The festival season has started and after Navratri and Karva Chauth, everyone is waiting for the 5-day festival of Diwali. Every year the festival of Diwali is celebrated on the Amavasya date of Krishna Paksha of Kartik month. This year it will be celebrated on 31 October 2024, Thursday. On this special day, there is a tradition of worshiping Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha. There is a special provision for worshiping Goddess Lakshmi on the day of Diwali, but should Aarti of Goddess Lakshmi be performed during Lakshmi Puja? Actually, people perform this puja with the whole family and often in the end of the puja, aarti of the Gods and Goddesses is sung. But there are different beliefs regarding the Aarti of Goddess Lakshmi on Lakshmi Puja. Know about this from Delhi’s famous astrologer Dr. Gaurav Kumar Dixit.
Doctor Gaurav Kumar Dixit tells that Aarti of Goddess Lakshmi is not performed on Diwali. During Diwali worship, you should only worship Lord Ganesha and Lord Vishnu. Because when Goddess Lakshmi’s Aarti is performed, everyone stands on the Aarti and then leaves, similarly if Goddess Lakshmi leaves, there will be shortage of money in your life. Therefore, the aarti of Goddess Lakshmi should never be sung during Diwali worship. Rather, Goddess Lakshmi should be worshiped as per the rituals on this day. If you want, you can sing the mantra of Mata Lakshmi. Along with this, during the puja, you should wrap a whole betel nut in Mauli (Kalava) and keep it in the puja. After the puja, wrap this betel nut in a red cloth and keep it in your safe. She is the form of Mother Lakshmi. Also, whole coriander must be kept in the worship of Goddess Lakshmi.
What is the correct method of worshiping Lakshmi on Diwali?
1. Make a Swastika by cleaning in the North-East or North direction. Place a pile of rice on top of it. Now spread a wooden platform on top of it. Spread a red cloth over the pot and place the idol or picture of Goddess Lakshmi on it. There should also be pictures of Ganeshji and Kuber in this picture. There should also be pictures of white elephants on the right and left side of the mother.
2. Make sure to establish Panchdev at the time of worship. Suryadev, Shri Ganesh, Durga, Shiva and Vishnu have been called Panchdev. After this light incense sticks. Sanctify all the idols and pictures by sprinkling water.
3. Now sit on the seat of Kush (grass) and do Shodashopachar puja of Goddess Lakshmi. Shodashopachar puja means worshiping with 16 rituals. Padya, Arghya, Aachman, bath, clothes, jewellery, scent, flowers, incense, lamp, Nevaidya, Aachman, Tambul, Stavapath, Tarpan and Namaskar. At the end of the puja, Dakshina should also be offered for Sangata Siddhi.
4. Apply turmeric, kumkum, sandalwood and rice on the forehead of everyone including Goddess Lakshmi. Then offer them necklace and flowers. During the puja, scent (sandalwood, kumkum, abeer, gulal, turmeric etc.) should be applied on the ring finger (the one near the little finger i.e. ring finger). Similarly, worship with all the ingredients of the above mentioned Shodashopachar.
If we want to perform a small puja then we can follow the Panchopachar puja method. If there is a desire for detailed worship of Goddess Lakshmi, then for that, follow the Shodashopachar worship method.
Perform Panchopachar puja method of Goddess Lakshmi on Diwali.
1. Applying sandalwood to the deity and offering turmeric and kumkum.
First of all, apply sandalwood to your loved one from the ring finger (the finger near the little finger). Then put a pinch between the thumb and ring finger of the right hand and offer first turmeric and then kumkum at the feet of the deity.
2. Offering leaf-flower (Pallava) to the deity.
Do not offer artificial and decorative flowers made of paper, plastic etc. to the deity. Offer fresh and pure flowers. Do not smell the leaves and flowers offered to the deity. Before offering flowers to the deity, offer letters. Offer specific leaves and flowers to a specific deity that attract their element in large quantities, for example Bilva leaves to Lord Shiva and Durva and red flowers to Lord Ganesha. Instead of offering flowers on the head of the deity, offer them at his feet. Offer flowers with the stem towards the deity and the petals towards yourself.
3. Showing incense to the deity
While offering incense to the deity, do not spread it with your hands. After lighting the incense, perform Aarti of a specific deity with incense sticks of specific fragrance to attract the essence of a specific deity, for example, Lord Shiva with Henna and Shri Lakshmidevi with Rose. While offering incense and rotating incense sticks, ring the bell with the left hand.
4. Performing lamp-aarti of the deity
Perform Deep Aarti thrice at a slow pace. While performing Deep Aarti, ring the bell with your left hand.
5. Offer Prasad or Naivedya
After worshiping, offer Prasad or Naivedya. Keep in mind that salt, chilli and oil are not used in Naivedya. A basil leaf is placed on each dish. On this day, makhana, water chestnuts, batasha, reed, pudding, kheer, pomegranate, betel leaves, white and yellow colored sweets, saffron rice etc. are offered to Goddess Lakshmi. During the puja, 16 types of Gujiyas, Papdis, Anarsa, Laddus, Pulhara are offered. After this, rice, almonds, pistachios, dates, turmeric, betel nuts, wheat, coconut and coriander are offered. In the end, Kevada flowers and Ambarbel are offered.
This is the mantra of Mata Lakshmi
While worshiping, chant his mantra-
Om Shreem Hreem Shreem Kamle Kamlalaye Prasidh Prasidh Shreem Hreem Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah:
Om Mahalakshmyai Namo Namah Dhanpradayai Namo Namah Vishvajananyai Namo Namah
Pay attention to the direction in worship:
While worshiping, the face should be towards north or east. According to Vastu Shastra, the north-east corner of the house is considered very auspicious for making a place of worship. The place of worship should be clean, well lit and free from clutter. The lamp should face east. It is auspicious to keep puja kalash and other worship materials like kheel-patasha, vermilion, ganga water, akshat-roli, moli, fruits-sweets, betel-nut, cardamom etc. in the north-east. By making Swastika on both sides of the door of the puja room with vermilion or roli, negative powers do not enter the house. According to Vastu Shastra, Gods and Goddesses are pleased by sounding the conch and ringing the bell.
