How is kanyā pūjana done — on Aṣṭamī or Navamī, and how many girls?

on Aṣṭamī or Navamī by family custom, ideally with nine girls aged about two to ten and one boy as Bhairava (laṅgūr), but any number is fine.

In kanyā pūjana the Goddess is honoured in young girls, seen as living forms of Devī. Families whose kuldevī tradition favours Aṣṭamī do it then; others on Navamī. Invite the girls (and often one small boy for Bhairava or Laṅgūr) in the morning.

Wash their feet with water, wipe them, apply kumkum and akṣata on the forehead, tie a mauli, and offer a flower or chunrī. Serve the classic prasāda of halwa, pūrī and black chana, then give a small gift such as bangles, stationery or money, touch their feet, and seek their blessing.

If you cannot find nine girls, two, three or even one is fine; some families also send prasāda to girls in a nearby home or school. Treat them as honoured guests, not as a ritual task: let them eat in comfort and leave happy.

Prasāda: halwa, pūrī, black chana · Source: Devī Bhāgavata Purāṇa (kumārī pūjā); family custom

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