Diwali Pooja - Simple

🌸 Lakshmi Pooja – Diwali

1. Preparations

1.1 Clean the Home

• Clean every corner; wealth (Lakshmi) is believed to enter clean, pure, and well-lit homes.
• Decorate the pooja area with rangoli, flowers, and colorful cloth.
• Prepare a pooja altar/chowki for Lakshmi and Ganesha idols/images.

1.2 Pooja Samagri (Items Needed)

• Idols or images: Lakshmi and Ganesha
• Kalash (metal pot) filled with water, mango leaves, and coins
• Diyas/lamp with ghee or oil, incense sticks, camphor
• Flowers: marigold, lotus, red or yellow flowers
• Kumkum, turmeric, rice (Akshata), sandalwood paste
• Sweets, fruits, coins, and new currency (symbolizing wealth)
• Camphor plate for arti

2. Sankalpa (Declaration of Intention)

• Sit on a clean mat, facing north or east.
• Close eyes, focus on the deity, and mentally say:

“I invoke Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha in my home. May they bless me, my family, and all beings with wealth, wisdom, health, and spiritual prosperity. May our home be filled with peace, harmony, and abundance.”

3. Invocation – Ganesh Pooja

• Start with Ganesha to remove obstacles.
• Chant:
  “Om Gan Ganapataye Namah” (3–11 times)
• Offer flowers, incense, and a lamp to Ganesha.
• Optional: Ganesh Aarti

4. Purification & Kalash Installation

• Place a Kalash on the altar:
  
• Fill with water, add mango leaves, place a coin at the top.
• Place coconut on top of Kalash, symbolizing prosperity and abundance.
• 
  
• Sprinkle Ganga water or water from a clean vessel around the pooja area for purification.
• Optional: Draw Swastik or Shree symbol on altar.

5. Lighting the Lamp

• Light a deepak (lamp) in front of the deity.
• Light incense sticks to purify the atmosphere.

6. Offering Flowers & Rice

• Offer red or yellow flowers to Lakshmi and Ganesha.
• Sprinkle Akshata (rice) over the idols as a symbol of auspiciousness and abundance.

7. Main Mantra Recitation – Lakshmi Invocation

• Chant the Shreem Lakshmi Mantra 108 times:

“Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah”

• Optional Lakshmi Gayatri Mantra:
  “Om Mahalakshmyai Cha Vidmahe Vishnu Patnyai Cha Dhimahi
  Tanno Lakshmi Prachodayat”
• Focus on visualizing Lakshmi entering your home, blessing wealth, health, and spiritual growth.

2. Shri Lakshmi Ashta Siddhi Mantra

lol

ॐ श्रीं ह्रीं क्लीं श्री महालक्ष्म्यै नमः  

Om Shreem Hreem Kleem Shri Mahalakshmyai Namah

Meaning:

This is a powerful combination of beej mantras invoking all eight siddhis (spiritual powers) and wealth.

• Use: Repeat 108 times for maximum benefit.

3. Shri Mahalakshmi Dhana Beej Mantra

Sanskrit:

8. Offering Prasad (Naivedya)

• Place fresh fruits, sweets, and coins on the plate in front of Lakshmi.
• Optionally offer new currency notes or gold coins to symbolize financial prosperity.

9. Aarti

• Perform Lakshmi Aarti:
  
• Light a lamp (or camphor) and rotate clockwise in front of Lakshmi while singing Om Jai Lakshmi Mata or reciting your chosen Aarti.
• 
  
• Offer flowers to the deity during the Aarti.

10. Meditation & Prayer

• Sit quietly for a few minutes.
• Meditate on gratitude, abundance, and well-being for yourself, your family, and all beings.
• Reflect on how you can use wealth wisely for Dharma, compassion, and spiritual growth.

11. Distribution of Prasad

• Offer the sweets, fruits, and coins as prasad to family and friends.
• Keep the coins and a portion of sweets near the cash box or treasury area at home as symbolic blessing for prosperity.

12. Conclusion & Blessings

• Thank the deities and blow out lamps if leaving overnight is not possible (some traditions keep the lamp lit until evening).
• Optional closing mantra:
  “Om Shanti Shanti Shanti” (3 times)