Maha Saptami marks the commencement of the second day of Durga Puja festivities and is a joyous ocassion when devotees can pray to the Mother Goddess and savour different food items as Bhog.

Devotees dress up beautifully and go to a nearby temple or pandal to give Anjali ( the ritual of offering flowers to the Goddess along with the chanting of hymns) to Ma Durga who is the Mother of the Universe.

As per beliefs, the day of Maha Saptami is the second day of Maa Durga’s annual five day visit on Earth along with her family by descending from the peaks of Mount Kailash where She is believed to reside eternally.

The day is marked by various ceremonies, including the Navapatrika Puja. Navapatrika Puja is done by tying up nine different plants together which is believed to be the nine manifestations of the Goddess.

The Navpatrika is given a ceremonial bath in a water body preferably in a river, adorned with a red or orange colored cloth and installed on a wooden seat on the right side of statue of Durga.

With the help of Navapatrika as a medium, Goddess Durga is invoked by chanting of Vedic hymns by the priest.

The nine plants includes the leaves of banana, turmeric, pomegranate, ashok, rice, bilva, barley, kacchi and manka.Navapatrika Puja is also popularly called Kolabou Puja.

Here are some wishes you can send to your loved ones on the day of Maha Saptami 2023-

1. May Maa Durga bless you on this auspicious day with loads of happiness, success and prosperity. Shubho Maha Saptami!

2. Let Ma Durga remove away all obstacles from your path and guide you to achieve your goals effortlessly. Happy Maha Saptami!

3. May this holy occassion pf Maha Saptami signify the dawn of a bright day filled with new hope and abundant joy.

4. Let the holy occasion of Maha Saptami dispel away every kind of negativity from your life and refresh your presence with a new ray of positive energy. Shubho Maha Saptami!

5. May Ma Durga always keep you and your family in the best of health and shower you all with abundant riches. Happy Maha Sapatmi!

6. Have a glorious Maha Saptami filled with joy. May the Divine Mother bless you immensely!

7. May Ma Durga fill your life with positivity on Her arrival on Earth. Shubho Maha Saptami!