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No ‘Kanya Pujan this Navratri, people donating money to relief funds
A recent trend on social media shows that many people are encouraging one another to donate the money they spend on ‘Kanya Pujan’ (a holy ritual carried out on the eighth and ninth day of the nine-day festival) to PM and CM relief funds.
At a time when people are finding it hard to do Navratri rituals freely amidst the ongoing lockdown to check spread of Sars-Cov-2, a recent trend on social media shows that many people are encouraging one another to donate the money they spend on ‘Kanya Pujan’ (a holy ritual carried out on the eighth and ninth day of the nine-day festival) to PM and CM relief funds.
This is how they are following social distancing and doing their bit to help the country contain the spread of pandemic.
Also under the present circumstances, they cannot invite little girls (kanyas) to their residence for performing the ritual due to corona threat.
The ceremony primarily involves the worship of nine girls, representing the nine forms of Goddess Durga.
Every year, homemaker Neeta Agarwal would look forward to hosting ‘Kanya Pujan’ during Navratri. But this year, she decided not to risk lives of any girls. Instead, she will contribute Rs 121 to CM relief fund in the larger interest of the society.
“We decided not to organise ‘Kanya Bhoj’ because of social distancing. There is no point risking lives of girls. Instead, we will give this money to government relief fund to be utilised in our fight against Covid-19 outbreak,” said Neeta. She said her husband also supported the idea.
Sudha Rai, a retired government school teacher, said she too voluntarily decided to donate the money to government relief fund. “If people wish to give Rs 11 each to 11 girls, the total amount comes to Rs 121. And if all this money gets transferred to relief account, it will help,” said Rai, a resident of Gomti Nagar extension.
Mahant Divya Giri of Mankameshwar temple in Lucknow has given a call to contribute the money which they intend to give during ‘Kanya Pujan’ to government relief fund. Her video appeal message has gone viral.
She said population of UP was around 23 crore. “Of them, even if 2 crore people decide to give Rs 121 each to government relief fund, the total amount will come around Rs 242 crore which is a decent contribution and will help fight Covid-19,” she added.
“We appreciate the idea as temples are closed and girls can’t be invited. So, residents can donate this money for a bigger cause of fighting corona virus,” said Dheeraj Saxena, president of Shri Om Sewa Samiti which manages a temple in Alambagh.
Lucknow’s municipal commissioner Indramani Tripathi said, “Many residents are donating money to Annada Fund for feeding the poor during the lockdown. Also, many people have contacted us to donate floor, rice and vegetables etc.They say this is the best way to worship ‘Maa Durga’. I am amazed to see such a spirit among people.”
Uncertainty over ‘Kanya Pujan’ in Gorakhpur
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath gave a miss to Holi celebration and chose to stay away from ‘Shobha Yatra’ thereby breaking the decades’ old tradition of Gorakhnath temple on March 9 owing to Covid-19 outbreak.
And now there is uncertainty on whether he will lead ‘Kanya Pujan’ at Gorakhnath temple or not. Temple authorities also made it clear that Kanya Pujan programme will be conducted as usual and it would be led by officiating chief priest Yogi Kamal Nath if the CM doesn’t come.
Devotees in Varanasi urged to follow social distancing
In Varanasi, Pt Prasad Dikshit says people themselves are avoiding contacting pundits for puja this Navratri. He has appealed to people not to invite girls for ‘Kanya Pujan’. “It is the moral duty of the pundits that they should also follow social distancing and avoid visiting houses of their ‘yajmans’ (clients),” he said.
Pt Ramkrishna Mishra of Mangalkaran Hanuman temple says this year he has avoided entertaining requests for puja. He also said many people would be performing symbolic ‘Kanya Pujan’ with just one girl to avoid gatherings.
(With inputs from Anupam Srivastava from Lucknow, Abdul Jadid from Gorakhpur and Sudhir Kumar from Varanasi)
