WHEN: Karthik (October/ November)

In the month of Karthik, on Amaavasya day, Badi Deepavali is celebrated. On this day, Shri Ram, Lakshman, Sita Mata returned to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile after defeating Ravana. The whole city was lit with deepaks to welcome them. The Vaishyas, the business community, start their new year on this day. People celebrate by wearing new clothes, decorating the house, exchanging gifts, playing cards and bursting firecrackers. New clothes, gifts and sweets are sent to the households of the married sisters and daughters.

At sunset puja is performed to Shri Ganeshji, Lakshmiji, Kuberji and the Navagrahas. The Idol of Lakshmiji is kept on the right side of one idol of Ganeshji, as Lakshmiji considered to be a mother of Shri Ganesh.

The women of the house observe a vrat/fast for Lakshmiji. Food is eaten after Lakshmiji darshan that is after sighting a lit deepak in someone else’s house.

Items required for Lakshmi puja at home

• 11/21/31/101 silver coins (every year puja is performed to the same silver coins)
• One gold coin optional. In some houses people add the silver coins on which the puja was done on the Choti Deepavali day. In some houses puja is done separately with different coins on Choti Deepavali and separate coins on Badi Deepavali.
• 21/31 clay deepaks for the puja thali. Set a few extra deepaks aside to be placed around the house.
• One four wick clay deepak, one clay dhoop daani, one clay kajlota (a clay pot to make kaajal)
• Few wax deepaks to place around the house
• Sarson /til oil, coal for dhoop daani, cotton wicks, matchsticks
• 1 large plate thali (any metal) to place all deepaks
• 1 small plate (any metal) to place the silver coins
• Fresh unboiled milk, roli, chawal, colgate powder, new tooth brush
• Ganeshji and Lakshmiji photo which was used for Choti Deepavali, gota for decoration of the photo. New photo is used every year for puja
• Clay idols of Lakshmiji, Ganeshji and photo bought on Dhanteras day are adorned with new clothes: dhoti and dupatta for Ganeshji and ghagra and odni for Lakshmiji
• Bright coloured silk cloth pieces to spread over the chowki and for covering the plates containing the silver coins
• Sweets made on Choti Deepavali – laddoo, petha, suhali and bujiya are placed in a thali to be used as a prasad both for Shri Lakshmi puja and Govardhan puja
• Five laddoos set aside on a plate as an offering to Lakshmiji
• Water in a small kalash
• One large wooden chowki for placing all the puja items
• One peedha/stool kept aside for Lakshmiji to sit on
• Roli and chawal at two places; one for puja and one for family members’ tilak
• A box of dhoop, agarbathi, a banana to be used as agarbathi stand
• Flower garland, loose flowers and lotus flowers for Lakshmiji
• Keep aside some additional wicks and sarson oil with a spoon for refilling deepaks
• Thali for aarti
• Hand towels and spreads for people to sit

Food to be prepared for Diwali

• Sweet rice, mogar (made of soaked moong daal), dahi wada, fried kair kareli, puri, kachori, fried papad, vegetables, sweets, etc
• On this day daal, phulka, khichdi and plain rice are not made. Papad is not roasted.
• Remember not to include onion in the cooking
• Two thalis filled with all the prepared food are set aside before eating. One thali is for pitars (ancestors). Before starting the meal this thali is given to the Brahmin to eat. Second is for Lakshmiji which is given to the Brahmini on the next morning after Govardhan puja
• Some sweet rice is set aside for the women of the house to eat the next day after Govardhan puja

Preparations to be made in the morning for the Lakshmi puja in the evening

• In the morning after a bath, wear new clothes.
• Seek blessings from the elders of the house.
• Puja items for the office puja are sent to the office (refer to the list on Page 74). Lakshmi puja in the office is performed on Deepavali day before sunset.
• Silver coins, gold coin are soaked in the vessel with milk, water and roli.
• Silver idols of Lakshmiji and Ganeshji from the puja room are bathed with milk.
• Scrub the coins with roli and rinse them with water. Any stains on the coin can be removed with the Colgate powder.
• In a plate put a silk scarf and place the gold and silver coins face up.
• Decorate the Lakshmiji and Ganeshji photo with gota.
• Decorate the clay idols of Lakshmiji and Ganeshji with clothes.

Setting up for the evening Lakshmi puja

• Place the large wooden chowki against the wall bearing in mind that while performing the puja we are facing east and cover it with a bright coloured cloth. Place the following on the chowki:
• Lakshmiji and Ganeshji photo
• Clay idols of Lakshmiji and Ganeshji
• Both the silver plates containing the coins from Choti and Badi Deepavali
• Silver idols from the puja room
• In a large thali, place 4 wick Deepak at the center and 21/31 deepaks around it, ready with oil and wicks
• In a small plate place the dhoop daani with lit coals
• Insert agarbathis in the banana/agarbathi stand
• On a plate set aside 5 laddoos for Lakshmiji
• All kinds of sweets along with a glass of water are kept
• Roli and chawal are kept in two places
• Loose flowers and flower garland are kept in a basket
• In a bowl additional oil with a spoon and more wicks are kept alongwith matchsticks
• Kajlota, dhoop and dhoop daani are kept
• Towels for wiping hands
• Peedha/low stool for Lakshimiji. It is believed that during the puja Laksmiji will sit on the the peedha (refer to katha)
• Decorate the whole house with deepaks of clay and wax deepaks after sunset
• Puja can be performed both before or after having your evening meal

Evening Lakshmi puja

• Perform puja by applying roli to photos and clay idols of Lakshmiji and Ganeshji and to the silver and gold coins
• Deepaks on the thali are lit
• Laddoos are offered
• Flowers are offered
• Agarbathi, dhoop is shown
• Either the eldest woman of the house or the unmarried young girl applies tilak to the family members
• Pranam is done to the idols, to the mother-in-law and to the elders in the family
• Token money is given to the mother-in-law by touching her feet
• After the family members and the staff perform puja. Leave the 4 wicks lamp and 7 clay deepaks in the thali. Place the remaining deepaks at various locations in the house: in the puja room, next to the tulsi plant, in the kitchen, where the water container is kept outside the bedrooms
• Outside the entrance gate, 7 + 7 deepaks are placed with the wicks facing each other
• A person is made to sleep in the puja room to ensure that the flame is kept alive by continuously pouring oil

Note: After the Govardhan puja the next day, the clay idols and chitra are stored in the puja room. Silver coins are placed back in the safe (puja is done to the same silver coins every year). The previous year’s clay idols and photos are immersed in the water.

ITEMS REQUIRED FOR OFFICE LAKSHMI PUJA

• Idols of Shri Ganeshji, Lakshmiji 
• Photo of Shri Ganeshji & Lakshmiji 
• Red, white cloth 3 pieces 1 mtr each 
• Silk cloth 1mtr
• Gents – dhoti, towel 
• Women- saree, blouse piece 
• 2 Janeu
• Packet of 5 stones (Panch ratan) 
• 1 copper or silver small pot (lota) 
• Panchamrut, milk, gangajal
• Roli, moli, paan, supari 
• Clay dhoop daani 
• Cloves, cardamom 
• Shriphal/coconut 
• Loose flowers, garlands 
• Batasha
• Kamal gatta (pod of the lotus flower) 
• Tulsi, durva (tender green grass) 
• Belpatr, Bel fruit
• Mango leaves, fruits
• Panch meva (five types of dry fruits mixed) 
• Mishri (crystallised sugar), jaggery
• Dhaan, khoi (puffed wheat) 
• Sugarcane
• Kesar (saffron), karpoor (camphor) 
• Sandalwood
• Gulal, abhir, sindoor 
• Yellow mustard seeds, turmeric
• Dhania 
• Dhoop, agarbathi
• Laddoo, peda
• Aasan, pata (broad wooden stool) 
• Itr (perfume bottle)
• Kalash (metal pot) 
• Sakora (clay bowl) 
• Rice, wheat
• Oil, deepak, choumukh deepak 
• Cotton wool, wicks, matchsticks 
• Pen, ink pot
• Thali (big plate) 
• Utensils for puja 
• Silver plate and bowl 
• Sutli (thick thread) 
• Money for offering
• Accounts books (bahikhata)
• Red cloth with which the bahikhata is tied 
• Laddoo, Peda