Maa Durga माँ दुर्गा
Adi Shakti — the protective mother, centre of the nine-night Navratri.
Main mantra
ॐ दुं दुर्गायै नमः
Om Dum Durgayai Namah
Samagri you will need
Along with the common puja essentials (diya, ghee, dhoop, akshat, roli, kalash, flowers, fruits), these items are special for Maa Durga:
- Red chunari लाल चुनरी
- Red flowers (hibiscus, lotus) लाल पुष्प (गुड़हल, कमल)
- Sringar items (16 sringar) सोलह श्रृंगार
- Sindoor सिंदूर
- Akhand jyot (ghee/oil lamp) अखंड ज्योति
- Coconut wrapped in red cloth लाल वस्त्र सहित नारियल
- Bel patra बेलपत्र
- Red bangles लाल चूड़ियां
Step-by-step puja vidhi
Shuddhi — purify yourself and the place
Bathe and wear clean (preferably fresh) clothes. Clean the puja place, lay the chowki with a clean cloth, and sprinkle Gangajal around the area. Sit facing east or north on an asana.
Sankalpa — state your intention
Take water, akshat and a flower in the right palm. Speak your name, gotra (if known), the date and place, and the purpose of the puja, then release the water before the deity.
Deep prajwalan & Ganesha smarana
Light the ghee diya and incense. First remember Shri Ganesha ("Om Gam Ganapataye Namah") so the puja is free of obstacles, then turn the mind to Maa Durga.
Avahana — invoke Maa Durga
Invoke the deity into the murti, photo or kalash with folded hands, chanting "Om Dum Durgayai Namah". Offer a seat (asana) of flowers or akshat.
Padya, Arghya & Achamana
Offer water for washing the feet (padya), the hands (arghya), and for sipping (achamana) — a spoonful of water each, poured into a plate before the deity.
Snana / Abhishek
Bathe the murti with panchamrit and then clean water; if worshipping a photo, wipe it clean and sprinkle Gangajal.
Vastra & adornment
Offer a red chunari with sringar items (bindi, choodi, sindoor, mehndi) and red vastra.
Pushpa & patra — flowers and leaves
Offer red hibiscus — Maa Durga's most beloved flower — with rose and other red flowers.
Dhoop & deep
Show the incense (dhoop) and then the lamp (deep) to the deity with a gentle clockwise motion, ringing the bell with the left hand.
Naivedya — offer the bhog
Offer the bhog: Halwa, puri and black chana (Ashtami), coconut, fruits. Place it before the deity with a few drops of water around the plate.
Mantra japa
Chant "Om Dum Durgayai Namah" 108 times (one mala), or at least 11 times, with a steady, unhurried mind.
Path / stuti
Recite the Durga Chalisa, Argala-Kavacha, or a chapter of the Durga Saptashati as per time and capacity.
Aarti
Perform the aarti — "Jai Ambe Gauri" — with a ghee lamp or camphor, rotating it clockwise before the deity while singing, then pass the flame to all present.
Pradakshina & pushpanjali
Circumambulate the deity (or turn in place) an odd number of times, offer a final handful of flowers (pushpanjali), and bow fully.
Kshama prarthana & prasad
Ask forgiveness for any mistakes in the worship ("kshama prarthana"), thank the deity, and distribute the prasad to everyone present.
Special rules for Maa Durga
- Durva grass is not offered to Maa Durga.
- If you have taken the sankalpa, keep an akhand jyot burning through Navratri.
- Kanya pujan on Ashtami / Navami completes the Navratri vrat.
This is a simple, complete home-puja vidhi in the Shodashopachara spirit. Regional and family traditions (parampara) vary — where your family does something differently, follow your parampara. Devotion (bhava) matters more than perfection of procedure.
Choose another Dev / Devi
What is a Puja Vidhi?
A puja vidhi is the step-by-step procedure for worshipping a Dev or Devi — from purifying yourself and the place (shuddhi), taking the sankalpa, invoking the deity (avahana), bathing and adorning the murti, offering flowers, dhoop-deep and naivedya (bhog), through mantra japa, aarti and prasad. This tool follows the simple Shodashopachara (sixteen-offering) pattern adapted for home worship.
Each deity has personal preferences — the favoured day, flowers, leaves and bhog, plus special rules (tulsi is never offered to Shri Ganesha or on the Shivling, while Vishnu and Krishna naivedya is incomplete without it). Pick a deity to see its complete vidhi, mantra and aarti, and use the linked Puja Samagri checklist to gather everything before you begin. Family traditions vary — where your parampara differs, follow your parampara.