Ghatasthapana: Why Its Marks The Navratri Festival?

Navratri is a nine-day-long festival dedicated to Goddess Durga. It is celebrated four times during the Hindu lunar year. The four Navratris are Chaitra Navratri, Shardiya Navratri and the two Gupt Navratri. The Navratri festival begins with a ritual called Ghatasthapana or Kalash Sthapana. This tradition of setting up a Kalash or Ghat is a way to invite Maa Durga into the house. It is also believed that the Kalash represents auspiciousness, good luck, energy, and power. Read on to know the Sharadiya Navratri Ghatasthapana Muhurta, method, and other details on the first day of Navratri.

Navratri Ghatasthapana 2024 Muhurat

What is Navratri Ghatasthapana?

Ghatasthapana is one of the important rituals of Navratri. It marks the beginning of nine days of festivities. There are well-defined rules and guidelines in our scriptures to perform Ghatasthapana during a certain period at the beginning of Navratri. Ghatasthapana is an invocation of Goddess Shakti and doing it at the wrong time, as stated in our scriptures, can lead to the wrath of Goddess Shakti. Ghatasthapana is prohibited during Amavasya and nighttime.

The most auspicious time to perform Ghatasthapana is the first one-third of the day. If due for any reason you are not free at that time, then Ghatasthapana can be done during Abhijit Muhurta. It is advised to avoid the phases of Chitra Nakshatra and Vaidhriti Yoga during Ghatasthapana, but they are not totally prohibited.

The most important factor to consider is that Navratri Kalash Sthapana is performed before noontime. This year Shardiya Navratri will start on Thursday, October 3, 2024

Ghatasthapana Puja Samagri

We need the following stuff for Navratri Ghatasthapana 2024.

• Statue or picture of Goddess Durga
• Vermilion
• Saffron
• Camphor
• Barley
• Incense sticks
• Clothes
• Mirror
• Comb
• Bracelet
• Bangle
• Scented oil
• Bandanavar of Mango leaves
• Red colour flowers
• Durva to replace Ghatasthapana or Maa Durga
• Rosemary
• Bindi
• Betel nut whole
• Betel leaves
• Turmeric lump and ground turmeric
• Patra
• Chauki (seat)
• Roli
• Flowerpot
• Belpatra
• Kamalgatta
• Lamp
• Naivedya
• Honey
• Sugar
• Panchmeva
• Mace
• Coconut
• Sand
• Clay
• Cloves
• Cardamom
• Urn made of clay or bras
• Havan material
• Thali for Worship
• White clothes
• Milk
• Curd
• Seasonal fruit
• Mustard white and yellow
• Gangajal

Now you are prepared for Ghathaspathna, but are you ready for the upcoming days? Get a free yearly Horoscope report to know what comes next.

How to prepare for Ghatasthapana in Navratri?

• Clean the pooja room or the area where you are planning to perform Ghatasthapana.
• Take a pitcher made of clay or copper with a big mouth and fill it with soil and sow seven types of grains like wheat, jowar etc. Nowadays, people choose a grain or lentil, or gram.
• Mantras dedicated to Lord Varuna is chanted while sowing grains. If you don’t know any Vedic mantra, you can use any mantra specifically dedicated to Goddess Shakti.
• Mark a square or rectangle area with a thickness of five to seven centimetres in the pooja room. You should also sow gram in this area.
• A picture of Goddess Durga or any other incarnation of Goddess Shakti is placed in the puja room or puja area. You can also place Shri Yantra near the image of Goddess Durga. A clay pot is also placed there.
• A copper or silver or earthen pot is used to make a Kalash. You should fill it with water, sandalwood paste, flowers, durva grass, turmeric, rice, areca nut, five leaves, five gems, or a gold coin. All these items are placed in the same vessel. A coconut is placed on top of the Kalash – some people avoid placing a coconut and instead use a garland to cover the top. Saptaasati
• Garlands and flowers are put on a pot, painting, or idol. Morning and evening lamps are lit and aarti is performed. In some houses, the lamp continues to burn for all nine days.
• The mantras that are chanted during the puja vary from region to region and according to family tradition. Some people opt for simple Goddess Durga mantras.
• While offering Prasad, flowers, etc. the devotee should say that I offer flowers (the name of the flower) to Goddess Durga or Shakti.
• Make sure that the grain you sow grows well and that there is always moisture in the surroundings. Offer fresh flowers and garlands on all nine days.
• On the tenth day, the grain could grow 3 inches to 5 inches. It should be removed and given as prasad to family members, friends, and neighbours.

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Ghatsthapna Puja Vidhi Navratri?

In the four Navratris that fall during the year, Goddess Durga is set up in the form of a Kalash. Besides, the Akhand (continually burning) lamp is also said to represent Goddess Durga. Let us now know the Navratri Kalash installation method.

• Apply turmeric on the outer part of the Kalash and add water to it.
• Put some coins in the water.
• Place some mango leaves around the neck of the vase.
• The base of the leaves should touch the water, while the upper parts should face up.
• Place a complete brown coconut with its husk on the neck of the Kalash. The husk should point towards the ceiling.
• Apply sandalwood, turmeric and kumkum on the Kalash.
• Place the Kalash in the centre of the earthen pot and spread the soil evenly around it.
• Sow the new seeds evenly on the surface and cover them with a thin layer of soil.
• Sprinkle some water so that the seeds germinate. At the end of the ninth day, the seeds germinate into small plants. This growth indicates progress and success.
• Place this unit on a wooden post which is covered with a piece of fresh cloth and decorated with Rangoli.
• Offer new cloth and a garland made of fresh flowers to the Kalash.
• Make a resolution, complete the fast with utmost dedication and devotion, then meditate and invoke Goddess Durga.
• Thereafter, carry out Panchopchar Puja. For this, you should light a lamp with mustard or sesame oil or desi ghee. Put incense sticks, flowers, betel leaf, betel nut, banana, coconut, turmeric, kumkum and some currency coins.
• In the end, offer bhog or naivedya.
• End the worship by singing Jai Ambe Gauri Aarti.
• Distribute Naivedya, Bhog as Prasad.

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The Significance of Navratri Ghatasthapana

Devotees perform Goddess Durga’s Puja and her various forms during Navratri, including Shailputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skanda Mata, Katyayani, Kalratri, Maha Gauri and Siddhidayini. Simultaneously, devotees worship the three major forms of Goddess Shakti, i.e. Durga, Saraswati and Lakshmi to receive her divine blessings.

Family and friends come together to celebrate this festival as per their tradition. During this time in Gujarat, people play Dandiya and they observe fast and spend their time in prayer. In the eastern parts of India, the festival of Navratri is celebrated as Durga

In North India, it is celebrated as Navratri. These nine days of full devotion to the Mother Goddess culminate in Dussehra, during which the effigy of Ravana is burnt, signifying the victory of good over evil.

Conclusion

Navratri is one of the most important events in the Hindu religion. And, Ghatasthapna or Kalash shape is one of the most important rituals during Navratri. It symbolises the spiritual connection between a devotee and Goddess Durga. MyPandit wishes you a happy Navratri. May these 9 days bring happiness and positivity to you.

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