Fri Oct 11 08:03:21 UTC 2024: ## Durga Ashtami and Navami 2024: Kanya Pujan and the End of Navratri

**New Delhi, October 11, 2024** – The auspicious festival of Sharad Navratri culminates today, with the observance of both Ashtami and Navami on Friday, October 11th, 2024. This year, the Ashtami tithi ends at 12:07 PM, followed by the Navami tithi which concludes at 10:59 AM on Saturday, October 12th.

The highlight of the final day is the ‘Kanya Pujan’, a revered ritual involving the worship of young girls as manifestations of Goddess Durga. This practice is believed to bring blessings of prosperity and happiness to the home. Families traditionally invite young girls aged 2-10 years, offering them food, gifts, and respect. The ritual typically includes washing their feet, offering them delicacies like ‘puri’, ‘chana’, ‘halwa’, and coconut, and seeking their blessings.

The auspicious time for the Kanya Pujan is today, Friday, October 11th, during the Ashtami-Navami period. However, it’s advisable to avoid performing the ritual during the Rahu Kaal, which falls between 10:41 AM and 12:08 PM today.

The breaking of the fast (Parana) takes place after the Kanya Pujan.

As the festival draws to a close, devotees can chant the following mantras for blessings from Goddess Durga, Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Annapurna:

* ॐ दुर्गायै स्वाहा
* ॐ सरस्वती स्वाहा
* ॐ लक्ष्मयी स्वाहा
* ॐ अन्नपूर्णे स्वाहा

May the divine grace of Goddess Durga shower blessings upon all.

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