Rise early, bathe, and wear clean red or orange clothes. Prepare the puja area with fresh flowers and clean the Durga idol. Arrange havan samagri, food offerings, and gifts for Kanya Puja.

Take the sankalpa with water and akshat. Perform the 16-step (Shodashopachara) puja of Goddess Durga: Avahana (invocation), Asana, Padya, Arghya, Achamaniya, Snana, Vastra, Gandha, Pushpa, Dhupa, Deepa, Naivedya, Tambula, Dakshina, Aarti, Pradakshina.

Invite 9 young girls (ages 2-10) representing the 9 forms of Durga: Kumarika (2), Trimurti (3), Kalyani (4), Rohini (5), Kali (6), Chandika (7), Shambhavi (8), Durga (9), Subhadra (10). Wash their feet, apply tilak, offer food (halwa-puri-chana), new clothes, and dakshina.

The most important ritual of Maha Ashtami. Perform this puja during the exact junction (sandhi kaal) when Ashtami tithi ends and Navami begins – typically a 48-minute window (24 minutes before and after the sandhi moment). Offer 108 lotuses and 108 lamps. Recite the Chamunda mantra.

Perform Astra Puja – worship of weapons and tools. In the Durga tradition, this symbolizes the divine weapons given to Durga by the Devas. Place household tools, professional instruments, or symbolic weapons before the Goddess and worship them with flowers and kumkum.

Prepare the havan kund (fire pit). Light the sacred fire and offer ghee, havan samagri, and sesame seeds while chanting the Durga Ashtami mantra and Durga Saptashati verses. Make 108 offerings (ahutis) into the fire.

Perform the Durga Aarti with ghee lamp, camphor, and bell. Distribute the prasad (halwa-puri-chana) to all devotees. If fasting, break the fast after the aarti with the sanctified food.