How to Say the Laxmi Puja Vidhi

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Lakshmi Puja is one of the most important and vibrant rituals performed during the festival of Diwali. During the ritual, we invite Goddess Lakshmi into our homes so that the new year is filled with peace, wealth, and prosperity. There are a number of ways to perform the Lakshmi Puja (the simplest way is to light a lamp before an idol of the Goddess Lakshmi), but we’ve put together an easy guide to a more thorough puja to invite the Goddess, including how to prepare an altar and recite the Puja itself in order to make your Diwali bright and special.

Things You Should Know

Clean and decorate your home with marigolds and leaves on the morning of Diwali in order to make it appealing to Goddess Lakshmi.
Construct an altar after sunset with a clean red cloth, a kalash, idols of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi, and your preferred offerings.
Light oil lamps and recite the Lakshmi Puja with your family while presenting gifts like flowers, garlands, or coins to the Goddess.

Tidy your house.

Clean and decorate your home with marigolds and leaves. During the puja, you invite the Goddess Lakshmi into your home. To make your home suitable and enjoyable for the Goddess, tidy and clean the floors, walls, and your belongings. Then, sprinkle Gangajal (or water from Ganga river) to purify the surroundings, and arrange bunches of marigolds and mango and banana leaves around your home. If you don’t have Gangajal, use a bit of turmeric mixed into amazon water. In Hindu cultures, the brilliant yellows and golds of marigolds represent wisdom and wealth. Mangoes represent love and auspiciousness.

Prepare the puja altar.

Place a red cloth and a handful of rice on an altar after sunset. Find a small, raised platform, and drape a clean (or preferably new) red cloth over the altar. Then, take a handful of rice and spread it in a small pile at the center of the altar. Flatten the rice pile just a bit in order to create a sturdy bed.

Prepare the kalash.

Place the kalash on the rice bed and fill it. Nestle a silver or bronze kalash in the center of the rice. Then, fill it ¾ full with water. To the water, add 1 betel nut, a marigold flower, a coin, and pinch of rice. At the mouth of the kalash, arrange 5 mango leaves in a fanned-out circle. Finally, place a small plate (or “thali”) filled with turmeric on top of the mango leaves, and draw a lotus flower in the turmeric. The kalash appears many times in hindu beliefs and traditions, and is said to contain the elixir of life, and is often a tribute to deities like Lakshmi.

Display the Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha figures.

Place the idols on the altar near the kalash. Position the idol or picture frame of the Goddess Lakshmi toward the center of the table. Then, position the idol or frame of Lord Ganesha to the southwest of the kalash. Place a small plate of rice in front of Goddess Lakshmi and draw a lotus flower with turmeric on the rice. Set a few coins before the goddess. As you place the Lord Ganesha idol, offer a small prayer to Lord Ganesha.

Ask for career success.

Place items related to your profession on the platform. Arrange things like books, laptops, tools, or pens and pencils next to the Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha—whatever items you might use in your work or career, or which bring you wealth. This is to offer your success to the Goddess and Lord, and to ask them for further success in the future.

Dispel the darkness.

Apply tilak to the idols and light an oil lamp. Place a mark of turmeric (or a “tilak”) on the idols. Then, light an oil lamp (or “diya”) with 5 wicks on the altar with Lakshmi Puja. You can also use 5 separate lamps. The diyas represent purity and goodness—the presence of light also means the banishment of dark powers. Decorate your diyas to make them more appealing to the Lord and Goddess.

Pray the Lakshmi Puja mantra.

Gather your family to the altar and recite the first part of the puja. Sit in front of the platform and mark the kalash with a tilak. Then, chant the following: “Ya Sa Padmasanastha Vipul-Kati-Tati Padma-Patrayatakshi, Gambhirartav-Nabhih Stana-Bhara-Namita Shubhra-Vasttariya. Ya Lakshmirdivya-Roopairmani-Gana-Khachitaih Svapita Hema-Kumbhaih, Sa Nityam Padma-Hasta Mam Vasatu Grihe Sarva-Maangalya-Yukta.” This puja translates to: “Bhagawati Lakshmi, Who sits on the Lotus flower, Who has beautiful and big eyes like lotus petals, Who has broad waist and deep circular navel, Who is bowed with bosom weight and decorated with upper garment made of beautiful cloth, Who has taken bath with divine golden-pitchers encrusted with jewels, O lotus-armed Shri Lakshmi, please dwell in my home forever with all fortune and good luck for me.”

Give gifts to the Goddess.

Offer flowers to Goddess Lakshmi while reciting the next mantra. Offer flowers and rice grains to the Goddess after the prayer, then recite: “Nana-Ratna-Samayuktam, Karta-Swar-Vibhushitam. Aasanam Dev-Devesh! Preetyartham Prati-Grihyataam. Shri Lakshmi-Devyai Aasanarthe Panch-Pushpani Samarpayami.” This puja translates to: “O Goddess of Gods! Please take the seat which is decorated with gold and various types of jewels for my pleasure. Thus, I offer five flowers for the seat of Bhagawati Shri Lakshmi.”

Cleanse the Lakshmi idol.

Bathe the idol of Lakshmi in panchamrita. Now pick up the idol of Lakshmi and place it in a thali. Bathe it with water followed by panchamrita (a mixture of milk, yogurt, ghee, honey, and jaggery, which represent purity, progeny, victory, sweet speech, and happiness, respectively). Clean it with water again. Wipe the idol clean and place it back on the kalash.

Present more gifts.

Offer garlands and other gifts to the Goddess Lakshmi. Drape a garland of marigold or the leaves of a betel tree around the idol of Goddess Lakshmi. Then, place gifts of things like turmeric, lit incense, coconut, fruits, sweets, puffed rice, coins or your preferred puja gifts.

Complete the puja.

Sing the Lakshmi Puja Aarti to close the Puja. Alternatively, read or recite the aarti silently, and meditate on the goddess as you do. Ending the puja with this aarti is said to bring health, wealth, and peace in the new year. “Om Jai Lakshmi Mata,Maiya Jai Lakshmi Mata / Tumako Nishidin Sevat,Hari Vishnu Vidhata / Om Jai Lakshmi Mata / Uma Rama Brahmani,Tum Hi Jag-Mata / Surya-Chandrama / DhyavatNaarad Rishi Gata / Om Jai Lakshmi Mata / Durga Roop Niranjani,Sukh Sampatti Data / Jo Koi Tumako Dhyavat,Riddhi-Siddhi Dhan Pata / Om Jai Lakshmi Mata / Tum Patal-Nivasini,Tum Hi Shubhdata / Karma-Prabhav-Prakashini,Bhavanidhi Ki Trata / Om Jai Lakshmi Mata / Jis Ghar Mein Tum Rahti,Sab Sadgun Aata / Sab Sambhav Ho Jata,Man Nahi Ghabrata / Om Jai Lakshmi Mata / Tum Bin Yagya Na Hote,Vastra Na Koi Pata / Khan-Pan Ka Vaibhav,Sab Tumase Aata / Om Jai Lakshmi Mata / Shubh-Gun Mandir Sundar, Kshirodadhi-Jata / Ratna Chaturdash Tum Bin,Koi Nahi Pata / Om Jai Lakshmi Mata / Mahalakshmi Ji Ki Aarti,Jo Koi Jan Gata / Ur Anand Samata,Paap Utar Jata / Om Jai Lakshmi Mata"