particular day sun enters his second course and passes by Libra, which is represented by the sign of
balance. Thus the design of Libra has been suggested to be the sign for the balancing of the account books. An important tradition associated with Lakshmi Puja is that of gambling, particularly in North India (Diwali festival in India). According to a common belief goddess Parvati while playing dice with her husband, Lord Shiva said that whoever would play dice on the eve of Lakshmi Puja would be granted with prosperity for the entire year.
As the days to diwali are just countable now, so we have come up with the proper steps of performing Lakshmi Puja just for you on this site.
Lakshmi Puja Rituals
- Firstly lay a new cloth on a raised platform and then place a handful of grains in the center of the cloth and on the top of these grains situate a Kalash or pitcher, which can be made up of gold, silver or copper.
- Then fill the three fourth of kalash with water and lay a betel nut, some flowers, some rice grain and a coin in it. Now arrange five kinds of leaves in the kalash. Cover the kalash with a small plate filled with rice grains.
- A lotus flower needs to be drawn over the rice grains with turmeric powder (Haldi) and then place the idol of goddess Lakshmi on the flower along with some coins.
- Now place the idol of lord Ganesha in the southwest direction of the idol of goddess Lakshmi, in front of the kalash.
- Initiate the Lakshmi Puja by offering haldi, kumkum and flowers to the idols of lord Ganesha and goddess Lakshmi. Next offer these things to the water to be used for the Lakshmi Puja. Through these offerings invoke the river goddess to be a part of this water.
- Invoke the goddess Lakshmi with the help of Vedic chants and mantras addressed to the goddess. If you don't know the mantras then simply close your eyes, take some water in your hands and think of goddess Lakshmi and finally offer the flowers to Her idol.
- Next keep the idol of goddess Lakshmi in a clean plate and bathe it with water, panchamrit that is a mixture of milk, curd, ghee and sugar and finally with water having some gold ornament or even a pearl. Wipe the idol clean and lay it back on the kalash.
- Make the offerings of sandal paste, saffron paste, perfume, kumkum, haldi and gulal to the idol. Now make an offer of garland of cotton beads to both the idols of lord Ganesha and goddess Lakshmi.
- Offer the flowers, like the marigold flowers or leaves of bel, which is a wood apple tree. Also make an offering of some sweets, coconut and fruits. Remember to light an incense stick and dhoop in front of the two idols.
- Now pour some puffed rice, batasha, cumin seeds and coriander seeds in front of the idols.
- Complete the Lakshmi Puja by performing an aarti for goddess Lakshmi and lord Ganesha. Take care to ring a small bell while singing the aarti and it should not be accompanied with claps as is the practice adopted by Hindus while performing the aartis for other Gods.
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