Ram Navami 2024: The special time of the year is here. Every year, the ninth day of Chaitra Navratri is celebrated as Maha Navami or Ram Navami. Chaitra Navratri is a ten-day festival dedicated to Goddess Durga and her nine forms. On each day of the festival, a form of Maa Durga is worshipped. Maa Shailputri, Maa Brahmacharini, Maa Chandraghanta, Maa Kushmanda, Maa Skandamata, Maa Katyayani, Maa Kaalratri, Maa Mahagauri, and Maa Siddhidatri are the nine forms of Maa Durga that are worshipped on each day of Chaitra Navratri. The ninth day of the festival is dedicated to Maa Siddhidatri.

Ram Navami is dedicated to worshipping young girls. It is believed that young girls are forms of Goddess Durga. Nine girls and a boy (langur) are worshipped on the auspicious day of Ram Navami. The traditional bhog of halwa poori, chane and tender coconut is prepared for them. This is called Kanjak or Kanya Pujan. here's all that you need to know about Kanjak.

Rituals:

Young girls from the age of two to ten are bathed before making them sit on a cloth. Then tilak is applied on their forehead and kalava is tied on their hands. The bhog is offered to them. In some parts of North India, gobi aloo or gobi tamatar is also prepared as bhog. Then money and jewellery are offered to them as gifts and their feet are touched by others. People seek their blessings.

Significance:

Kanya Pujan is performed twice a year, or on Ashtami or Navami of Navratri. Young children are considered the purest of souls as they are believed to not have any kind of evil emotion inside them. Hence, they are worshipped. Worshipping nine young girls is also believed to be like worshipping the nine forms of Maa Durga.

Celebrations:

According to Drik Panchang, Navami will be celebrated on April 17. The Navami tithi will begin at 1:23 PM on April 16 and will end at 3:14 PM on April 17. Kanjak is celebrated with a lot of devotion and dedication throughout the country.

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