Lakshmi Pooja Vidhi for Prosperity through Prayers

Goddess Lakshmi is referred to as the consort of Lord Vishnu in Hindu mythology and one of the key deities in the Tridevi. The deity is also known as the goddess of wealth. You can perform a Lakshmi pooja at home any time to usher prosperity through prayers although it is most beneficial to do so on a Friday. The most common Lakshmi pooja that is performed for this purpose is the Lakshmi pooja performed on Diwali night. The rituals are not very elaborate and have to be performed with utmost devotion to get maximum benefit.

Read on to know more about the Lakshmi pooja vidhi so that you can perform the pooja correctly and be blessed by Her with prosperity and wealth in your home.

As a first step, you must wake up early in the morning and have a bath. Clean the utensils used for the pooja well. If you are using any fruits for the pooja, make sure that you wash them also thoroughly.

Clean the house and especially the area where you plan to do the pooja thoroughly. If so, sprinkle a few drops of Ganga jal in the area. It is believed that Goddess Lakshmi is always quite particular about cleanliness and will only visit homes that are kept clean. Set up a pedestal or altar to place the photo or idol of Goddess Lakshmi along with that of Lord Ganesha. Cover the altar with a red cloth and spread a few grains in the middle. Draw a lotus pattern with turmeric powder in the centre of the grains.

Fill three-fourths of a kalash with water and put some rice grains, a coin, a marigold flower and a betelnut into the kalash. Tie a few mango leaves around the neck of the kalash. Place the kalash on the altar in the middle and keep the idols or photos of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi behind the kalash. Make sure that you place the Ganesha idol or photo to the right of the kalash.

Bathe the deities using different items such as pure water, panchamrit, sandal water and rose water. Use pure water once again to give the deities a final bath. Wipe the idols dry with a clean cloth and decorate them using turmeric powder, sindoor and sandal paste. You can also adorn them with flower garlands. Apply a tilak on the kalash as well. If you are using photos instead of idols, you can do the decorations right away.

Light a lamp and incense sticks in front of Lord Ganesha. Offer some prasad to the deity and chant some mantras in His honour. Any Lakshmi pooja must be carried out after paying obeisance to Lord Ganesha.

Place some wealth related items like coins and jewellery in front of Goddess Lakshmi and sprinkle some rice grains and kumkum powder over them. You can also keep your business related accounting books in front of the goddess. Offer betel leaves and nuts, sweets and dry fruits to Her. Light an oil lamp with five wicks and some incense sticks in front of Her and chant one or more Lakshmi mantras like Sri Mahalakshmyai Namah wholeheartedly. Offer some rice grains and flowers to the goddess once again after the prayers.

Ask an elderly family member to read out or recite the story of Goddess Lakshmi. The other family members should listen to this story with full concentration. The Lakshmi Purana can also be read put during the pooja.

Apply some roli and tilak on the elephants that you see on either side of the photo or idol of the goddess. Offer them some sugarcane sticks as prasad.

Finally, sing the arti dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi and move a camphor lit lamp in front of the deities and also the kalash. Go around the deities in a clockwise direction and come back to the original position in front of the idols or photos. Prostrate before them and distribute the prasad among all members in the family.

If you are performing the Lakshmi pooja specifically on the day of Diwali festival, you can consider chanting the mantras given below in the midst of the pooja rituals.

Om Ganesha Rinam Chhindhi Varenyam Hum Namah Phat

Dantabhaye Chakravarau Dadhanam, Karagragam Swarnghatam Trinetram

Dhritabjayalingitamabdhi Putrya-Lakshmi Ganesham Kanakabhamide

Om Shreem Gam Saumyaya Ganpataye Vara Varada

Sarvajanam Me Vashamanaya Svaha

Written By - Deepthi K