Diwali Greetings

[Pankaj Rai]

Dear Friends
****SHUBH DIPAWALI****
Wishing you and your family a Very happy and prosperous Diwali 
May this festival of lights brings in lots of happiness and prosperity in
your lives.

 

Ganesh Puja is an imperative part of the Diwali Puja as according to a common belief Lord Ganesh needs to be worshipped in all kinds of Puja before any other God or Goddess. So on the eve of Diwali, Lord Ganesh gracefully shares the altar with the Goddess Lakshmi. According to the Hindu mythology Lord Ganesh is a God of wisdom and worshipping Him on Diwali eve removes the obstacles in one's path of attaining wealth and prosperity.Ganesh Puja at the time of Diwali is a perfect way of commemorating Lord Ganesh along with goddess Lakshmi, the two important Hindu deities.

At the time of Ganesh Puja, the idol of Lord Ganesh is placed on the right while Goddess Lakshmi's idol is kept on the left hand side on the platform prepared for the Diwali Puja. Next offerings are made to both the idols of perfume, haldi, flowers, sandal paste, kumkum, gulal and garland of cotton beads.

The flowers mainly used for Ganesh Puja are the marigold flowers and leaves of Bel or wood apple tree. Incense stick and dhoop are also lit in front of the idols along with offerings of sweets, coconut, fruits and tambul. After making all these offerings Ganesh Aarti and Lakshmi Aarti are sung for honoring both Lord Ganesh and Goddess Lakshmi.

The main belief responsible for including Ganesh Puja in the rituals of Diwali is that Lord Ganesh should be pleased and honored to ensure hassle free passage for the accomplishment of wealth, health and prosperity.

Here is Lord Ganesh Aarti, which should be sung at the time of Ganesh Puja for paying reverence and respect to Lord Ganesh.

Jai Ganesh Jai Ganesh, Jai Ganesh deva
Mata jaki Parvati, Pita Mahadeva.
Ek dant dayavant, char bhuja dhari
Mathe sindur sohai, muse ki savari, Jai
Ganesh...
Andhan ko ankh det, kodhin ko kaya
Banjhan ko putra det, nirdhan ko maya, Jai
Ganesh....
Pan chadhe, phul chadhe, aur chadhe meva
Ladduan ka bhog lage, saht kare seva, ,Jai
Ganesh....
Jai Ganesh, Jai Ganesh, Jai Ganesh deva,
Mata jaki Parvata, Pita Mahadeva.
 

Lakshmi Puja performed on the third day of Diwali (Diwali Pooja) is a way adopted by Hindus to commemorate the splendor of goddess Lakshmi who signifies money and good luck for them. According to the Hindu's sacred books and traditions goddess Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and prosperity and Lakshmi Puja (Lakshmi Puja on diwali) is the best way of pleasing her. The occasion of Lakshmi Puja falls on the dark night of amavasya and is devoted entirely to the propitiation of goddess Lakshmi.Lakshmi Puja is also known by the name of "CHOPADA-PUJA" as on this

particular day sun enters his second course and passes by Libra, which is represented by the sign of balance. Thus the design of Libra has been suggested to be the sign for the balancing of the account books. An important tradition associated with Lakshmi Puja is that of gambling, particularly in North India (Diwali festival in India). According to a common belief goddess Parvati while playing dice with her husband, Lord Shiva said that whoever would play dice on the eve of Lakshmi Puja would be granted with prosperity for the entire year.

As the days to diwali are just countable now, so we have come up with the proper steps of performing Lakshmi Puja just for you on this site.

Lakshmi Puja Rituals

• Firstly lay a new cloth on a raised platform and then place a handful of grains in the center of the cloth and on the top of these grains situate a Kalash or pitcher, which can be made up of gold, silver or copper.
• Then fill the three fourth of kalash with water and lay a betel nut, some flowers, some rice grain and a coin in it. Now arrange five kinds of leaves in the kalash. Cover the kalash with a small plate filled with rice grains.
• A lotus flower needs to be drawn over the rice grains with turmeric powder (Haldi) and then place the idol of goddess Lakshmi on the flower along with some coins.
• Now place the idol of lord Ganesha in the southwest direction of the idol of goddess Lakshmi, in front of the kalash.
• Initiate the Lakshmi Puja by offering haldi, kumkum and flowers to the idols of lord Ganesha and goddess Lakshmi. Next offer these things to the water to be used for the Lakshmi Puja. Through these offerings invoke the river goddess to be a part of this water.
• Invoke the goddess Lakshmi with the help of Vedic chants and mantras addressed to the goddess. If you don't know the mantras then simply close your eyes, take some water in your hands and think of goddess Lakshmi and finally offer the flowers to Her idol.
• Next keep the idol of goddess Lakshmi in a clean plate and bathe it with water, panchamrit that is a mixture of milk, curd, ghee and sugar and finally with water having some gold ornament or even a pearl. Wipe the idol clean and lay it back on the kalash.
• Make the offerings of sandal paste, saffron paste, perfume, kumkum, haldi and gulal to the idol. Now make an offer of garland of cotton beads to both the idols of lord Ganesha and goddess Lakshmi.
• Offer the flowers, like the marigold flowers or leaves of bel, which is a wood apple tree. Also make an offering of some sweets, coconut and fruits. Remember to light an incense stick and dhoop in front of the two idols.
• Now pour some puffed rice, batasha, cumin seeds and coriander seeds in front of the idols.
• Complete the Lakshmi Puja by performing an aarti for goddess Lakshmi and lord Ganesha. Take care to ring a small bell while singing the aarti and it should not be accompanied with claps as is the practice adopted by Hindus while performing the aartis for other Gods.

Diwali aartis are the special prayers sung by humans in order to please goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha. In fact the aartis are nothing but the special songs and prayers, which are devoted entirely to the gods and goddesses. These aartis are a musical way of admiring and appraising the Supreme power and to ask him for bestowing His blessings upon the humans. According to the Hindu culture the Diwali aartis are the part of the tradition and rituals to be followed at the time of Lakshmi Puja, so that Goddess Lakshmi can be invited into the homes in an enchanting manner. .


Maa Lakshmi Aarti
Jai lakshmi maataa, maiyaa jai lakshmi maataa
tumko nishadin dhyaavata, hara vishnu vidhaataa
brahmaani, rudraani, kamlaa, tu hi hai jaga maataa
surya chandramaa dhyaavata, naarada rishi gaataa
durgaa rupaa nirantara, sukha sampati daataa
jo koi tumko dhyaavata, riddhi siddhi dhana paataa
tu hi hai paatala basanti, tu hi shubha daataa
karma prabhaava prakaashaka, jaganidhi ke traataa
jis ghara mein tum rahati, saba sadaguna aataa
kara sake koii kara le, mana nahin ghabaraataa
tuma bina yagya na hove, vastra na koii paataa
khaana paana ka vaibhava, sab tumse hi aataa

shubha guna mandira sundara, kshirodadhi jaataa
ratana chaturdasha tuma hi, koii nahin paataa
aartii lakshmii ji ki, jo koii nar gaataa
ura aananda umanga ati, paap utar jaataa

Om Jaya Jagadeesha Hare Aarti
Om Jaya Jagadeesha Hare
Swami Jaya Jagadeesha Hare
Bhakta janon ke sankat
Bhakta janon ke sankat Kshan me door kare
Om Jaya Jagadeesha Hare

Jo dhyave phal paave
Dhukh vinashe man ka
Swami dhukh vinashe man ka
Sukha sampati Ghar aave
Sukha sampati Ghar aave
Kashht mite tan ka
Om Jaya Jagadeesha Hare

Mata pita tum mere
Sharan padun mai kis ki
Swami sharan padum mai kis ki
Tum bina aur na doojaa
Tum bina aur na doojaa
Asha karun mai kis ki
Om Jaya Jagadeesha Hare

Tum pooran Paramatma
Tum Antaryaami
Swami Tum Antaryaami
Para brahma Parameshwara
Para brahma Parameshwara
Tum sab ke Swami
Om Jaya Jagadeesha Hare

Tum karuna ke saagar
Tum palan karta
Swami Tum palan karta
Mai sevak tum swaami
Mai sevak tum swaami
Kripa karo bhartaa
Om Jaya Jagadeesha Hare

Tum ho ek agochar
Sab ke prana pati
Swami sab ke prana pati
Kis vidhi miloon dayamaya
Kisi vidhi miloon dayamaya
Tum ko mai kumati
Om Jaya Jagadeesha Hare

Deena bandhu dukh hartaa
Tum rakshak mere
Swami tum rakshak mere
Apane hast uthao
Apane hast uthao
Dwar khada mai tere
Om Jaya Jagadeesha Hare

Vishaya vikar mithao
Paap haro deva
Swami paap haro deva
Shraddha bhakti badhao
Shraddha bhakti badhao
Santan ki seva
Om Jaya Jagadeesha Hare

Tan man dhan sab kuch hai tera
Swami sab kuch hai tera
Tera tujh ko arpan
Tera tujh ko arpan
Kya laage mera
Om Jaya Jagadeesha Hare

Om Jai Jagadeesha Hare
Swami Jai Jagadeesha Hare
Bhakta janon ke sankat
Bhakta janon ke sankat
Kshan me door kare
Om Jaya Jagadeesha Hare

 
 

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Pankaj Rai