Pushpanjali Ritual Guidelines
- Fasting: Devotees must keep a complete fast in the morning until the Pushpanjali is completed. Drinking water is also avoided.
- Offerings: Fresh flowers (especially wood-apple leaves / bel pata and red hibiscus or yellow marigold) mixed with sand and durva grass are held in closed palms during the chanting.
- Cleanliness: Wear fresh, clean clothes (traditionally dhotis for men and sarees for women) after bathing before arriving at the pandal.
Ashtami Anjali Mantras
The anjali is offered three times, each round with its own mantra, repeated after the priest. Each one closes with the "esha sachandana" offering line as the flowers are released at the Goddess's feet. The pronam that follows is said with empty hands.
"Om mahishaghni mahamaye chamunde mundamalini,
Ayurarogya-vijayam dehi devi namo'stu te.
Esha sachandana-pushpa-bilva-patranjalih namo daksha-yajna-vinashinyai mahaghorayai yogini-koti-parivritayai bhadrakalyai bhagavatyai durgayai namah."
Meaning: Slayer of the buffalo demon, great Maya, Chamunda, wearer of the garland of skulls — grant me long life, health and victory. Salutations to you.
"Om srishti-sthiti-vinashanam shakti-bhute sanatani,
Gunashraye gunamaye narayani namo'stu te.
Esha sachandana-pushpa-bilva-patranjalih namo daksha-yajna-vinashinyai mahaghorayai yogini-koti-parivritayai bhadrakalyai bhagavatyai durgayai namah."
Meaning: You are the eternal power behind creation, preservation and dissolution. Salutations to Narayani, refuge of the three gunas and made of them.
"Om sharanagata-dinarta-paritrana-parayane,
Sarvasyartihare devi narayani namo'stu te.
Esha sachandana-pushpa-bilva-patranjalih namo daksha-yajna-vinashinyai mahaghorayai yogini-koti-parivritayai bhadrakalyai bhagavatyai durgayai namah."
Meaning: You who are devoted to saving the poor and the suffering who take refuge in you, who removes the distress of all — salutations to Narayani.
"Om jayanti mangala kali bhadrakali kapalini,
Durga shiva kshama dhatri svaha svadha namo'stu te."
Meaning: Salutations to the victorious and auspicious Kali and Bhadrakali; to Durga, Shiva, Kshama, Dhatri, Svaha and Svadha.
This is not an anjali. It is said with empty hands once the three offerings are done, which is why it carries no "esha sachandana" line.
Where this version comes from
The set above was checked against five Bengali sources. All five give the same three Ashtami anjali verses, and all five agree that "sarva-mangala-mangalye" is not one of them — it is a pronam mantra, assigned to Saptami in most of them. That is why it is not on this page.
The sources disagree on spelling and on smaller points of wording, so the Sanskrit here is given in its standard form. Whatever your pandal's priest recites is the right version for you.