Navratri Day 1 guide to Maa Shailputri puja, Kalash Sthapana, mantra, traditional bhog and foods commonly eaten during fasting.
Shardiya Navratri begins on Sunday, October 11, 2026, with prayers to Maa Shailputri, the first of the nine forms of Goddess Durga. The opening day also marks Ghatasthapana, or Kalash Sthapana, which begins the festival’s traditional worship.
In Hindu tradition, Maa Shailputri is the daughter of the mountain king Himavan. She is depicted riding a bull, holding a trident and a lotus. Her worship is associated with strength, steadiness and an auspicious beginning.
How to Perform First-Day Pujan
Households follow different regional and family customs. A simple worship sequence includes:
- Bathe, wear clean clothes and clean the puja space.
- Place the goddess’s image or idol on a clean platform.
- Offer flowers, kumkum, akshat, incense and a lighted diya.
- Offer fruit, pure ghee or homemade prasad according to family tradition.
- Chant the mantra, recite a devotional prayer and conclude with aarti.
Pure cow’s ghee is a traditional offering to Maa Shailputri. Some families also offer fruit and sweets.
Maa Shailputri mantra:
ॐ देवी शैलपुत्र्यै नमः॥
Om Devi Shailaputryai Namah.
Kalash Sthapana: What Is Needed?
Common items include a kalash, clean water, mango leaves, a coconut, sacred thread, flowers and a diya. Some traditions also sow barley in a container of soil.
Perform the ritual according to your household’s established practice. Ghatasthapana timings vary by location, so consult your local panchang for the appropriate muhurat.
What Can You Eat During the Fast?
Navratri fasting does not follow one universal food list. Many devotees observe falahar, while others eat a meal prepared with ingredients permitted in their tradition.
Common choices include:
- Fresh fruit, milk and curd.
- Sabudana and makhana.
- Kuttu flour, singhara flour and samak rice.
- Potatoes and other permitted vegetables.
- Sendha namak, where salt is allowed.
Kuttu is buckwheat, while singhara flour comes from water chestnuts; they are different ingredients. Follow your family’s rules when choosing foods and seasonings.
Many fasting households avoid regular grains, non-vegetarian food and alcohol. Onion and garlic are also excluded in numerous traditions. The observance combines prayer with restraint in food, behaviour and daily activities.
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