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Navaratra Durga Puja is performed in many Hindu households during Sharadiya

and Vasanta Navaratri twice a year; as the name suggests for Nine days. The Puja
eulogises the Eternal Supreme Absolute Non-dual Unmanifest Transcendent
Reality personified as the Divine Mother. Apart from the traditional rituals
observed individually in different families, a simple procedure to the Navaratra
Devi worship has been explained below; many also name it as the Ghata-sthapana
or the Kalasha-sthapana Puja as that acts as the central event of the Puja performed
on the first day, Pratipada. The given simple Puja procedure will remain the same
every day and the Puja will be performed in the morning after bath for the
consecutive nine days (till Navami). Even if the worshipper is not observing a fast,
she or he must not consume anything before the Puja on that day. The given Puja
procedure, though, remains the same everyday from Pratipada to Navami, the ritual
of Kalasha Sthapana shall once be performed on Pratipada and therefore not be
repeated on the other days. Whereas the ritual of Visarjana is not performed on any
other day except Navami. After the Puja all the remaining and excess accessories
along with the Kalasha are traditionally immersed into water.
Minimum Requirements
1. An idol or image of Devi
2. An Asana (Seat) for sitting in the Puja
3. An Offering plate (A plate in which the offering will be made)
4. A wide clay pot
5. An unbroken earthen pitcher, Kalasha, with a lid
6. Five different grain seeds
7. Kumkum and Chandan
8. 3 to 4 Diyas (Lamps) or Candles
9. Incenses (Dhoop) and Camphor (Karpoor)
10. Pure Water or Gangajal (Ganges Water) (Little Gangajal mixed with pure
water kept in a clean container with a spoon)
11. Water to wash and fill the Kalasha (The Kalasha is filled with pure water
and then a little Gangajal is added)
12. Soil
13. Rice
14. Durva Grass
15. Flowers and Belpatra
16. Akshata (Rice with turmeric)
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17. Sacred Thread (Red and Yellow)

18. Five Mango Leaves
19. One complete unripe or ripe coconut (preferably unripe)
20. A red cloth (Gamchha) to cover the coconut
21. 2 Garlands of flowers
22. Water to wash the feet of the Goddess (Padya)
23. Akshata, Durva and Belpatra for the welcome (Arghya)
24. Naivedya or Bhog (Food offered to Goddess)
25. Coins
26. Ghanta (Bell) and Shankha (Conch)
27. A Glass of Water
28. Accessories for Arati
29. Match sticks
30. Ghee or Mustard oil
31. Batis or wicks for the Diyas
32. Excess Water
33. A cloth to clean
If something is not available, do not be upset. Imagine its presence and chant the
mantra. The Bhaava (Emotion) is more important than mere rituals which are just
symbolisms. The Divine Mother shall accept even a glass of water from Her children if
offered with selfless love and reverence.
Arrange all the items before sitting down for the Puja so that the Puja goes
uninterrupted. After each step of the Puja, if possible, ring the bell and blow the
conch.
Light a Diya (lamp) or a candle if not available and burn few incenses. Sit in
meditation for a while reciting to increase concentration. No further distraction
must be there while doing the Puja.

In meditation, first pay obeisance to Lord Ganesha.


Now sprinkle Gangajala or any pure water on your head seven times reciting,

Hence sprinkle the water everywhere around the altar for purification.
2.

Now in meditation pay obeisance to the Supreme Divine Mother by reciting the
following Mantra (preferably ten times).

Then join your hands to chant,


Now pay obeisance to Chandi the fierce form of the Goddess, the dispenser of
enlightenment, who is the presiding deity of the most revered Devi Mahatmyam.
Recite the following Mantra (if possible 10 times).

Again join your hands to chant,

Take a spoonful of water in the right palm forming a dip like a boat.
Sip the water in your hand chanting the mantra,

Repeat the process chanting,

Repeat the process chanting,

Therefore with folded hands recite,

Wash your hand with a little water and again recite.

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In meditation, recite the given 21 names of the All powerful, Omnipotent, Supreme
Divine Mother. With the recitation of each name offer a flower or akshata (rice with
turmeric) in the offering plate,

Hence recite,


Before proceeding with the actual Puja it is necessary to pay reverence to other
Gods and Goddess that influence our lives. Hence with the recitation of each name
offer a flower or akshata (rice with turmeric) in the offering plate,

Resolving for the Puja, and declaring to the Gods that one is going to observe the
following Puja, they must recite the following Sankalpa,

4.

, ,

Hence recite,


First take the wide clay pot (the one which would be
used to keep the Kalasha) to sow five different grains.
Spread the first layer of the soil into the pot and then spread the grain seeds. Now
add the second layer of the soil and grains. In the second layer, grains should be
spread near the periphery of the pot. Now spread the third and final layer of the soil
into the pot. Put Durva grass around the periphery of the clay pot. If needed add a
little water to the pot to set the soil.
Now wash the Holy Pitcher, the Kalasha with water reciting , and chant to
purify it. Put the Kalasha on a pile of rice on the wide clay pot reciting . Now tie
the sacred thread around the neck of the Kalasha and fill it with water upto the
brim reciting again. If available drop Supari, scent, Durva grass, Akshata, coins
etc. into the water.
Call upon the various rivers and sacred waters to purify the water present in the
Kalasha with the following Mantra,

Put five Mango leaves at the edge of the Kalasha chanting

a lid.
5.

and the cover it with

Now take an un-peeled coconut (preferably unripe) and wrap it inside a red cloth.
Fasten the coconut and red cloth with the sacred thread.
Thus keep the coconut on top of the Kalasha reciting . Therefore stabalise the
Kalasha on the clay pot properly with the seed mantra

. Now with red kumkum

or vermillion draw a Swastika on the Kalasha reciting , and then offer flowers
chanting .
Recite the Gayatri of Devi, (as given in the most auspicious Devi Bhagavatam)
ten times.

Clap thrice reciting,

Now call upon the Divine Mother to reside in the established Kalasha with the
following hymn,

This Holy Pitcher, hence must not be moved during the days of the Puja.

Meditate on Devi Durga whose Puja you are observing by the following Mantra,

6.

Hence put a flower on the the holy pitcher reciting,

Call upon the names of the Nine Forms of Devi Durga, each owing to a day of
Navaratri. (The following shloka is given in the highly revered Devi Kavacha of
the Divine Mother)
,

,
,

Hence put a flower on the the holy pitcher reciting,

Recite the following Seed Mantra of Mother Durga ten times,

Invoke the Devi for the Puja with the following Mantra, and put a flower on the
Holy Pitcher.

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Declare that you will be performing the Panchopachara Puja.

With folded hands pay reverence to Devi Durga with the following Seed Mantra.
Then set a flower on the Kalasha.
:
Then sprinkle a little Gangajala on the Kalasha as well as the idol or the picture of
Devi that you possess. Do a tilaka of kumkum and chandan to the Kalasha and then
to the idol or picture. Garland the Kalasha and therefore the idol or picture (if
unavailable, just offer flowers).
Recite the following Mantra and offer some flowers into the offering plate.

Offerings
1.

Recite the above and offer some water to wash the feet of Devi.
2.

Chant the above Mantra and offer Akshat, Durva grass (and if available Belpatra)
to the Kalasha to welcome the Goddess.
3.

Burn some incenses and do a small Arati of three or five rounds while ringing the
bell ( ) around the Devi's idol or picture and Kalasha.
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4.

Light a lamp (if not available, a candle) and offer it to Devi.
5.

Offer food to Devi which would later be consumed as Prasada, along with some
coins.

At last offer a glass of water for Devi to drink, and hence offer a few flowers.
Now bow down in front of the Goddess reciting,

Sit with folded hands and recite,

Offer a bunch of flowers with your Anjali (boat-like shape made with the two
hands) reciting the following Mantra. In Pushpanjali, others attending the Puja also
get involved, as towards the end of the mantra everyone has to offer flowers to the
Goddess from their Anjalis.


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Hence recite,

With folded hands bow down and ask the others who took part in the Pushpanjali
to do the same and together recite the following Mantras (ask the others to repeat
after you), and pay obeisance to the Supreme Divine Mother.
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Hence recite,


It is then recommended to recite the most powerful Siddhakunjika Stotram,
wherein itself it is declared that the Stotra has the complete essence of the Devi
Mahatmyam or Durga Saptashati. Thus without reciting the whole Chandipath one
can reap the fruit of the latter by this single Stotra. (The stotra is given at the end)
10.

After reciting the Stotra again chant,

Now ask for an apology from the Sovereign Mother for incurring any mistakes
during Her Puja.

Now perform the Arati as per your family traditions. It is a way of adoration of the
Goddess. Some people do the Arati ringing the bell and blowing the conch with a
platter having a lit diya, incense, flowers, camphor, kumkum, chandan, sacred
thread etc. Others do it with Panchapradip and so on. After the Arati the Prasada
will be distributed. Do the Arati in the evening as well till Ashtami.
The whole of the above Puja process written till yet will be repeated everyday
from Pratipada to Navami, except for the Kalasha Sthapana part which is
done on the first day, Pratipada itself.

On the day of Navami, after the completion of Arati, before distributing the
Prasada, it is time to put the Puja to an end, and bid farewell to the Ultimate
Goddess. This is called Visarjana.
With folded hands bow down to chant,

Hence put a flower, Akshata, Durva grass (and if available Belpatra) on the
Kalasha.
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It was mentioned earlier that the Kalasha should not be moved during the days of
the Puja, since it implies the departure of the Goddess. It is now that the Kalasha
shall be moved, known as . Hold the Kalasha by its neck and move it a
little while reciting,


Therefore pour a little Gangajala or the pure water that you were using for the Puja
on the Kalasha, chanting the following Mantra.


Hence sit in meditation to recite the following Mantras,
1.

2.

3.

4.

5. ,



Hence sprinkle Gangajala or the pure water everywhere around the altar.
12.

, ,

, , , ,

13.

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