Diwali
November 1
Lakshmi Puja Vrat and rituals
On the day of Diwali, people should get up early in the morning and pay tribute to their ancestors and worship family gods. Being Amavasya day, people also perform Shradh for their ancestors. Traditionally, most Puja are performed after keeping a day long fast. Hence, the devotees of Goddess Lakshmi observe a day long fast on the day of Lakshmi Puja. The fast is broken after Lakshmi Puja in the evening.
Lakshmi Puja Preparations
Most Hindu families decorate their homes and offices with marigold flowers and Ashoka, mango and banana leaves on the day of Lakshmi Puja. It is considered auspicious to keep Mangalik Kalash covered with unpeeled coconut at both side of the main entrance of the home.
For Lakshmi Puja preparations, one should keep a red cloth at the right hand side on a raised platform and install idols of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha on it after adorning them with silk clothes and jewellery. After this, one should keep a white cloth at the left hand side on a raised platform for installing Navgraha gods. One should prepare nine slots of Akshata (unbroken rice) for installing Navgraha on the white cloth and prepare sixteen slots of wheat or wheat flour on the red cloth. One should perform Lakshmi Puja with full rituals as described on Lakshmi Puja Vidhi.
