On the seventh day of Navratri, there is a ritual to worship Nava Patrika. Mahasaptami is started with the worship of Nava Patrika.
Navpatrika Puja will be believed to be the wife of Bhagwan Ganesh and is also worshiped.
Method of Navpatrika Puja:
In Navapatrika puja, a bunch made of nine plant leaves, turmeric, barley, bael leaves, pomegranate, Ashoka, arum, banana, kachchavi and paddy leaves are worshipped. These nine leaves are considered to symbolize the nine forms of Maa Durga. These nine leaves are bathed in holy water before sunrise which is called Mahasnan. After this Nav Patrika is kept in the puja pandal. This puja is also known as Kalabou puja in Westbengal.
During the ritual, these nine leaves are believed to symbolize the nine forms of Maa Durga. Banana leaves are considered to be a symbol of Brahmani, while Aravi leaves are considered to be a symbol of Maa Kali. Similarly, turmeric leaves are used for Devi Durga, barley as Devi Kartiki, pomegranate leaves for Devi Raktadantika, Ashoka leaves for Devi Sokarit, Arum plant as a symbol of Mata Chamunda and Paddy leaves as a symbol of Devi Lakshmi. Bel leaf used in Nava Patrika is considered a symbol of Bhagwan Shiva.
Navpatrika Puja Significance:
It is believed that in
Navratri, worshiping Nava Patrika gives good yield. That's why farmers worship Nava Patrika.