Navaratri Puja

Navaratri Puja

Generally, the women perform all the pujas during Navaratri. That does not stop the male members doing their share of pujas, just goes to add that women get a special preference and rights for doing their puja around this festival.

• You have already installed the Goddess in the form of Purna Kumbha. Light a lamp morning and evening on all nine days.
• Elaborate pujas are conducted in the evening.
• Other women (relatives, friends and neighbours) are invited for the puja in the evening.
• The first three days is dedicated to Goddess Durga.
• The next three days is dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi.
• The final three days is dedicated to Goddess Saraswathi.
• Fresh kolams are drawn on all nine days.
• Shlokas that are recited on nine days include Durga Ashtotaram, Devi Mahatmiyam, Shyamala Dhandakam, Lakshmi Sahasranama, Lakshmi Ashototaram, Lalitha Sahasranama, Saraswathi Stotram, Saraswathi Ashototaram.

Daily Sri Lalitha Sahasranamam is chanted in the morning and a neivedhyam generally payasam/pongal made with jaggery is offered in the morning. To appease the navagraha deities, sundal is offered as neivedhyam in the evening.

Friends and relatives are invited home and offered haldi, kum kum and ravikkai thuni(blouse bits) along with sundal and other snacks. Children & women also exercise their vocal chords by rendering devotional songs . Daily aarthi is performed to the deity at the end of the day.

On Saraswathi puja day, all books and tools( ayudha) are placed in front of Goddess Saraswathi and Saraswathi puja is performed.

The tenth day is Vijayadashmi day – an auspicious day for starting good tasks and initiating children into education called ‘Akshara abhysam’. After the prayers and puja, one doll in the golu padi is made to ‘sleep’ on the rack perhaps symbolizing the end of the festival.