A havan puja is done by the priest using special wood, ghee, joss sticks and incense. There absence of a burnt smell signifies the success of the puja. A diya or lamp is also kept lit along with the prasad. The offering is done in batches of devotees who repeat mantras after the priest. Arati is performed by the priest in the morning and again in the evening.
Nobody touches books on that day.
This signifies that the goddess is blessing the books placed in front of her that day. An infant is asked to write for the first time that day the alphabets by thenpriest. It signifies the first step being taken in the acquisition of Knowledge. The next day the children take back their books but stand before the the goddess and read from them or write in them. The string on the earthen pot is untied and it signifies the end of the puja.