Sharad Navratri honours the nine forms of Goddess Durga across nine days. For the date and Ghatasthapana muhurat, see the Navratri muhurat article; this guide covers the nine-day puja itself.
Ghatasthapana samagri
- A clay kalash, Ganga water or any pure water
- A clay tray to sow barley (jau)
- Mango leaves, coconut, kalava
- An idol or picture of Durga, a ghee lamp for the akhand jyoti
Ghatasthapana steps
- Clean the puja space and sow barley in the clay tray.
- Fill the kalash with water, drop in a betel nut and a coin, then top it with mango leaves and a coconut.
- Place the kalash next to the barley tray.
- Light an akhand jyoti before the Durga idol if you’ve taken the vow to keep it burning all nine days.
The nine days
Each of the nine days honours one of Durga’s forms, from Shailaputri to Siddhidatri. Morning and evening aarti is done daily, and many households also perform a havan on Ashtami.
Kanya Pujan
On Ashtami or Navami, young girls are invited home, their feet washed, and they’re fed and given gifts, honoured as living forms of the Goddess.
The nine forms and daily colors
Each day carries a specific form of Durga and, in many households, a color worn to honor her that day: red for Shailaputri, royal blue for Brahmacharini, yellow for Chandraghanta, green for Kushmanda, grey for Skandamata, orange for Katyayani, white for Kalaratri, pink for Mahagauri, purple for Siddhidatri. This sequence spread through media coverage more than scripture, so treat it as optional. The puja itself doesn’t require any specific color, and older family traditions sometimes follow a different order.
Havan on Ashtami
The Ashtami havan offers havan samagri, a mix of ghee, dried herbs and sandalwood, into a small fire while reciting the Durga Saptashati or navarna mantra, often in sets of 108. In an apartment, a small brass havan kund on a fireproof surface with a window open works fine; cover or disable the smoke detector first and reactivate it afterward. If an open flame indoors isn’t workable, an extended aarti with extra mantra recitation on Ashtami is an accepted substitute most priests will confirm.
Practical notes from families who do this abroad
If you are doing Navratri puja in a flat in London or Toronto, a few things change in practice even though the vidhi stays the same. Fresh mango leaves are hard to find outside Indian grocery stores in October, and some families substitute with whatever green leaves they can source, though most Indian shops in larger cities do stock them during the season if you ask a week early. The akhand jyoti is a real commitment in a small apartment, since it needs to burn continuously for nine days. Many families abroad use a large ghee-filled brass diya placed on a fireproof plate away from curtains, and check it before sleeping. For Kanya Pujan, the tradition of inviting neighbourhood girls works differently when you do not know many Indian families nearby. Some families invite girls from the local temple community or the children of colleagues, and prepare a simple meal of puri, halwa, and chana rather than an elaborate spread. The spirit of the ritual, honouring young girls as forms of Devi, holds regardless of the setting.