Diwali is around the corner and everyone is busy deep cleaning their homes. This is one of the biggest festivals in India and is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm in all parts of the country. Although different regions celebrate Diwali differently, thorough cleaning of the house and doing the Laxmi puja decoration in the best way possible are synonymous with this festival of lights. A clean house is believed to attract Goddess Laxmi. This is why people invest a lot of time in making their homes sparkling clean and beautifully done up with lights and other décor. What makes this Diwali extra special is that families can gather and celebrate the festival in person after two long years of being locked at home due to the pandemic.
Diwali Celebrations are spread out over five days. Laxmi puja is the most important ritual of the festivities. Goddess Laxmi, the wife of Lord Vishnu, is known to be the deity of wealth, luck and prosperity. It is believed that the Goddess Laxmi visits the homes of her devotees and blesses them with abundance and fortune. Lighting Diyas, wearing new clothes, making sweet treats and Diwali Laxmi puja decorations at home are synonymous with Diwali as they symbolise welcoming the goddess into the homes of the devotees.
Significance Of Laxmi Puja
Devotees pay obeisance to the goddess on this day to seek her blessings. Diyas are placed outside the main entrance and balconies to welcome her with warmth. Most importantly, traditional motifs shaped in the form of a pair of feet in red are kept facing the main entrance, which signifies the Goddess, the harbinger of wealth, entering the household. Along with Goddess Laxmi, three other deities are also worshipped – Lord Ganesha, Maa Saraswati, and Lord Kubera.
In most Indian households, the womenfolk are given the same respect as the Goddess throughout the year and, hence, the day is also dedicated to them. Devotees also float diyas in the holy waters of the River Ganges.
Diwali Laxmi Puja Vidhi
Most of India does Laxmi puja only on Diwali, but there is a large number of people for whom doing Laxmi puja at home is a daily ritual. While the vidhi (process) to be followed for Laxmi puja is not difficult or complicated and might vary depending on the region, there are a few steps that are always followed while offering prayers to Goddess Laxmi.
- Goddess Laxmi is believed to love tidy and organised spaces. Hence, the first step is to clean the area where you intend to do the puja (it is best if you clean the entire house) and sprinkle with gangajal or water to cleanse the space.
- It is recommended to do Laxmi puja on a slightly elevated platform so that the idol of the Goddess can be placed on a higher pedestal as compared to the devotees.
- Next, a clean cloth (usually red) must be placed on the platform. A handful of raw rice is sprinkled on the cloth or placed in the centre of the cloth.
- A kalash is filled with water till it is 3/4th full. Mango leaves are tied to the neck of the kalash. A few grains of rice, some flowers and a supari are then added to the kalash. This kalash and idols of Ganesh, Laxmi, books and money/gold are kept on the red cloth.
- A puja thali is prepared with a diya, a few grains of raw rice, kumkum and camphor. A swastika is drawn in the centre of the thali with damp kumkum.
- Kumkum tilak is applied to the idols and the kalash, the diya is lit and offerings like sweets, flowers and charnamrit ( a mixture of tulsi leaves, honey, curd, milk and ghee) are offered to the idols.
- Prayers are recited for Ganeshji followed by Laxmiji, followed by Ganesh and Laxmi aarti, in that order. The aarti constitutes waving the pooja thali clockwise in front of the deity. This is done while singing the aarti song and the sounds of the bell to ward off evil spirits.
- After the aarti, the aarti thali is circulated around the house to cleanse the house and bless it. This is followed by offering aarti and prasad to the devotees.
Decorating the home during Diwali is usually looked upon as a challenge because there are so many other tasks that need to be completed around that time, cleaning being a very important one among them. With busy schedules and tight timelines, people often find it difficult to execute Diwali Laxmi puja decoration at home. They usually end up putting some basic decoration which hardly reflects their festive enthusiasm. However, there are many Diwali puja decoration ideas that barely take any time and can instantly lift up the festive vibes of the home.
7 Amazing Ideas For Laxmi Puja Decoration At Home
1. Make A Rangoli
Rangoli is a tradition that has been used in Indian households for centuries to bring good luck and welcome guests into the home. What better way to invite Goddess Laxmi into the house than doing the Laxmi puja decoration with rangoli?
How to:
- Start by placing a small stool or box on the floor.
- Place a clean red cloth on the puja table. Sprinkle some rice.
- Place the photo/statue of the goddess and other idols on the cloth.
- Make rangoli designs of your choice around the idols.
- Place the kalash, sweets and other offerings.
- Decorate further by adding loose flowers and garlands.
2. Use A Planter
Who would have thought that a planter could make such a beautiful backdrop for Diwali puja? Using a planter gives the impression of a specially prepared backdrop for the puja while providing a sturdy structure for holding flower garlands.
How to:
- Begin with cleaning the planter of any soil or moisture.
- Attach desired flower garlands to the planter. You may secure the garlands with pins or tape.
- Place the planter against the wall you intend to do the Diwali puja near.
- Place a small puja table or box against the planter background.
- Line the puja table with red cloth.
- Place all the idols, kalash and other offerings on the puja table.
3. Bring Out The Colourful Fabrics:
This is a great way to make use of the vibrant dupattas and sarees from your closet for Laxmi puja decoration at home. You can use your creativity to combine different colours and patterns and create a kaleidoscopic puja space this Diwali.
How to:
- Select a suitable area for the Diwali puja. It is recommended to choose a wall with a curtain rod.
- Hang the dupattas/sarees to the curtain rod in a desired pattern.
- Secure the loose ends of the dupattas/sarees to the wall with the help of tape. Alternatively, you could also let the dupattas hang freely.
- Arrange the altar and puja table against the wall decorated with the dupattas/sarees.
- Spread a red cloth and place the idols on top of it.
- Add colourful rugs and cushions to add further colour to the puja corner.
4. Floral For The Win:
While flower garlands always form an essential part of puja decorations, loose flowers are used only for offerings. The vibrant and diverse colours of different types of flowers can provide a great visual experience when used for Diwali puja decorations.
How to:
- Choose a few different kinds of flowers in colours that complement one another. You could also add some leaf types.
- Start by placing the flowers next to one another in a pattern of your choice. Add leaves for an additional pop of colour.
- Once the flowers are set up at the altar in a design of your choice, spray some water on the flowers to keep them fresh for longer.
5. Go Green BY Using Paper:
Paper decorations are very underrated. If used creatively, paper decorations are a great way to elevate the feel and look of the puja space. Paper decorations make for amazing Diwali puja decoration ideas as they are inexpensive, environment-friendly and lightweight.
How to:
- Select the colours you wish to use for your Diwali Laxmi puja decoration at home. Buy card paper sheets of the selected colours.
- Take a square sheet of paper measuring 10 inches X 10 inches (you can change the size depending on your size requirement) and make 0.5-inch lines all over the paper.
- Fold one side of the paper as per the first 0.5-inch line. Now flip the paper and fold it along the second line.
- Continue flipping sides and folding the paper until the end,
- Flood the prepared paper in half and glue together the smaller edges to reveal a semi-circular fan pattern.
- Repeat the process with the same size of paper to make the second half of the fan.
- Glue together the longer edges of both the semicircles to reveal a big fan.
- Make a smaller fan of another colour and stick it on top of the big fan.
- Draw flowers and leaves of desired size on the other sheets of paper and cut them out.
- Now arrange the leaves and flowers around the fan and glue them together to make a colourful paper puja backdrop.
6. Utilise The Fairy Lights:
Diwali is the festival of lights and it is only fair that a great deal of lights be used for Laxmi puja decoration. There are innumerable types of lights available in the market today that can be used in very creative ways to decorate the house and illuminate it at the same time.
How to:
- Start by measuring the size of the lights to ascertain the design in which the lights can be placed around the altar.
- Use tape to secure the fairy lights as you place the lights along the edges of the altar in the desired design.
- Multiple kinds of lights in various colours can be chosen to add multiple effects to the Diwali Laxmi puja decoration at home.
7. Make Merry With Marigold:
Marigold garlands are a common sight at all kinds of auspicious events. This is because the flower is considered to bring good luck and fortune. Come the festive season, marigold garlands are seen all over the place. These yellow and orange garlands can make for very attractive and colourful Laxmi puja decorations.
How to:
- Buy marigold garlands in both colours. Choose the size depending on the size of your altar.
- Buy a few garlands with mango leaves to add a pop of green to the yellow and orange colours of the marigold garlands.
- Start by securing the garlands with mango leaves horizontally at a height with the help of tape.
- Now hang the other marigold garlands in vertical panel patterns all along the width of the garland with the mango leaves. Secure these with tape.
Laxmi puja is performed throughout India with great fanfare and festive fervour. It is a homely ritual where people invite friends and relatives over to their house rather than venture outside. So, usher the Goddess into your homes, pay your respects to her, and enjoy a blessed day. Happy Laxmi Puja
