Don’t call girls for ‘kanya’ puja today, stay home and help the needy, say Delhi temples

NEW DELHI: Ahead of ashtami, when a lot of devotees perform “kanya” (or “kanjak”) puja by calling nine young girls home, major devi temples of the capital have urged people not to celebrate the occasion by inviting anyone and to stay at home, in view of the Covid-19 outbreak.
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Kanya puja is performed on the eighth and ninth day of Navaratri.It involves the worship of nine girls, representing the nine forms of Goddess Durga.
Ashtami and Ram Navami also usually witness a large number of bhandaras (community kitchens), but temples heads and managements of temples such as the Kalkaji Shaktipeeth and Jhandewalan Devi have appealed to people to divert resources to help the needy during in these testing times.
Rajeev Nanda, who manages the sanctum sanctorum at Katyayani Shaktipeeth at Chhatarpur said under the prevailing circumstances no one should call children at home as they may be exposed to infection. “The chief priests of Chhatarpur peeth have recommended that people keep nine representative kanjak portions in a big thaali and donate a portion to hungry cows, birds or stray dogs. Once the current crisis is over, devotees can worship the kanjaks,” Nanda said.
Dedicated to the goddess Aadi Shakti, the Jhandewalan temple near Karol Bagh is among the oldest temples in Delhi and attracts lakhs of devotees during the auspicious period. Temple spokesperson Ramesh Chandra Joshi said that even the idea of “celebration” should not cross people’s minds when nation is fighting the virus outbreak and no one should call nine kanjaks home.
“Devotees can carry out puja in their homes without the kanjaks. They take a vow to help the needy based on their capacities. Keep the donation aside that you want give to your temple, and dedicate it after the crisis is overcome,” Joshi said. “Nine kanjak can be replaced by a vow to help the poor and needy. We at the temple are also feeding 20,000-30,000 people who totally depend on us.”
Senior public health officials have warned against any festive gatherings during Ram Navami to prevent any further spread of the coronavirus infection. “We should all stay at home and do our bit to contain the spread. That will be the best form of worship,” an official from SDMC remarked.
At south Delhi’s Kalkaji shrine, head priest Surendranath Avdhoot also appealed to devotees not to do anything that violates social distancing norms. “Kanya puja has its own importance but the situation this time is such that even we will not be able to call anyone to the temple. There is no alternative. People can feed even one girl if someone is inside their home, otherwise send the food to their homes,” he added.
North DMC chairperson Jai Prakash has appealed people to donate soaps, masks and hand-santisers to poor as charity. "Organise soap and mask bhandaras instead of the usual ones,” he said.