Kanya Pujan 2026: Date, Vidhi, Bhog and Practical Tips

Kanya Pujan is done on Maha Ashtami or Maha Navami of Sharad Navratri, depending on family tradition. In 2026 the dates need a little care, because the Saptami tithi touches two sunrises:

• Durga Ashtami in India: Monday, 19 October
• Maha Navami: Monday, 19 October in many North Indian calendars (Navami begins at 10:53 am that day), and Tuesday, 20 October in others, including Bengal's
• In the USA, Canada and the UK, Durga Ashtami falls on Sunday, 18 October

The tithi windows for New Delhi (IST) are:

• Ashtami: 8:29 am on 18 October to 10:52 am on 19 October
• Navami: 10:53 am on 19 October to 12:50 pm on 20 October

Kanya Pujan is traditionally done in the morning, after the day's puja, while the tithi you have chosen is running. For Ashtami Kanya Pujan on 19 October, finish before 10:52 am, when Ashtami ends. For Navami Kanya Pujan, begin after 10:53 am on 19 October, or finish before 12:50 pm on 20 October if your family keeps Navami on the 20th. Times shift slightly by city, so check a local panchang or our daily panchang.

Neither practice is wrong. Follow what your family or local temple does, and tell the families of the girls you invite which day and time you have chosen, well in advance.

On Ashtami or Navami, many families invite young girls home and honour them as forms of the Devi. The practice rests on the belief that the Goddess is present in every girl child, and it closes the nine days of Navratri worship with an act of respect and feeding rather than asking for anything.

Customs vary across India. In most North Indian homes, girls roughly between two and ten years old are invited. Nine girls are common, matching the nine forms of Durga, and many families also invite one boy, who is seen as Langur or Bhairav, the Devi's guardian. Families that cannot find nine girls invite fewer, and tradition does not treat that as a lapse. In some regions the ritual is called Kanjak or Kanya Bhoj.

The heart of the ritual is simple: welcome the girls, wash their feet, feed them with love, give them something they will enjoy, and seek their blessings. Many families break their Navratri fast only after Kanya Pujan.

Invite the girls respectfully a day or two earlier, and speak to their parents, not only to the children. Confirm the day and time and ask about any food allergies.

What you will need:

• A clean plate or basin and a jug of water for washing feet, and a small towel
• Clean asans (mats) or a sheet for the girls to sit on
• Roli or kumkum, akshat, and mauli (sacred thread)
• A lamp and incense for the puja
• Chunri or small red cloths (optional)
• Bhog: halwa, puri and kala chana (the most common combination), or your family's dishes
• Plates, glasses of water and napkins
• Dakshina and a gift for each child

Cook the bhog fresh on the morning itself, in a clean kitchen, without onion and garlic. Keep the portions small; children eat little, and nobody wants food wasted.

As families commonly perform it:

1. Finish your own morning puja before the girls arrive, and keep the bhog ready.
2. Welcome the girls at the door. Many families shower a few flower petals or say Jai Mata Di as they enter.
3. Seat them in a row on the clean asans, with the boy at one end if you have invited one.
4. Wash their feet gently with water, dry them with a clean towel, and touch the water to your forehead if that is your custom.
5. Apply a small tilak of roli with akshat on each girl's forehead and tie mauli on the wrist. Offer a chunri if your family does.
6. Light the lamp and show aarti to the girls, or sing a Devi aarti such as Jai Ambe Gauri. Some families also recite Sarva Mangala Mangalye.
7. Serve the bhog and let the children eat at their own pace.
8. After the meal, give each child dakshina and a gift.
9. Touch their feet or fold your hands for their blessings, and see them off at the door.

Take your time. The children should enjoy the morning.

Halwa, puri and kala chana are the classic Kanya Pujan bhog in North India, often with a little coconut or a banana. The halwa is usually made from semolina with ghee and sugar, and the chana is cooked dry. In other regions families serve kheer, puri-sabzi or local sweets. There is no single correct menu.

Dakshina is usually a small amount of money given in an envelope or placed with the gift. The amount is a family decision; what matters is that it is the same for every child, so nobody feels left out.

For gifts, choose things children can actually use and enjoy:

• Stationery, a colouring book or crayons
• Hair clips, bangles or a small bag
• A steel water bottle or tiffin box
• A storybook in the language they read

Avoid cheap plastic trinkets that break the same day, and anything with small parts for very young children. Fruit or a small box of sweets to take home is always welcome.

A few practical points keep Kanya Pujan joyful for everyone:

• Always ask parents first, and let them stay if they wish.
• Do not insist if a child is shy, unwell or does not want to come. Respect is the point of the ritual.
• Check for allergies to nuts, gluten or dairy before cooking.
• Wash hands, keep the floor dry after washing feet, and use fresh water for each child if you can.
• Do not keep the children waiting for long or make them sit still through a long puja.
• Do not force food. Pack what is left for them to take home.
• If you invite girls from families who work in your home or live in your neighbourhood, treat them exactly as you treat relatives' children, in seating, food and gifts.

If there are few girls in your area, many families invite the daughters of friends and relatives, or hold Kanya Pujan together with neighbours.

Not everyone can host Kanya Pujan, whether because of travel, a small home, illness or simply having no young girls nearby. Many families then offer bhog and dakshina to a girls' home or a community kitchen, or feed children at a temple, in the same spirit.

You can also have a Durga Archana performed in your name at Sree Vinayak Mandir in Delhi on Ashtami or Navami. The pandit chants the 108 names of Maa Durga and offers a red flower garland and sindoor, and a photo of the completed archana is emailed to you, typically within 24 hours. It is an offering to the Devi, not a replacement for feeding children, and we would not describe it any other way.

For the full Navratri calendar, the Ghatasthapana muhurat and the kalash vidhi, read our Sharad Navratri 2026 guide. Many families also recite the Durga Chalisa on the last day of Navratri.