A simple, respectful puja in your own home, in photos.
A worship plate with a conch, lamp and offerings. Photo: Vish79, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Clean a quiet corner, spread a fresh cloth, and draw an alpana if you like.
Alpana drawn at the doorstep in rice paste and chalk water. Photo: Shonamug, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Place a water-filled pot on a little rice or earth, with five mango leaves in its mouth and a coconut on top, and the goddess's picture beside it.
A kalash (ghat) with a lamp, leaves and flowers, set up for worship. Photo: Ashish Suryavanshi858, CC0, Wikimedia Commons.
Offer sandal paste, flowers, incense, a lamp and food, in that order, ringing the bell softly as you go.
A worship plate with a conch, lamp and offerings. Photo: Vish79, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Read or listen to the Chandi Path, the Devi Mahatmya's story of the goddess.
An illustrated leaf of the Devi Mahatmya. Photo: SpeakingArch, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Wave the lit lamp, incense and a conch of water before the goddess while the family sings or claps.
Blowing the shankha, the conch, during worship. Photo: Subhranilbasak0, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
On Ashtami morning, offer flowers with the anjali mantras, three times.
Devotees raise flowers for pushpanjali on Maha Ashtami at a Kolkata pandal. Photo: Biswarup Ganguly, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Share the offered food with your family and neighbours.
Khichuri bhog served in leaf bowls at a Durga Puja. Photo: AjayDas, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
A simple, respectful way to do Durga Puja at home: setting up a ghat, sankalpa, offerings, aarti, Ashtami anjali and Dashami visarjan, with a supplies list.
How to do Durga Puja at home → Next story: The sounds of Durga Puja All photo storiesMusic: Indian Folk Classical Flute Music (1), MayankSingh33, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.