Also called Diwali diya lighting, Lakshmi Puja lamps
On the new moon night of Diwali, Hindu households clean the home, draw rangoli and small footprints at the door, and light clay lamps so that Lakshmi, goddess of prosperity, will find and bless the house. This entry describes the religious practice respectfully and offers an open lamp-lighting version.
Tonight's moon is read when the page loads.
Take care: Keep lamps away from curtains, saris and children's reach, and never leave them burning unattended. Treat Hindu images and prayers with respect; do not improvise a puja you have not been taught.
Two days before Lakshmi Puja, on Dhanteras, families finish whitewashing the house, draw footprints in rice flour and vermilion, and often buy gold, silver or a new steel utensil as a sign of fortune. Dhanvantari, god of Ayurveda, is honored the same day.
Uses: new metal utensil or coin, rice flour, vermilion
In Bengal, Assam and Odisha, Lakshmi is worshiped on the full moon of Ashvin after Durga Puja. Women draw alpana floor designs in rice paste, and folk belief holds that Lakshmi asks 'Who is awake?' and blesses those who stay up.
Uses: rice paste, lamps
Nepal keeps Lakshmi Puja on the third day of Tihar, with oil lamps and marigold garlands set out to welcome the goddess.
Uses: marigolds, oil lamps
Lakshmi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, fortune and well-being, consort of Vishnu. Lakshmi Puja falls on the new moon (amavasya) of Ashvin or Kartika, depending on how the regional calendar counts months, and is the main night of Diwali in most of India and Nepal. Devotees believe she roams the earth that night looking for clean, welcoming homes to bless, so doors and windows are opened and lamps set out to guide her.
Diwali is a festival of lights shared, with different stories, by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and some Buddhists. Shops and businesses also worship Lakshmi and open new account books at this time. This is a living religion, not folk magic for borrowing. The open version above keeps to the universal parts, cleaning, lamps and generosity, and invites readers to learn the rest from Hindu practitioners.
A three-legged golden toad sitting on coins with a coin in its mouth, placed in the home or shop to draw in money and keep it from leaving. It belongs to Chinese folk belief and feng shui.
When you first see the new moon, turn over the coins in your pocket so money will not run short until the next moon. A widespread British and Irish superstition.
Tell us what you need and we will craft a custom spell, charm or reading for it. Or call to book a reading or a road blessing in person.
