Diwali Lakshmi Puja at Home

Diwali Lakshmi Puja

How to do Lakshmi Puja at Home During Diwali or Dhanteras?

To perform a Lakshmi Puja at home, the first thing you must do is to clean the house. This is because as you are inviting the Goddess into your place and she particularly likes everything to be neat and clean.

Puja Items :

Kumkum Powder, Turmeric Haldi, Chandan Powder, Agarbatti / Dhoopsticks, Flowers, Bell, Camphor Dhoop, Lamp, Kalash Panchpatra (for Achman), Row Rice, Panchamrit (Milk/Curd/Ghee/Honey/Sugar), Ganesh/Lakshmi/Saraswati Murty, Betel Leaves, Red or White cloth, Prasadam/Sweets/Fruits.

Lakshmi Puja Vidhi :

• Face East or North side.
• Place peetham in front of you, and spread red cloth or unused small towel on top.
• Place Goddess Lakshmi’s picture on top of the red cloth.
• Take 1 cup of raw rice, mix couple of pinches of turmeric powder, mix it really well and sprinkle couple of water drops and mix it again this is called akshata.
• Keep water filled kalasha ready to your left.
• Keep Ganesha idol, Lakshmi idol, Saraswati idol, Lakshmi coins right in front of the picture.
• Take bath and wear new clothes and do namaskar to your parents, guru or their picture and start puja.

Invite Lakshmi to the puja (offer rice) : 

asmin bimbae sumukam maha lakshmi dhya yaami, avahayami 

Offer a place to sit (offer rice) : asanam samarpayami

Offer water to wash hands : argyam samarpayami

Offer water to clean feet : padyam samarpayami

Offer water to drink : achamaneyam samarpayami

Offer flower : madhu parkam samarpayami

Offer Panchamrit to bathe in (on Lakshmiʼs head): snanam samarpayami

Offer another water : snanan antaram achamaneyam samarpayami

Offer cloth, decoration and sacred thread in the form of rice :

vastra, alankara, upaveetartam, akshatan samarpayami

Offer sandal-paste on her head : gandham dharayami

Offer kumkum on her head : gandhopari haridra kumkumam samarpayami

Offer jewels : abharanam samarpayami

Offer akshat : akshatam samarpayami

Offer flowers with each mantra : pushaihi poojayami

(offer flowers while repeating the following mantra for Lakshmi)

OM hrim shrim klim kamale kamalaleyay
prasida prasida sakala sowbagyam dehi dehi
Om Sri Maha Lakshmi namaha

Or 

recite 108 names of Lakshmi

Offer incense : dhoopam agrahayami

Offer lamp : deepam darshayami

Offer fruit : naivedyam navaedayami

With flower and rice in hand offer the food :

OM pranaya swaha
OM apanaya swaha
OM vyanaya swaha
OM udanaya swaha
OM samanaya swaha
OM brahamanay swaha

Offer water : madhyae madhyae paneeyam samarpayami

Offer water after eating : naivedyam anantaram achamaneyam samarpayami

Offer rice in place of betel leaf : tamboolam akshatan samarpayami

Light camphor or ghee wick and offer in 3 rotations in front of Lakshmi and at the end say : 

Om Mahalakshmi cha vidmahey vishnu patnishcha 

deemahee thanno Lakshmi prachodayat

Om Sarva mangala mangalye sive sarvadha sadhike
sharanye tryambike devi narayani namostute

Offer water : neerajan antaram achamaneyam samarpayami

Offer flowers (after chant mantra) : 

OM raja dhir raajaya, prasahya saahinae,
namo vayam vaish ravanaya kurmahae
Sa me kaman kamaka amaya mahyam
Kameshvaro vaishravano dadaatu
Kuberaya vaishravanaya maharajaya namaha

Do pradakshina and bow down and express your wish or desire to Lakshmi :

yanni kanni cha papani
janmantara krutani cha
tani tani vina shyanti
pradakshina paday paday

Offer prayers : Aarti, Chalisa, Sri Suktam, Kanakadhara Stotram, Stuti, Dhan Lakshmi Stotra, Lakshmi Kavacham....

Hold flowers, water and rice. Ask for forgiveness for any mistakes :

mantra hinam kriya hinam
bhakti hinam suresgvara
yat poojitam maya daeva
paripoornam tadastutae
Anayaa poojaya shree sidhi vinayakaya, sri vishnu, sri
navagraha, shri maha Lakshimayae, preetyartam.

This can be a personal communion with Her or you may wish to recite one of the following Sanskrit mantra which are dedicated to Her :

“Sarvagyay Sarvavarday Sarvadushtbhaydkree
Sarvadukhaharay Devi Mahalakshmi Namostutay”.

English meaning: “O Maa Lakshmi, you know everything, you grant favors to all, you are a terror to the evil and your art removes the misery of all. O Propitious Goddess, I surrender to you.”

“Siddhi Buddhipraday Devi Bhuktimuktipradayeenee
Mantramurtay Sada Devi Mahalakshmi Namostutay”.

English meaning: “O Divine Goddess, you are the provider of success and intelligence. You are the benefactor of both worldly pleasure and freedom. The magical sound symbols-the Mantras, verily comprise their form with your grace. Propitious Mother, I surrender to you always.”

Do namaskar and offer your prayer and wishes to Lakshmi.