The observance of Maha Ashtami during Sharadiya Navratri will last until 6:06 PM on September 30. Although Ashtami technically begins on September 29 at 4:31 PM, as per the Udaya Tithi (sunrise-based calculation), Maha Ashtami will be observed on September 30.
After 6:06 PM on Tuesday (September 30), the Maha Navami tithi will begin and continue until 7:02 PM on October 1. Therefore, Navami will be celebrated on October 1, followed by Dussehra on October 2.
Astrologer S.S. Nagpal explained that according to Udaya Tithi, Ashtami and Navami will be observed on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. As per the scriptures, during Navratri, it is considered auspicious to perform Kanya Pujan (worship of young girls) on either Ashtami or Navami. In this ritual, young girls are invited home and offered halwa, puri, and chana as prasad. They are then given gifts or dakshina, and elders seek their blessings by touching their feet.
After the young girls have their meal, devotees conclude their Navratri fast (Paran). Worshipping girls below the age of ten is considered especially auspicious. Each girl between the ages of two and ten is believed to embody a different form of the Goddess.
During Kanya Pujan, it is also customary to seat a young boy alongside the girls and offer him food. This boy is regarded as a representation of Batuk Bhairav.