With the festival season just around the corner, the preparation has kick-started. Navratri 2020 will begin on October 17. However, the celebrations this year would be low-key due to the widespread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The nine-day long festival is dedicated to the different forms of Maa Durga, who is worshipped by the devotees in 9 avatars. The festival of Navratri is celebrated twice a year, Chaitra Navratri during the springtime and Sharad or Sharadiya Navratri, which takes place ahead of the autumn.
With the beginning of Navratri, devotees keep a Kalash decorated with mango leaves and a brown coconut with its husk in their puja room. This ritual is referred to as the Kalash Sthapana or the Ghatasthapana, and it represents Maa Durga.
Here’s the full list of items needed for the Kalash Sthapana:
- Red Chunri
- Mango leaf
- Red robes
- Molly
- Makeup accessories
- Lamp
- Ghee/Ghee oil
- Cotton
- Dhoop
- Incense Sticks
- Matchbox
- Coconut
- Akshat
- Paan and supari
- Goddess Durga’s photo or idol made of Pancha Dhatu (five metals)
- Kumkum
- Haldi
- Chandan
- Camphor (Kapur)
- Sacred thread (red and yellow)
- Sweets
- Flower
- Fruits (banana and any other fruit)
- Laung-elaichi (clove and cardamom)
- Batasha
- Naivedya or bhog
- A few currency coins
- Trays for arranging the offerings
Puja Samagri for Havan:
- Hawan Kund
- Mango sticks
- Black Sesame
- Rice
- Barley
- Dhoop
- Ghee
- Incense stick
- Gugal
- Clove
- Kamal Gatta
- Supari
- Camphor
