Diwali, the festival of lights and valor, is celebrated with zeal and enthusiasm throughout the country. Celebrated every year, this festival humbly reminds us that the divine power of ‘good’ will always overshadow the ‘evil’. On this occasion, people express contentment by exchanging gifts with their loved ones, lighting candles, earthing lamps, bursting crackers, and last but not the least, enchanting traditional prayers and mantras to get blessings from Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha.
Did you know these prayers and rituals are not that effective until you enchant them at the right time? Besides the timely enchanting, there are lots of things which you must religiously consider this Diwali:
What mantras can I recite on Diwali?
- Ganpati Mantra: It is a holy virtue to do Ganpati/Ganesh puja in the very beginning and pray to the almighty to eliminate all the hurdles and obstacles and bless us with peace, happiness and prosperity. Not only during Diwali, Lord Ganesha, also known as Vighna Vinashak (trouble alleviator) is also worshipped whenever a person first opens a new office, or buys a new car or home in India. The idols of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi need to be kept in a clean puja (prayer) room where Diwali prayers will be recited. Alight diyas (candles) in a thaali (tray), adorn his idol with a beautiful garland or rose petals, and use red Sandalwood paste to put a tilak on Lord Ganesha’s forehead. Then, recite the Ganesh mantra and take his precious blessings and give Prasad to your family and friends who are present in the Diwali pooja.
- Lakshmi Pooja: Indians worship Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth to open themselves to the blessings of financial stability for the coming year. As per the Indian traditions, it is believed that Devi Lakshmi is more likely to shower her blessings over those houses that are clean and tidy. That is why most of the people start cleaning their homes almost a month before Diwali. People usually welcome Goddess Lakshmi by placing numerous ghee diyas inside and outside their homes. This not only enhances the beauty of their home, but it also helps to instill a sense of spirituality and purity in everybody present at home. Lakshmi puja is done for three forms of Goddess Lakshmi:
- Mahalakshmi (Goddess of wealth and prosperity)
- Mahasaraswati (Goddess of knowledge and wisdom)
- Mahakali (Goddess of handling or eliminating troubles)
Before doing these pujas, you must place a lotus or red roses on the goddess’ feet. After completing prayers for Ganpati and Lakshmi, the devotees may also worship Lord Kubera, known as the treasurer of gods.
What outfits should you wear during Diwali puja?
As you are inviting the holy gods to visit your home and shower their blessings on you, it is best to wear traditional attires. While traditional dhoti kurta or kurta pajama will complete the look of males for the pooja, females can flaunt their elegance by donning gorgeous Anarkali suits, long kurtis with chooridaar salwaars, sarees, embellished skirts and crop tops, etc. However, be careful when choosing the fabric for your attire, as a small spark while lighting candles or playing with firecrackers can lead to disastrous and unfortunate consequences.
What is the right time to enchant mantras this Diwali 2017?
The significance of any prayer or mantra automatically increases if they are performed at the right time and location. This Diwali, the ideal time to recite the Ganesh Puja is between 5:43 PM to 8:16 PM IST to recite Ganesh Puja. Comparably, the auspicous time for Lakshmi Pooja lasts for around 1 hour, from 7:11 PM to 8:16 PM IST.
In what direction should I place the idols?
Placing the idols of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Lakshmi in the west direction will strengthen the connection with them. Your prayers and sorrows will be successfully heard and you will have more courage to accomplish your aims, objectives, and desires in life.
