The third day of the Diwali festival is special, the most important one for Lakshmi-puja and is entirely devoted to the propitiation of Goddess Lakshmi. On this very day, the sun enters his second course and passes Libra, which represents the balance or scale. Hence, this design of Libra suggests the balancing of account books and their closing. Despite the fact that this day falls on an amavasya day, people regard it as the most auspicious.
The day of Lakshmi-Puja occurs on the dark night of Amavasya. The strains of joyous sounds of bells and drums float from the temples as people invoke Goddess Laxmi in a wondrous holy “pouring-in” of their hearts. All of a sudden, that impenetrable darkness is pierced by innumerable rays of light for just a moment, and the next moment a blaze of light descends down to earth from heaven as golden-footed Deep-Lakshmi alights on earth in all her celestial glory amidst the chantings of Vedic hymns.
A sublime light of knowledge dawns upon humanity, and this self-enlightenment expresses itself through the twinkling lamps that illuminate the palaces of the wealthy as well as the lowly abodes of the poor. People believe that on this day Lakshmi walks through the green fields, loiters through the bye-lanes, and showers her blessings on humanity for plenty and prosperity.
Lakshmi Puja, or the worship of the goddess of wealth, serves as the main event on Diwali in North and West India. It is extremely important for people to keep their houses spotlessly clean and pure on Diwali. Goddess Lakshmi likes cleanliness, and she visits the cleanest house first. This is also the reason why people worship the broom on this day with offerings of haldi and kumkum (turmeric and vermilion). They light lamps in the evening to welcome the goddess, believing that these lamps light up Her path.
Lakshmi Puja consists of a combined puja of five deities: People worship Ganesha at the beginning of every auspicious act as Vighnaharta; they worship Goddess Lakshmi in her three forms – Mahalakshmi (the goddess of wealth and money), Mahasaraswati (the goddess of books and learning), and Mahakali (the goddess of time, ultimate power, destruction, and transformation); Kuber (the treasurer of the gods) is also worshiped.
Content for this question contributed by Jason Sadler, resident of Nags Head, Dare County, North Carolina, USA
