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Diwali Puja Tradition |
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Diwali is considered as an auspicious occasion and it is on this day that Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped. It is believed that if you worship the Goddess on this special occasion, she will bless you with happiness, wealth, and prosperity. Certain rituals are followed to worship the Goddess wholeheartedly.
Diwali Puja Tradition
If you’d like to perform Lakshmi Puja on Diwali, the very first thing you need to do is clean your house and renovate or paint it afresh if required. Then decorate your house with various items including rangolis which can be considered as a way of welcoming the Goddess into your home.
In order to give a warm welcome to Goddess Lakshmi, you should create a rangoli at the entrance of your home. The rangolis are actually made with rice powder and vermilion. You should draw small footprints at the four corners of the rangoli. The footprints are a sign of Goddess Lakshmi’s arrival into your home.
Lakshmi Puja is actually performed during the evening. But the auspicious time for the Puja can be determined by consulting a priest. The Puja includes worship of five deities. First of all, you should offer your prayers to Lord Ganesha who is said to be worshipped prior to any puja. Next, you need to worship Goddess Lakshmi in three forms – Mahalakshmi (Goddess of wealth), Mahasaraswati (Goddess of knowledge) and Mahakali, Goddess who stands for goodness.
Steps for Lakshmi Puja
While performing your worship to the Goddess of wealth and prosperity, you can follow the steps given below:
- Clean the puja room and draw a circular boundary with salt.
- Wash each deity in water so as to cleanse it.
- Take each deity for a rose-water bath.
- Wash the deities with water again.
- Place a small diya made of clay in front of every deity and light it up. The lighting of diya signifies the end of evil and reflects the fact that everyone has come out of darkness.
- Now, prepare a Panchamrita by using ingredients such as milk, honey, and curd. You’ll also need sugar and clarified butter for the preparation.
- Worship Lord Ganesha and perform an aarti as well.
- Make sure you make an offering of flowers, vermillion (kumkum), red color dye, and haldi or turmeric before you start the Puja.
- Fill the clay lamps with ghee and light their wicks.
- Burn the incense sticks before you perform the puja.
- Make an offering of fruits, sweets, and silver or gold coins (known as “dakshina”) to the deities. It is a tradition to distribute the food and “dakshina” among the poor.
- Offer betel leaves and cloves to the deities and convey your prayers.
- When you perform Lakshmi Puja, place a lotus flower at the feet of her idol. Keep a silver coin in front of the deity as well.
- Offer your prayers to Goddess Lakshmi with flowers held in your arms, and perform an aarti.
Once the Puja is over, stay away from the place of worship for quite some time and then distribute the “prasad” (food offered to the deities) to your dear ones.
Last Updated on October 4, 2011
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