Navratri 2024 Day 1: Know colour of the day, shubh muhurat, ritual and bhog for Mata Shailputri

Shardiya Navratri, a lively Hindu festival devoted to the Goddess Durga, will begin on October 3 and end on October 12. This nine-day festival, celebrated in the Hindu calendar month of Ashwin, includes vibrant rituals, fasting, and cultural events around the country. The celebration emphasises devotion and communal spirit, with devotees participating in diverse rituals to commemorate the goddess. The festival concludes on the tenth day with Dussehra (Vijayadashami), representing the triumph of goodness over evil.

Shardiya Navratri Day 1 is devoted to Mata Shailputri, marking the start of fasting and spiritual cleansing. Through Root Chakra rites, devotees are blessed with purity, power, and stability. The festival draws people together, encourages group loyalty, and celebrates culture.

Traditionally, yellow is considered a lucky hue on the first day of Shardiya Navratri. It represents pleasure, brightness, and a wealth of energy. Furthermore, yellow represents nature and is connected with growth, fertility, tranquillity, and serenity. It is related to the Goddess Shailputri, who symbolises power and purity. Every day of the celebration is dedicated to a different form of Goddess Durga, and the hues are said to represent the virtues of those forms.

The devotion of Mata Shailputri on the first day of Shardiya Navratri consists of a sequence of rituals:

Preparation
Get up early and take a bath.
Put on new clothing, ideally in the hue connected with the day.
The Puja area must thereafter be well cleaned.
Ghatasthapana (Kalashinstallation)
To make the arrangements, prepare a Kalash with water, money, supari (betel nut), and doob (grass).
Lay five mango leaves on the Kalash and top with a coconut.
Place a crimson cloth on an elevated platform or altar, especially in the eastern direction.
Putrify an idol or image of Mata Shailputri.

Worship Steps
To begin, it is best to pray to Lord Ganesha to assist erase or avoid any interruptions.
It is also recommended that you present the goddess with fresh jasmine flowers, dhoop, agarbatti, and kumkum.
Pour ghee into a lamp or diya, ignite it, and set it against the side of the Kalash.
Chant this mantra: "Om Hreem Kleem Shailputryai Namah".
Perform aarti and ring the bell to invite heavenly blessings.

Ending Rituals
Bhog (food offerings) should be made shortly after concluding the pooja.

The most auspicious time for Ghatasthapana on Navratri Day 1 is the Pratipada Tithi of Sharad Navratri. It is often conducted at the exceedingly auspicious Abhijit Muhurat.

According to Drik Panchnag, the Ghatasthapana Muhurat timings are as follows:
Start Time: 6:15 A.M.
End Time: 07:22 AM.
Abhijit muhurat:
Start Time: 11:46 AM
End Time: 12:33 PM.

Pure milk is seen as a symbol of purity and is often used as an ablution for goddesses.
Honey represents sweetness and is used to wish for a happy and prosperous life.
Ghee is commonly used as a sign of wealth in many preparations.
Sugar promised to bring sweetness and delight to followers' lives.
Seasonal fruits symbolise a healthy lifestyle.
Coconut
It has implications associated with success and fortune; hence, it is frequently donated during puja.
Sabudana Khichdi
Sabudana (tapioca pearls) are fried in ghee and are preferred by fasting devotees throughout all holidays because they are pure or auspicious.
Kalakand
Milk-based sweets are also popular at this period.
Kheer, a milk and sugar-based rice pudding, is also offered to the goddess as a symbol of plenty.