Durga Puja Rituals 2022: Do’s And Don’ts to Follow While Worshipping Goddess Durga

Durga Puja 2022: Here's everything you need to know about Durga Puja rituals and dos and don'ts.

Durga Puja, one of India’s most important festivals, is celebrated with grandeur and enthusiasm. Durga Puja is a particularly important festival in West Bengal, but it is also widely observed in the states of Odisha, Tripura, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat.

This year, Durga Puja will be celebrated from 1st October to 5th October 2022. It is a 10-day long celebration but Durga Puja is celebrated on the sixth day. The five days are followed by Shashti, Saptami, Ashtami, Navami, and Dashami. Durga Puja is a time when people gather, dress up, and pray to Goddess Durga for her blessings. This is a festival of joy and happiness, and it serves as a reminder that good always wins over evil.

Durga Puja Rituals 2022

• During the “Mahalaya” festival, Goddess Durga is invited to visit Earth for a week. Everyone’s attention is drawn to the deity idol, also known as Chokkhu Daan.
• On the first day, a large, exquisitely crafted idol of Maa Durga is installed on decorated Podiums throughout the city, and the worship space at homes is cleansed and a Kalash is placed as a sign of the goddess. After the idol is set up, a ceremony is performed on Saptami to invoke her holy presence. This is known as Pran Pratishthan.
• Kola Bou (banana bride) is a small banana plant that is bathed in the surrounding river, dressed in a sari, and said to be able to absorb goddess’ spirit and divinity.
• On Ashtami, the goddess is worshipped in the form of a virgin girl in a ceremony known as Kumari Puja, which is held to maintain the holiness of the female energy and its spread in society.
• On the final day of Puja, the Goddess returns to her husband’s home, and the idol is brought outside for immersion. Every married woman offers red powder (Sindoor) to Maa Durga and daubs herself with marriage, fertility and child bearing.
• At the end of the celebration, a massive rally is paraded through the city to allow devotees to see it.

Astrologer, Gurudev Shrie Kashyap (Founder of All India Institute of Occult Science says) shared with us the do’s and don’ts that one should while worshipping Goddess Durga. Read on!

Do’s

• ​Worship Goddess Durga, Chant her mantras
• You should get up early and take a head bath.
• Celibacy should be practiced by fasting devotees.
• You are advised to keep your surroundings clean and beautiful.
• Offer Ganga Jal, red Chunni, Roli, Mango leaves, Durva grass, Coconut, Ghee lamp, Camphor, and dry fruits.

Don’ts:

• Make sure that no onions or garlic are included in the Prasad you make to Maa Durga.
• While preparing the prasad for Maa Durga it is recommended to use rock salt.
• When lighting a “Akhand Jot” for Maa Durga then make sure you properly take care of Ghee in it and never leave the Maa Durga alone and avoid getting involved in unnecessary arguments, and conflicts.
• Avoid haircut and nail biting.
• It is said that to avoid non-vegetarian food, consumption of alcohol, or smoke.