Navratri is one of the most important traditions is the practice of sowing barley seeds (jowar/jaun) at the beginning of the nine days. This ritual is also known as Jau Sowing or Khetri Sthapana. It is considered a way of invoking the blessings of Goddess Durga. On the first day of Navratri, devotees install the Kalash and place a small earthen pot filled with soil beside it.