The worship of Bhagavatī is incomplete without the worship of Kumārī. The Tattva of Kumārī is not only represented by Bālā Paramēśvarī, but also in the form of Chaṇḍīkā of Saptaśatī. Kumarī is the Primordial state of Parā which is the original state before the creation of names & forms, and the final state that remains after the dissolution of names & forms. Every state, including that of Shiva, emerges and dissolves with the great Kumārī. Though she appears in Mātr̥bhāva due to the origin of thirty-six tattvas including Shiva from within her, she forever remains a virgin and her Kumārītva remains intact. As stated in the Shivasūtra, icchāśaktirūpā kumārī – her will reigns supreme.
The worship of Kumārī can be done for physical and material well-being based on Aparātantra, usually during the evening following smārta procedures. To attain the complete grace of Mahāmāyā, one should worship Kumārī also through the procedures of Kulāmnāya as detailed in the Mahākāla Samhitā during the night.
By definition, Kumārī is a girl child before the awakening of kāmavāsanā. The worshiper should be in a similar state of mind during the worship, failing which, immense harm will come to him. Generally, a child of seven to nine years with both parents alive is chosen.
The tantras go into great detail regarding the worship of Kumārī. As the Primordial state before creation is that of Kumārī, she is considered to be ādyā. This is the reason Kāmākṣī at Kāñcīpura is considered ādikumārī and not consort of any male deities that are created by Her. For the purposes of worship, an odd number of children are to be selected: five, seven, nine or eleven. After having decked the Kumārīs with colorful clothes, ornaments, and jewelry, they are made to sit in a row on comfortable seats. The sādhaka performs prāṇāyāma, gurupādukānusandhāna, saṅkalpa, bhūtāpasaraṇa etc. Then the feet of the Kumārīs are washed with lukewarm perfumed water, and the feet are dried with one’s own uttarīya. There is a procedure to perform bhūtāpasaraṇa again at this point as it believed that various other deities arrive to worship the Kumārī in their subtle forms along with their retinue of deities, and some of these companion demigods can be mischievous by nature.
Kumārī nyāsa is performed in different organs by invoking the below deities through their mantras:
Mahācaṇḍayōgēśvarī – head
Siddhikarālī – face
Siddhivikarālī – eyes
Mahāntāmārī – ears
Vajrakapālinī – nose
Muṇḍamālinī – cheeks
Aṭṭahāsinī – teeth
Chaṇḍakapālinī – shoulders
Kālacakrēśvarī – heart
Guhyakālī – arms
Kātyāyanī – stomach
Kāmākhyā – mūlādhāra
Chāmuṇḍā – back
Siddhalakṣmī – thighs
Kubjikā – knees
Mātaṅgī – calves
Chaṇḍēśvarī – head
Kaumārī – full body
The nine Kumārīs worshipped, aged one to nine are:
1. Sandhyā
2. Sarasvatī
3. Trimūrti
4. Kālikā
5. Subhagā
6. Umā
7. Mālinī
8. Kubjikā
9. Kālasaṅkarṣiṇī
It is also important to worship a five-year-old boy as Vaṭuka and a nine-year-old boy as Gaṇapati, as they are considered to be sons of Mahādurgā.
When doing elaborate worship, there is also the practice to invoke the eight Mātrikā Bhairava mithuna:
1. Asitāṅgabhairava and Mahāmāyā
2. Rurubhairava and Kālarātri
3. Chaṇḍabhairava and Sarvamaṅgalā
4. Krodhabhairava and Damarukā
5. Unmattabhairava and Rājēśvarī
6. Kapālabhairava and Sampatpradā
7. Bhīṣaṇabhairava and Bhagavatī
8. Samhārabhairava and Kumārī
The Kumārīs are worshiped through sixteen upacāras, fed with delicacies of their choice and propitiated through stotras.
There is also the procedure to worship, during Sharannavarātra, the nine aspects of Kumārīs as the Navadurgās, one per night. This gives a special characteristic to the festivities – Kumārīnavarātrōtsava.
1. Hr̥llēkhā
2. Gaganā
3. Raktā
4. Mahāśrayā
5. Karālikā
6. Icchā
7. Jñānātmikā
8. Kriyā
9. Durgā