How to perform laxmi Pooja At Home

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How to perform laxmi Pooja At Home
The festival of Diwali brings with it a long list of events, celebrations, pujas and rituals. The central highlight of Diwali is inviting prosperity into households and businesses by performing Lakshmi puja. Laxmi is the goddess of wealth and the consort of Lord Vishnu. The arrival of Laxmi during the Diwali celebrations lights up homes with hope, auspiciousness, wealth and positive development. Hence Diwali is psychologically refreshing and recharging for people. Here is a simple procedure for doing Laxmi puja at home.
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Puja Preparations



Before the start of Laxmi puja, clean your home thoroughly and decorate it. On the day of Laxmi puja, take a bath, sprinkle Ganga Jal throughout your home and on the members of the household as a mark of purification ritual.

Set up the puja altar



Place a table or platform or a tripod stand and spread a red cloth over it. Place some grains in the center and draw a lotus in the center of the grains with turmeric powder. Place an image of Laxmi, Ganesh and on the grains spread on the pedestal.

Install a Kalash



Fill a silver or copper pot with three fourths of water. Place some coins, betel nut, raisins, clove, dry fruits, and cardamom inside the pot. Place a bunch of mango leaves on the pot arranging the leaves in a circular fashion. Place a coconut on the pot to finish the set up. Place the kalash on the pedestal along with the idols and decorate it with sindhoor and flowers.
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Holy bath and puja to the idols



Give a holy bath to the idols of Laxmi and Ganesh with pure water, panchamrit (fruit salad in honey), sandal water, rose water and pure water to complete the cycle. Decorate the idols with turmeric powder, sandal paste and sindhoor. Decorate the idols with flowers and garlands.

Puja and offerings



Light the lamp and incense sticks. Start the puja with Ganesh worship. Then worship Laxmi. Chant the mantras for both the deities and place the offerings in front of the deities. Some of the important offerings for Laxmi puja include badasha, laddoos, betel leaves and nuts, dry fruits, coconut, sweets, dishes made in the home kitchen, some coins and others. Offer flowers in front of the idols accompanied by the changing of mantras.

Read the story of Laxmi



Listening to the story of Laxmi is an important part of the Laxmi puja. Let an elderly member or an interested volunteer to read the story of Laxmi. Others must listen to the story in rapt attention with devotion. At the end of the story session, let all the members offer flowers at the feet of the deities. The story teller will get a gift of a silver coin, sweets and some presents.
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Conclude the Laxmi puja



Sing the arati song of goddess Laxmi and wave the camphor light in front of the idols and kalash. Say the prayers for the prosperity and welfare of the home and pray for the world too. Circumambulate the altar and prostrate in front of the deities. Distribute the puja Prasad among the attendees. You can then enjoy a special meal with your family and guests by starting with the sweets obtained as Prasad.
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