📜 Significance:
Mahalakshmi Puja is dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi, the divine mother of wealth, prosperity, and fortune. This puja is performed to invoke her blessings for financial stability, abundance, and overall well-being. In Maharashtra, Mahalakshmi Puja is especially significant during festivals like Sharad Purnima and Diwali, when devotees seek to attract positive energy and remove financial obstacles. It symbolizes purity, generosity, and the sustenance of life through wealth and success.
🗓️ When It’s Performed:
- Commonly performed during Diwali, especially on Lakshmi Panchami or Kojagiri Purnima
- Also observed on Fridays and during Sharad Purnima
- Can be done anytime when blessings for wealth and prosperity are sought
🛐 Who Can Perform:
- Individuals and families seeking prosperity and financial growth
- Can be conducted at home or in temples with the guidance of a Panditji
- Business owners and professionals often perform it before starting new ventures
📦 Puja Samagri (Items Required):
- Idol or image of Goddess Lakshmi
- Kalash filled with water, mango leaves, and coconut
- Haldi (turmeric), kumkum (vermilion), chandan (sandalwood paste)
- Fresh flowers (especially lotus and marigold), garlands
- Diya (oil lamp), agarbatti (incense sticks), camphor
- Fruits, sweets, dry fruits, and sugar crystals (mishri)
- Rice, betel leaves, supari (areca nut), and coins or currency notes as symbolic offerings
- Panchamrit (mixture of milk, yogurt, honey, ghee, and sugar)
🕯️ Main Rituals:
- Invocation of Goddess Lakshmi with mantras and sacred hymns
- Kalash sthapana and sanctification of the worship area
- Offering of flowers, haldi, kumkum, rice, and sweets to the deity
- Lighting the diya and incense while chanting Lakshmi stotra
- Recitation of Lakshmi Ashtakshara mantra and Lakshmi Sahasranama (if possible)
- Aarti and distribution of prasadam to devotees
⏳ Duration:
Approximately 1 hour
🎁 Benefits of Mahalakshmi Puja:
- Attracts wealth, prosperity, and financial stability
- Removes financial obstacles and negative energies related to money
- Brings peace, happiness, and overall well-being to the household
- Encourages generosity, abundance, and spiritual wealth
- Blesses new ventures, businesses, and homes with success
