52. कुमारी पूजनम् kumārī pūjanam:

This is about worshipping girls who have not attained puberty and their age should be between two years and ten years. There is a lot of significance attached to kumārī pūjana. This is explained in detail in Devībhāgavatapurāṇa (book 3: chapter 25). During navarātri days, if kumārī pūjana is done, apart from attaining Her Grace, some material benefits also accrue. Depending upon their age, they are worshiped as different forms of Parāśakti. However, there are variations in the names from what is given Devībhāgavatapurāṇa and Lalitā Sahasranāma and the variations are given in the brackets.

Procedure:

As in the case of suvāsinī pūjā, girls who are invited for this pūjā are informed in advance and dress material is given to them so as to enable them to make them ready for wearing on the day of the pūjā. On the day of pūjā, when the invited girl arrives (generally with her mother, who can be treated as suvāsinī), after welcoming her, she should be requested to wash her feet. A wooden plank is offered for her to sit. Now the pūjā begins.

1. Take flowers and akṣata and recite the following mantra for the purpose of āvāhana.

अष्टदलोपरि कुमारीं समावेशय।

ॐ क्लीं कुलकुमारिकायै नमः॥

मन्त्राक्षरमयीं देवीं मात्रुणां रूपधारिणीं।

नवदुर्गात्मिकां साक्षात् कन्यामावाहयाम्यहम्॥

aṣṭadalopari kumārīṁ samāveśaya |

om klīṁ kulakumārikāyai namaḥ ||

mantrākṣaramayīṁ devīṁ mātruṇāṁ rūpadhāriṇīṁ |

navadurgātmikāṁ sākṣāt kanyāmāvāhayāmyaham ||

This is invoking her in nine Divine forms. Now place flowers and akṣata before her.

2. Washing her feet. Most of the procedures are as per suvāsinī pūjā.

4 - ॐ क्लीं कुलकुमारिकायै नमः। पाद्यं समर्पयामि॥

4 - om klīṁ kulakumārikāyai namaḥ | pādyaṁ samarpayāmi ||

3. Offering water to drink.

4 - ॐ क्लीं कुलकुमारिकायै नमः। अर्घ्यम् समर्पयामि॥

4 - om klīṁ kulakumārikāyai namaḥ | arghyam samarpayāmi ||

4. Offering water to wash her hands.

4 - ॐ क्लीं कुलकुमारिकायै नमः। आचमनियं समर्पयामि॥

4 - om klīṁ kulakumārikāyai namaḥ | ācamaniyaṁ samarpayāmi ||

5. Offer her new clothes. If dress material is already given, this can be contemplated.

4 - ॐ क्लीं कुलकुमारिकायै नमः। वस्त्रं समर्पयामि॥

4 - om klīṁ kulakumārikāyai namaḥ | vastraṁ samarpayāmi ||

6. Offer flowers to her to wear on her head.

4 - ॐ क्लीं कुलकुमारिकायै नमः। पुष्पं समर्पयामि॥

4 - om klīṁ kulakumārikāyai namaḥ | puṣpaṁ samarpayāmi ||

7. Offering her sandal paste.

4 - ॐ क्लीं कुलकुमारिकायै नमः। गन्धं समर्पयामि॥

4 - om klīṁ kulakumārikāyai namaḥ | gandhaṁ samarpayāmi ||

8. Offering her ornaments.

4 - ॐ क्लीं कुलकुमारिकायै नमः। आभरणान् समर्पयामि॥

4 - om klīṁ kulakumārikāyai namaḥ | ābharaṇān samarpayāmi ||

9. Offering viṣeśa arghya. Pour viṣeśa arghya in a small cup and offer this to her to drink.

4 - ॐ क्लीं कुलकुमारिकायै नमः। विषेश अर्घ्यं समर्पयामि॥

4 - om klīṁ kulakumārikāyai namaḥ | viṣeśa arghyaṁ samarpayāmi ||

10. Now do the following arcana with flowers and akṣata.

4 - ॐ क्लीं कुलकुमारिकायै नमः। अर्चनं समर्पयामि॥

4 - om klīṁ kulakumārikāyai namaḥ | arcanaṁ samarpayāmi ||

In this arcana, all the nine names mentioned in the first table are used.

i) 4 - ॐ क्लीं कौमायै नमः। 4 - om klīṁ kaumāyai namaḥ |

ii) 4 - ॐ क्लीं त्रिपुरायै नमः। 4 - om klīṁ tripurāyai namaḥ |

iii) 4 - ॐ क्लीं कल्याण्यै नमः। 4 - om klīṁ kalyāṇyai namaḥ |

iv) 4 - ॐ क्लीं रोहिन्यै नमः। 4 - om klīṁ rohinyai namaḥ |

v) 4 - ॐ क्लीं कामिकायै नमः। 4 - om klīṁ kāmikāyai namaḥ |

vi) 4 - ॐ क्लीं चण्डिकायै नमः। 4 - om klīṁ caṇḍikāyai namaḥ |

vii) 4 - ॐ क्लीं शाङ्कर्यै नमः। 4 - om klīṁ śāṅkaryai namaḥ |

viii) 4 - ॐ क्लीं दुर्गायै नमः। 4 - om klīṁ durgāyai namaḥ |

ix) 4 - ॐ क्लीं सुभद्रायै नमः। 4 - om klīṁ subhadrāyai namaḥ |

4 - ॐ क्लीं कुलकुमारिकायै नमः। नानाविध परिमल पुष्पानि च अक्षतान् समर्पयामि।

4 - om klīṁ kulakumārikāyai namaḥ | nānāvidha parimala puṣpāni ca akṣatān samarpayāmi |

Place some flowers and akṣata before her.

11. Offer her dhūpaṁ

4 - ॐ क्लीं कुलकुमारिकायै नमः। धूपं आग्रापयामि॥

4 - om klīṁ kulakumārikāyai namaḥ | dhūpaṁ āgrāpayāmi ||

12. Offer her dīpaṁ.

4 - ॐ क्लीं कुलकुमारिकायै नमः। दीपं दर्शयामि॥

4 - om klīṁ kulakumārikāyai namaḥ | dīpaṁ darśayāmi ||

13. Now offer her food. What is offered as naivedya can be given to her as a token. But, generally, during this time, she is offered with lunch. Others should wait till she completes her lunch. If her mother is invited as suvāsini, then both mother and child can be offered food in a secluded place, not to cause any embarrassment to them).

4 - ॐ क्लीं कुलकुमारिकायै नमः। महानैवेद्यम् समर्पयामि॥

4 - om klīṁ kulakumārikāyai namaḥ | mahānaivedyam samarpayāmi ||

14. Offer her water during lunch. Generally a new tumbler (drinking glass) is purchased for this purpose and is given to her.

4 - ॐ क्लीं कुलकुमारिकायै नमः। मध्ये मध्ये अमृत पानीयम् समर्पयामि॥

4 - om klīṁ kulakumārikāyai namaḥ | madhye madhye amṛta pānīyam samarpayāmi ||

15. Now offer water to wash her hands.

4 - ॐ क्लीं कुलकुमारिकायै नमः। आचमनीयं समर्पयामि॥

4 - om klīṁ kulakumārikāyai namaḥ | ācamanīyaṁ samarpayāmi ||

16. Now offer her betel leaves with areca nut and dry fruits.

4 - ॐ क्लीं कुलकुमारिकायै नमः। कर्पूरताम्बूलं समर्पयामि॥

4 - om klīṁ kulakumārikāyai namaḥ | karpūratāmbūlaṁ samarpayāmi ||

17. Now offer her nīrājana.

4 - ॐ क्लीं कुलकुमारिकायै नमः। कर्पूर नीराजनं दर्शयामि॥

4 - om klīṁ kulakumārikāyai namaḥ | karpūra nīrājanaṁ darśayāmi ||

18. Offer her mantra puṣpaṁ.

4 - ॐ क्लीं कुलकुमारिकायै नमः। मन्त्रपुष्पं समर्पयामि॥

4 - om klīṁ kulakumārikāyai namaḥ | mantrapuṣpaṁ samarpayāmi ||

Now we have to pray to her. The following verse can be used for prayer.

वन्दिताङ्घ्रियुके देवि सर्वसौभाग्यदायिनि।

रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि॥

vanditāṅghriyuke devi sarvasaubhāgyadāyini |

rūpaṁ dehi jayaṁ dehi yaśo dehi dviṣo jahi ||

Now, prostrate before the kumārī and take her blessings. Kumārī is to be sent-off with great respect.

Further reading - kumārī pūjā during navarātrī:

As far as kumārī pūjā is concerned, they are worshiped during navarātrī. There are three types of kumārī pūjā. In the first method, one kumārī is worshiped on the first day of navarātrī, two in the second day, three in the third day and so on and on the ninth day (mahānavami) nine kumārī-s are worshiped. In the second method, one kumārī is worshiped everyday during the entire period of navarātrī. In the third method, one kumārī is worshiped during the entire navarātrī period. Such worship is done on either on aṣṭamī or on mahānavami day.