The Hindu festival of Navratra culminates with the immersion of goddess statues in the river and the burning of demon king Ravana's effigy. This festival includes various celebrations like Durga Pooja, Garba dancing, and Ramlila. However, one common tradition throughout these festivities is feeding a young girl, called kanya, on the seventh, eighth, and ninth days.
During special occasions in India, it is uncommon to witness young girls who have not reached puberty being highly sought after by Hindu households. The purpose behind this practice is to ensure that there is an auspicious number of girls in the household, as it is believed that they can wash away sins and receive blessings from goddess Durga. It is a familiar sight to see groups of girls moving from one house to another, enjoying delicious food and also
...receiving some monetary gifts. This act of religious charity is done by homeowners with the aim of bringing prosperity to their families. Sadly, many of these same families do not find any problems with supporting practices such as female foeticide, honor killings, mistreatment of girl children, and showing disrespect towards women.
It appears that by engaging in the act of girl-feeding (kanya khilaana), individuals believe they are entitled to a year of unchecked violence against women. Even leaders of our Khap panchayat (village council), politicians, and those responsible for upholding the law openly advocate for the suppression of women in the name of preserving social values. As Indians, we belong to a country renowned for its diverse culture, which allows us to exhibit contradictory behavior - feeding a girl one day and then mistreating he
for the rest of the year. Although it is noble to assist those in need, all acts of kindness should be sincere and not contradict our day-to-day actions. Rather than engaging in the symbolic act of feeding a girl child once or twice a year, it would be far more beneficial to utilize these nine auspicious days to raise awareness about treating girls and women with dignity, and ensuring their equal participation in every moment of this precious gift of life bestowed upon us by Maa Durga.
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