On the occasion of Maha Ashtami in Ayodhya, devotees offered prayers at various temples dedicated to the Goddess, and Kanya Bhoj (ritual meal for young girls) programs were also organised. At all 2,381 Anganwadi centres of the district, around 25,000 young girls will be worshipped and served meals on Maha Ashtami and Mahanavami (October 1).
Beginning of the Two-Day Celebration
The religious event began today (September 30) on Maha Ashtami and will continue for two days. Young girls were ritually worshipped and offered delicious food. The time for Kanya Poojan was fixed between 10 AM and 12 noon.
In Ayodhya district, about 2.20 lakh children aged 6 months to 6 years are registered at Anganwadi centres. These centres run several departmental schemes related to child development. Earlier, during Chaitra Navratri, Anganwadi workers had also organised the worship and feeding of about 21,000 young girls in the district.
District Magistrate’s Appeal and the Objective
The District Magistrate appealed to officers of the Women and Child Development Department, supervisors, Anganwadi workers, and assistants to play an active role in making this event successful. The objective of this program is to preserve important human values such as compassion, kindness, mercy, honesty, culture, and morality.
During the program, the girls were served puri, vegetables, kheer, fruits, and sweets. To express gratitude to Goddess Durga, they were also honoured with offerings (dakshina).
Yogi Government’s Emphasis on Women’s Empowerment
The Uttar Pradesh government is paying special attention to women, taking responsibility for their education as well as their employment. Under the leadership of CM Yogi, the Mission Shakti program has been running for the past four years, focusing on the safety, empowerment, and respect of women and children.
So far, it has been conducted in four phases. Under Mission Shakti, around 28 departments, including Women & Child Development and Home Department, along with social service organisations and educational institutions, have been participating actively.
