How to do the Durga Ashtami puja at home

The bath, then Mahagauri Maa bathed and dressed, red flowers and sindoor, and the morning bhog.

1. The morning

   The bath, and Maa's place

   1. Bathe early and put on clean clothes — red or white, as your house does on the eighth day.
   2. Wipe the puja place and the chowki, and change the cloth under the kalash.
   3. Clear away yesterday's flowers and the burnt-out diyas. Nothing wilted stays for the eighth night.
   

2. The morning

   Mahasnan

   The eighth morning's bath is the fullest of the nine.

   1. Bathe Maa's murti or the kalash with clean water, then with panchamrit, then with clean water again.
   2. Dry the murti gently with a soft cloth, and seat Maa again on the chowki.
   3. Adorn Maa: the red cloth, the chunri, the bangles and the jewellery your house keeps for Her.

   Mahagauri Maa is the Devi in white, pure and radiant after Kalaratri's night. That is why the eighth morning is the one with the full bath.

   Snan · 2 lines

   ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः दुर्गायै नमः। पञ्चामृतस्नानं समर्पयामि॥oṁ bhūrbhuvaḥ svaḥ durgāyai namaḥ. pañcāmr̥tasnānaṁ samarpayāmi.Om bhur bhuvah svah — to Durga Maa: a bath of panchamrit.

   ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः दुर्गायै नमः। शुद्धोदकस्नानं समर्पयामि॥oṁ bhūrbhuvaḥ svaḥ durgāyai namaḥ. śuddhodakasnānaṁ samarpayāmi.Om bhur bhuvah svah — to Durga Maa: a bath of pure water.
   

3. The morning

   Achaman

   1. With the spoon, pour a little water from the lota into your right palm.
   2. Sip it once as you say each of the first three names — three sips in all.
   3. With the fourth name, pour a little water over your right hand to wash it.
   4. At the verse, dip a flower in the water and sprinkle a few drops over yourself and the puja things.

   Achaman and pavitrikaran · 6 lines

   ॐ केशवाय नमः।oṁ keśavāya namaḥ.Om, salutations to Keshava. (First sip.)

   ॐ नारायणाय नमः।oṁ nārāyaṇāya namaḥ.Om, salutations to Narayana. (Second sip.)

   ॐ माधवाय नमः।oṁ mādhavāya namaḥ.Om, salutations to Madhava. (Third sip.)

   ॐ हृषीकेशाय नमः।oṁ hr̥ṣīkeśāya namaḥ.Om, salutations to Hrishikesha. (Wash the right hand.)

   ॐ अपवित्रः पवित्रो वा सर्वावस्थां गतोऽपि वा।oṁ apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthāṁ gato'pi vā.Whether pure or impure, in whatever state one may be,

   यः स्मरेत् पुण्डरीकाक्षं स बाह्याभ्यन्तरः शुचिः॥yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bāhyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ.whoever remembers the lotus-eyed Vishnu is made pure, without and within.
   
5. 4. The diya
   5. Ganesh ji first
   6. Avahan: invite Mahagauri Maa
   7. Mahagauri Maa's dhyana
   8. Asana, padya, arghya, achamaniya
   9. Vastra and the chunri
   10. Chandan, kumkum and sindoor
   11. Red flowers
   12. Dhoop and deep
   13. The morning bhog

   These 10 steps, with their drawings and mantras, are in the app

Nine girls and one boy are the Devi in the house: their feet washed, tilak on their foreheads, the bhog served, dakshina given, and their blessing taken.

1. 1. Ask them the day before
   2. Wash their feet
   3. Tilak and the mauli
   4. Serve the bhog
   5. Dakshina and their blessing
   6. Read the katha
   7. Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu

   These 7 steps, with their drawings and mantras, are in the app

The havan, and the day closed with the aarti.

1. 1. The havan
   2. The aarti
   3. The camphor verse
   4. Kshama prarthana
   5. Opening the vrat

   These 5 steps, with their drawings and mantras, are in the app