Laxmi Ganesha worship is one of the most important rituals executed during the Diwali festival. This custom is performed to invite Maa Laxshmi in the house. To get her blessings of peace and prosperity, devotees offer prayers to the Goddess. This year, Laxmi puja will be held on 23rd October 2014. During this puja, Lord Ganesha and Kubera are worshipped along with the three forms of Shakti- Maa Laxmi, Saraswati and Durga. The puja should be performed in a peaceful and calm environment. The items required for Lakshmi Ganesha Puja are urn, mango leaves, statues of Goddess Lakshmi and God Ganesha, puffed rice, milk, ghee, coriander seeds, curd, honey, puja sweets, and cumin seeds.
Below are some steps which the worshipper should follow for performing Lakshmi Ganesha puja on Diwali festival.
First of all your house should be cleaned properly because this puja can be done on a clean surface. You can purify the surroundings with the use of Gomutra and Gangajal.
Spread the red cloth on a created bed of rice. Put some grains in the center.
Place an urn filled with water in the center. Keep one betel, marigold flower and some rice grains on the urn. Arrange five mango leaves on the neck of the urn in a circular design.
Put a small plate of worship on the urn and create a flat mountain of rice grains. Make a lotus with haldi on it and keep the idol of Goddess Lashmi in the middle. Also, put some coins in front of it.
As Lord Ganesha should be worshiped first in very puja, place his picture on the right side (South-West direction) of the urn. Put a tilak of turmeric and saffron along with some rice grains on the picture or idol.
Now, keep some account books or any other item related to your business or wealth near to the idol.
Light and place a diya along with some turmeric, kumkum and rice grains in the plate. Also, you can keep other puja material in the thali like sandalwood paste, saffron paste and gulal.
Apply a tilak on the urn filled with water and begin the puja by offering some flowers to it.
Now, close your eyes and invoke Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha by reciting their name and mantra for few minutes. Then offer some flowers and rice to the Goddess.
Place the idol of Lakshmi Ganesha in a plate and bathe it with panchamrit. Then clean and wipe the idol with a clean cloth and keep it back on the urn.
Put a tilak of haldi and kumkum along with some rice on the idol.
Then the garland cotton beads should be placed around the neck of Maa Lakshmi. Burn few Incense sticks and incense in front of the Goddess. Offer some puffed rice, coriander seeds and cumin seeds to the idol.
Now, perform the puja of Laksmi Ganesha with the aarti by offering them some sweets, coconut, fruits, money or gold ornaments.