The ritual is usually preformed to ask for some favor from the Goddess or as reimbursement from her past generosity. The Goddess visits in the form of a flame which is lit at the beginning of the ceremony and kept burning the entire night. Usually a family will hold this ritual in honor of a marriage, a birth, or a recovery from a serious illness. The much larger scaled jagrata for the public is usually an annual affair to invoke the Goddess's blessings. Each jagrata has a mandali which is a group that preforms the rituals, sings the songs, and tells the stories.
Possession often occurs at jagratas as well as in other contexts.
The Goddess often uses the human body, usually a female, as a vehicle in which she can physically manifest herself to her devotees. Possession is characterized by glazing eyes, exuberant dancing, and rhythmic circle head movements of the person that Devi is bearing at that particular time. The Goddess will usually enter a woman's body that is pure, meaning one who is celibate and does not eat meat or drink alcohol. This is a reason why many possessions often take place in young girls. Possession is said to be a way that the Goddess can aid her devotees using a visible and accessible manifestation.