Mahalakshmi Puja at Home — Friday Practice

## What you need - A small chowki (low wooden platform), clean cloth (red or yellow) - An image or murti of Mahalakshmi - A diya with ghee, incense, kumkum, akshat (unbroken rice) - Fresh flowers (lotus or rose preferred), pancha-mewa (five dry fruits) - A small kalash with water, mango leaves, a coconut on top - A bowl of payasam or kheer for naivedya ## Procedure 1. **Sankalpa** — bathe early, wear clean clothes, sit facing east, and take a vow to perform the puja with a clear mind. 2. **Stapana** — place Mahalakshmi's image on the chowki. Set up the kalash beside her. Light the diya and incense. 3. **Shodashopachara** (sixteen offerings, simplified): water for feet, water for hands, water to sip, bath (sprinkle), clothes (cloth offering), kumkum and akshat, flowers, incense, lamp, naivedya, betel, dakshina. 4. **Mantra** — chant *"Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namaha"* 108 times if you can, or 11 times. 5. **Aarti** — sing the Lakshmi aarti. End with namaskara and distribute prasad. ## Spirit Lakshmi is invited not as a vending machine for wealth but as the presence of *shri* — auspiciousness — in the home. Cleanliness, gratitude, and giving (donation) on Fridays bring her closer than ritual alone.