Music forms an integral part of the rituals, from the arrival of the Goddess until the time of visarjan (immersion), when the idol is taken out to the sea.
Gauri Puja typically lasts for three days during the ten-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival. The first day marks the arrival and installation of the idol; the second day involves the main puja (prayers of devotional homage) and festivities; and the third day is for the visarjan (immersion) of the idol at sea.
Various offerings made by the family and by villagers are assembled in front of the Goddess. Some of these items, like bananas, rice grains, and coconuts, are offered for a bountiful harvest, while others, such as boxes of sweets, are given as tokens of thanksgiving for the fulfilment of a wish. Some of the offerings may be used to prepare the naivedya (sacred food offerings), which is distributed as prasad (blessed food) after the puja (prayers of devotional homage) ceremony is concluded.
Unlike Ganesh Chaturthi, which is publicly celebrated all over Mumbai on a grand scale, Gauri Puja is a modest household event, performed by families inside their homes. In coastal Maharashtra, Gauri is worshipped as a singular Goddess known as Jyeshtha Gauri (jyestha meaning the elder one or the senior). The Goddess is installed on a high platform.