worshipped, can they break their seven-day fast.
Laments Suchitra Gupta, a Durga devotee of the walled city area, “I will go to nearby temple and distributed lunch packs to poor girls”. Even after several attempts, she was unable to find small girls in her locality. Asked about the import of the ritual and impact on her life, Suchitra adds that she partakes it as a significant step and deep inside feels blessed while performing this ritual.
Finding the little girls remained a tough task for another Durga devotee of Subash Nagar last year. This time round Rachna Mahajan will visit a nearby temple for ‘Kanjak Pujan’ as she could not find girls in her locality. “As there are a few small girls in our locality, I will go to a temple and distribute food and gifts to some ‘Kanjaks’ there”, Rachna maintains while informing, “Every year, we face problems in finding young girls for the ‘Pooja”. Talking about the relevance of Kanjak Pooja, Rachna emphasizes that in a society where the women have not attained equal status and the female feticide are common and instances of rape have attained alarming proposition Kanjak Pujan twice in a year reorients the mind set of society towards respecting the fair sex.
However Meenakshi Singh, another devotee of Sidhra, says, “I had made all arrangements for Ashtami Pujan. We will invite small girls for ‘Kanya Pujan’ and then go to a nearby Temple for Samohik Arti”. On being asked about the application of this sentiment in her life proper, Menakshi points out, “I’ve a daughter and a son but it is only with the daughter’s presence that I feel that my family is complete”. Envisaging the importance of a girl child, Menakshi reiterates that it is only after a girl is born in a household that it becomes complete Grahest Ashram.
Yet another ardent devotee Sunita Sharma, a housewife and resident of up town Gandhi Nagar says, “I am on a shopping spree for Ashtami Pujan. As we are going to invite small girls for ‘Kanjak Pujan, I’ve purchased all items for gifting them”. On being asked about the meaning of such a ritual, Sunita adds, “This being the land of Mata Vaishnovi we follow the legend in the true spirit and in the same way we prepare the Boj for the contentment of the invitees”.
In the city of Temples, the ritual at the community level is observed in temples and the main function of Kanjki Pooja is performed throughout the nine days of Navratras at Bawe walli Mata Temple inside Bahu Fort with religious gaiety. However, on eighth Navratra the devotees who had been fasting for seven days throng this place and perform Kanjki Pujan here. The Pooja is conducted with the usual grandeur and solemnity in the presence of a huge gathering.
In Jammu with the festival of Navratri heading towards culmination and the celebration beginning to start, the market places have swelled with people seen busy buying their requirements for Kanjak Pooja. The beginning of the week saw much activity in various localities on this front. This ritual is regarded as the most important part of Navratri. Some devotees observe ‘Kanya puja’ on Navmi of Navratri while others observe it on Saptami.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
