Why do we perform Lakshmi Puja during Diwali?And How to do

Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and prosperity. Wealth is a vital ingredient bestowed upon us for maintenance and progress in our life. It is much more than just having money. It means abundance in knowledge, skills and talents. Lakshmi is the energy that manifests as the complete spiritual and material well-being of a person.

Lakshmi is connected to Lakshya – the goal. She is the Shakti that directs you to your source, the goal of your life. There are eight aspects of this divine energy that may be bestowed upon us.



Adi Lakshmi is the memory of the source. When we forget that we are part of the entire creation, we feel small and insecure. Adi Lakshmi is that aspect which connects us to our source, bringing strength and calmness to the mind.

Dhana Lakshmi is the aspect of material wealth and Vidya Lakshmi is the
aspect of knowledge, skills and talents.
Dhanya Lakshmi manifests as wealth in the form of food. There is a saying ‘jaise ann, waise man’ – implying that the food we eat has a direct impact on our mind. The right amount and type of food, eaten at the right time and place affects our body and mind positively.

Santana Lakshmi manifests as wealth in the form of progeny and creativity. People full of creativity, talented and skillful in the arts are bestowed with this aspect of Lakshmi. Dhairya Lakshmi manifests as wealth in the form of courage andVijaya Lakshmi is the aspect that manifests as victory. Bhagya Lakshmi is the aspect of good luck and prosperity. At different stages in life, different aspects of this energy manifest in a person.

The puranas say that Lakshmi emerged from the waters along with the nectar when the ocean was churned by the devas and the asuras (signifying the churning of the mind between opposite values). When you have Lakshmi, the right type of wealth, then life is filled with nectar.

Water is a symbol of love. Lakshmi emerging from the water explains that the right type of wealth emerges from love. Divine love is the highest wealth and is like nectar in our life.

Lakshmi is depicted as seated on a lotus floating in water. Lotus is a symbol of dispassion. A droplet of water on the lotus leaf moves freely on the surface without any stickiness whatsoever. Similarly, when we are not attached to wealth and not possessive, then what emerges is the wealth that is everlasting and light like a flower. Such wealth is life-supporting, brings abundance and prosperity. Wealth should be moving like water. The purity of water is lost if it is stagnant. Similarly, the usefulness and value of wealth is only when it is shared and is moving.

Lakshmi is adorned with golden ornaments and is holding a lotus flower in two hands. This represents a brighter outlook and celebrative aspect of life, a combination of abundance without any possessiveness towards the wealth. Further when wealth is used for the benefit of humanity, it doesn’t bog you down, it is light like a flower. The other two hands hold mudras symbolizing the shower of blessings and indicating that we should have patience.

Diwali is a festival of lights. It is a time to honor all aspects of wealth and to illumine our life with the light of spiritual knowledge, the energy that is Mahalakshmi. ‘Maha’ implies great. Mahalakshmi denotes a great wealth, a wealth that includes all the eight aspects, the spiritual wealth that takes care of our well-being in all the three worlds (adibhautik,adidhaivik and adhyatmik). So on this occasion, we wish health, happiness and prosperity for everybody.

Step Wise

How to Perform Lakshmi Pooja on Diwali

Lakshmi puja is one of the important rituals performed during the festival of Diwali. This ritual is performed to invite Goddess Lakshmi at home. Prayers are offered to the Goddess, so that the New Year (Hindu New Year) is filled with peace, wealth and prosperity. How to do Diwali Puja describes step by step instructions to perform a simple Diwali puja process at home.

1.Purify your house. Clean your house properly. Sprinkle gomutra to purify the surrounding. 

2.Set up the platform.Spread the red cloth on a raised platform and keep a handful of grains in the center. 

3.Place the kalash. Place the kalash in the middle. Fill it with 75% of water and put one supari, one marigold flower, a coin and some rice grains. Put 5 mango leaves in the kalash and arrange them in a circular design on the neck of the kalash.  

4.Place Goddess Lakshmi. Keep a small Puja thali on the kalash and make a small flat mountain of rice grains. Draw a lotus with haldi over it and place the idol or Goddess Lakshmi in the center. Place some coins in front of it. 

5.Place Lord Ganesha's idol. Lord Ganesha is given first importance in every puja. Therefore, on the right side (South-West direction) of the kalash, place the idol of Ganesha. Apply a tilak of haldi and kumkum. Put some rice grains on the idol.  

6.Place books/wealth related items.Now place some books or anything related to your business or wealth besides the arrangement. 

7.Light diya. Light diya and place it in a thali along with some haldi, kumkum and rice grains. (sandalwood paste, saffron paste, abeer and gulal are optional)  

8.Start the puja/aarti. Start the puja by applying tilak to the kalash. Apply the same to the lota that is filled with water. Now offer some flowers to each of them. 

9.Recite Diwali Puja mantra. Take some rice and flowers. Join your hands together and close your eyes. Recite the Diwali puja mantra of goddess Lakshmi or just chant her name and meditate for few minutes to invoke her. 

10.Offer flower. Offer the flower and rice grains to the Goddess after the prayer. 

11.Bathe the idol of Lakshmi. Now pick up the idol of Lakshmi and place it in a thali. Bathe it with water followed by panchamrit. Clean it with water again. Wipe the idol and place it back on the kalash.  

12.Put the garland. Now apply haldi and kumkum (sandal paste, saffron paste, abeer or gulal) along with rice to the idol. Place the garland cotton beads around the neck of the Goddess. Place some marigold flower and some Bel leaves. Burn few agarbatti and dhoop. 

13.Offer sweets & cocunut. Offer coconut and place a supari on a supari leaf. Now put some haldi, kumkum and rice over it. Pour some puffed rice, coriander seeds and cumin seeds over the idol. Place some mithai, Diwali sweets, fruits and money or gold ornaments in front of it.

14.Perform aarti. Worship the idol by performing the lakshmi puja aarti.