How to Perform Navratri Puja at Home- Puja Vidhi

How to Perform Navratri Puja at Home- Puja Vidhi

Navratri holds strong importance among Hindu festivals. The auspicious festival is celebrated five times a year - Shardiya Navratri, Chaitra Navratri, Pausha Navratri, Ashada Navratri, and Magha Navratri. The most important among them is Shardiya Navratri. It is celebrated during the lunar month- Ashwin during Sharad Ritu.

Shardiya Navratri is often known as Maha Navratri. Almost all Hindu households celebrate and perform the rituals of the 9 days of Navratri. But not everybody knows the right vidhi for the puja. If you are already waiting for Shardiya Navratri, this blog will help you understand the right way to perform the Puja.

Navratri Puja Vidhi

Navratri Puja includes a lot of steps and the first one is Kalash Sthapana. For the Kalash Sthapana, you'll need a few things.

The first thing you need is a picture of an idol of Goddess Durga. The rest of the list includes camphor, barley, vermilion, new clothes, toran made of mango leaves, sticks, comb, fragrance, bangle, bracelet, mirror, saffron, oil, red flowers and durva to replace Ghatasthapana.

The other ingredients you might use include a kamalgatta, a lump of turmeric, betel nut, mauli, flowerpot, powdered turmeric, bel leaves, Patra, clay betel, lamp, cotton lamp head, coconut, honey, sugar, asana, sand, clove, and brass.

Start the Kalash sthapana by placing incense sticks on the right side of Maa Durga. Sit in the upright sitting position in front of the idol. Keep the Kalash with coconut on top and blow Shankh to begin the Puja.

Ghatasthapana

Ghatasthapana is among the most important rituals in Navratri and is known as Navratri Vidhi. It is when the worshippers begin the 9 days of festival celebration. There are certain rules and regulations for performing the Ghatasthapana in the early days of Navratri.

It is the process of invoking Goddess Durga and therefore, performing the rituals wrong during the invocation, as our scriptures say, can make Goddess Durga to anger. Therefore, it is important to know the Puja Vidhi if you are performing it at home.

The best or the most suitable time to do Ghatasthapna is during the first one-third of Pratipada arrival. If you are unable to do Ghatasthapna during this time, you can also do it during Abhijit Muhurat.

It is better to avoid Vaidhriti Yoga and Nakshatra Chitra during the Ghatasthapana. However, these are not necessarily prohibited. But it is important to remember that Ghatasthapana is important to be done before Hindu midday while Pratipada is prevailing.

Step-by-Step Preparation for Ghatasthapana

Step 1:

First, you prepare the clay pot for Kalash by taking it to sow the grains. Spread the soil in the pot and then spread the grain seeds on the soil. Now put the second layer of soil and grain seeds.

While making the second layer, make sure that the seeds are spread near the periphery of the pot. After, spread the third layer of soil. You can use a little water to set the soil.

Step 2:

Now, tie a sacred thread on the neck of the Kalash. Fill it up to the top with holy water (Ganga Jal). Drop coins, scent, Akshat, Supari, Durva grass into the water. Place five leaves of Ashoka at the edge of the Kalash.

Step 3:

Take a fresh coconut with its shell and wrap it inside a sacred, unused red cloth. Fasten the coconut and cloth with a red thread.

Step 4:

Now, put the coconut on top of the kalash.

Step 5:

At last, put the Kalash at the centre of the grain base prepared in Step 1.
Now the Kalash is ready to invoke Goddess Durga into it.

Further Steps and Things to Keep in Mind

• Make sure that on the first day of puja, the room is properly cleaned and there isn't any dirt.
• Now place a red-colored cloth on Goddess Durga's picture or idol on the northeastern side of the puja. Now place a red cloth in the area of Puja and place the picture over it.
• Offer garland or flowers on a pot. Perform aarti and light Akhand lamps in the morning and evening.
• On the last day, offer the grains to friends and family members. You can also spread these grain seeds in a river.

Summing Up

Puja is an important part of celebrating Navratri. During this time, Goddess Durga is considered to be 'jagrit' and hence it is for better to pay worship to her ritualistically and to achieve blessings. Get ready to celebrate the auspicious festival of Navratri. The nine days will start after Shradh.

With fasting and puja, one can achieve calmness and inner peace. These rituals also bring purity to the house. Now that you know the steps for Puja Vidhi, you can manage to perform the rituals the right way.

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