The short answer: Ghatasthapana is the ritual that opens Navratri. On the first day, a kalash (a pot of brass, copper or clay) is filled with water, crowned with mango leaves and a coconut, and placed beside a small bed of soil sown with barley. It is worshipped as a seat of the goddess and stays in place for all nine days. Customs vary from family to family and region to region, so follow your own family's practice where it differs.
What Ghatasthapana means
Ghata means pot and sthapana means to install. The kalash is one of the oldest symbols of abundance in Indian ritual: a vessel full of water, life and possibility. During Navratri it is set up on the first morning (Pratipada) and becomes the heart of the household puja, with prayers, a lamp and offerings made before it each day.
What goes into the kalash
- Water, often with a few drops of Ganga jal.
- A coin, a betel nut (supari), rice grains and a little haldi or kumkum placed inside.
- Mango leaves, usually five, arranged around the mouth.
- A coconut, often wrapped in red cloth and tied with mauli (sacred thread), set on top.
- A swastika or Om drawn on the outside in kumkum or sindoor.
Setting it up, step by step
- Clean the space. Choose a clean, quiet corner of your puja area and lay a cloth or a small asan.
- Prepare the soil bed. Spread a layer of clean soil in a shallow clay tray or on a plate and sow barley (jau) seeds. Many families watch the shoots grow over the nine days as a sign of prosperity.
- Fill the kalash. Add water, the coin, supari, rice and haldi, then arrange the mango leaves.
- Crown it. Place the coconut on top, tie the mauli and mark the kalash.
- Place it. Set the kalash on or beside the soil bed, light the lamp and begin the puja.
Many families also light an akhand jyoti beside the kalash, a lamp kept burning through all nine nights. Our guide to the akhand jyoti and choosing a brass diya covers how to keep it safely.
Choosing a kalash: brass, copper or clay
Clay kalash are traditional and are often immersed or returned to the earth after the festival. A metal kalash is kept and used year after year, for Navratri, griha pravesh, weddings and daily puja, and becomes part of the family's puja things.
Our brass kalash with betel leaf lid and decorative kalash pot are cast by metalsmiths in Madhya Pradesh using the lost-wax method. Each form is first modelled in wax, encased in clay and then filled with molten metal, so every mould is used only once and no two pieces are exactly alike. A bell metal urli filled with water and marigold petals sits beautifully beside the kalash, and a handwoven punja durrie asan gives you a clean place to sit for the daily puja.
Caring for a brass kalash
- Empty and dry it fully after the festival, so water does not leave marks.
- Wipe with a soft dry cloth.
- To bring back the shine, rub gently with a little tamarind or lemon and salt, rinse and dry at once, or use a brass cleaner.
- Store wrapped in cotton, away from damp.
Shop the Navratri edit
Browse the full Navratri Special: brass for the puja, bell metal jewellery for garba and a few handwoven weaves. Please allow up to 2 weeks for delivery anywhere in India, and message us on WhatsApp at +91 98366 50278 for a video viewing.
Frequently asked questions
What is Ghatasthapana?
Ghatasthapana is the installation of a sacred pot, the kalash, on the first day of Navratri. It is worshipped as a seat of the goddess for the nine days of the festival.
What do you put inside the Navratri kalash?
Usually water, a coin, a betel nut, rice and a little haldi or kumkum, with mango leaves around the mouth and a coconut on top. Family customs vary.
Why is barley sown during Navratri?
Barley (jau) sown beside the kalash is watched as it sprouts over the nine days, as a sign of growth and prosperity for the year ahead.
Is a brass or copper kalash better?
Both are traditional. A metal kalash can be used for years, for Navratri and other pujas. Choose the metal your family uses, or the one you find most beautiful.