According to Shastras, all rituals pertaining to kalasha stApana should be done on an auspicious muhurta before mid day ( within 16 ghatikas from sunrise) and not after that . 16 ghatikas is 6 hours 24 minutes.
Simplified kalasha stApana vidhI(Navaratri Vidhi given)
cathusra cathur hasta vEdikAyan bindu trikona shadkOna ashtadala trivrutta bhupurayutham yantram vilikhya
On a raised square surface , draw a yantra consist of a bindu ( dot), trikona ( triangle), shadkOna ( hexagon), ashta dala ( 8 petaled lotus), tri vrutta ( 3 circles), and bhupura and cover it with paddy or rice.
kumbam nava tanthu vEshtitam
tie the kalasha with new threads
chandanAti carchitam su dhUpitam samstAbhya
decorate the kalasha with sandal paste and install the kalasha on top of the paddy/ rice spread, after offering dhUpa ( the incense smoke must be made to enter into the kalasha )
jalEna pUrya
by covering the mouth of the kalasha with a thin white cloth one should pour water into the kalasha. Once the kalasha is filled with water, remove the cloth.
kumkumAgaru karpUra candanApangkam kusumAni ca nikshipEt
Then add saffron, agaru, sandal paste and other herbs and fragrance into the kalasha. ( Use whatever is available)
AmradalAni nidhAya
add mango leaves on top of the kalasha
pancha tvak pancha pallava pancha ratna nAlikera kUrchAti sambhArAn samstAbhya
if possible add 5 kinds of tree corks, 5 variety of tender leaves, 5 kinds of precious stones ( if not one may omit this)
above the mango leaves one should place a coconut.
and one must place a kUrcha made of kusha grass above the coconut
raktavastrEna vEshtya
adorn the kalasha with a red cloth
After setting up a kalasha as above , one should invoke the goddess according to his knowledge and worship her to the best of his knowledge.
For Sharad Navaratri, it is extremely meritorious for the devotee to recite the devi mAhAtmyA or lalita sahasranama on each day of navarAtrI. If this is not possible one may atleast recite the 108 names of the goddess during kalasha pUjA.
daily worship must be done at dawn and dusk from pratipada till navami. On the 10th day visarjana ( sending off ) of the goddess is done.
PN: kalasha stApana should not be done when amAvasya tithi is prevalent, even in onset of Navaratri. If amAvasya and pratipadA is present on the same day, kalasha stApana & invocation of the deity must be done on the following morning after sunrise, when pratipada tithi is still there. The Shastras prohibits kalasha stApana & kalashAbishekha at night and recommends to hold all rituals pertaining to kalasha stApana on an auspicious muhurta before mid day ( within 16 ghatikas from sunrise) and not after that . 16 ghatikas is 6 hours 24 minutes.
