The most widely celebrated festival, Diwali is here! Celebrated across the entirety of India, Diwali celebrates the return of Lord Rama to his hometown Ayodhya after forest exile of fourteen years, according to Hindu mythology. To welcome the Lord home, devotees decorate their houses and workplaces, lighting diyas and candles, making rangolis and adorning every nook and corner to celebrate the homecoming. On Diwali, Lord Ganesh and Goddess Lakshmi are also worshipped for prosperity, wealth and auspicious new beginnings. This year, Diwali falls on November 4, 2021. Here are all the things that you need to know about the festival and all that it entails, including the elaborate puja rituals, ingredients required, best timings or shubh muhurat for the puja and more! Read on.
Lakshmi Puja
The Vidhi or the manner in which Diwali puja is done includes an entire day full of activities. On this day, devotees fast for prosperity, wealth and health of their family. They also seek the choicest blessings of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi. People wake up early in the morning to clean their houses and workplaces where Lakshmi puja is done. After cleaning and decorating the spaces, they light diyas and candles in the evening. The devotees end their fast after Lakshmi puja in the evening. The entire family comes together for the puja. Here is the vidhi for Lakshmi Puja:
Ingredients: A red cloth, a raised platform, idols of Goddess Lakshmi and Ganesha ji, idols of Navgraha or the nine Gods that represent the planets, a white cloth, rice, wheat or wheat flour, fruits, flowers, dhoop, deep, sweets and other offerings.
The Ritual/ Vidhi
Cover the raised platform with a red cloth and place the idols of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi on it. The white cloth should be placed on the left hand side on a raised platform and place the navagraha idols carefully on it. Nine slots of rice for installation of the navgraha are required to be placed on the white cloth and sixteen slots of wheat should be placed on the red cloth. Now offer fruits, flowers, dhoop, deep, sweets, and conclude the puja with Lakshmi aarti.
The Shubh Muhurat for Lakshmi Puja is as follows:
06:39 PM to 8:32 PM- Pune
06:09 PM to 08:04 PM- New Delhi
06:17 PM to 08:14 PM- Jaipur
06:08 PM to 08:04 PM- Noida
06:37 PM to 08:33 PM- Ahmedabad
06:42 PM to 08:35 PM- Mumbai
06:21 PM to 08:10 PM- Chennai
06:22 PM to 08:14 PM- Hyderabad
06:10 PM to 08:05 PM- Gurgaon
06:07 PM to 08:01 PM- Chandigarh
05:34 PM to 07:31 PM- Kolkata
06:32 PM to 08:21 PM- Bengaluru
Mantras for Diwali Puja
· Om Hreem Shreem Lakshmyai Namah (For Goddess Lakshmi)
· Surabhi Tvam Jaganmatardevi Vishnupade Sthitha
Sarvadevamaye Grasam Maya Dattamidam Grasa
For Lord Ganesha
· Om Ganesha Rinam Chhindhi Varenyam Hum Namah Phat
· Dantabhaye Chakravrau Dadhanam, Karagragam Swarnghatam TrinetramDhritabjayalingitamabdhi Putrya-Lakshmi Ganesham Kanakabhamide
Wishing you and your family a very happy and prosperous Diwali!
READ MORE: Diwali 2021: 5 Rangoli designs which are easy on space and your hands
