When is Lakshmi Puja?
In Assam, Odisha, Tripura and West Bengal, Lakshmi Puja falls on the full moon day of the lunar month of Ashwin.
It may also be known as Kojagari Lakshmi Puja or Bengali Lakshmi Puja. This is because Lakshmi Puja may be observed later in the year, during Diwali, in other parts of India and Nepal.
Traditions of Lakshmi Puja
Kojagari Lakshmi Puja follows on from the celebrations of Vijaya Dashami and the immersion of the ten-armed Goddess Durga.
One of the most popular and enduring Hindu deities, the goddess Lakshmi symbolises prosperity and good luck. The word Lakshmi is derived from the Sanskrit word Laksya, meaning "aim" or "goal," and in the Hindu faith, she is the goddess of wealth and prosperity of all forms, both material and spiritual.
Lakshmi is said to be the daughter of the mother goddess Durga. and the wife of Vishnu.
Kojagari Purnima concerns the observance of the Kojagari 'vrata' (devotion), which is performed in front of Lakshmi's idol under the moonlight after fasting for the entire day.
The word Kojagari comes from the phrase 'ko jagorti', which means 'Who is awake?' According to tradition, Goddess Lakshmi descends to Earth on the full moon day of Ashwin to observe the actions of mortals and asks 'who is awake?' Those who answer her get her divine blessings.
Devotees draw footprints of Lakshmi to entice the Goddess into their homes.
