Sri Mahalakshmi Devi Pooja with 108 different varieties of flowersSri Mahalakshmi Pooja/Puja is done in Diwali along with Lord Ganesh especially. In Bengal Lokkhi Pujo or Laxmi Puja is performed on Sarada purnima day the full moon day following Vijayadashami. It is an important ritual that is performed with lot of devotion in all Hindu households especially.
Let we discuss more in detail about this 108 flowers Pooja to Goddess Mahalakshmi step by step.
Why to do?
Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and good fortune and lord Vishnu's wife visits her devotees and bestows gifts and blessings upon each of them. The ritual is done to invite Goddess Lakshmi in the house and we all pray to her to come happily into our households and never leave us. Prayers are also offered to her to bless the family members with all Health, Happiness and fill it with peace, prosperity and abundant Wealth.But this 108 different varieties of flowers offering to goddess Lakshmi is for getting Soubhagyam, Muthaiduva bhagyam for ladies.
What to do?
Step1 - Purify your home:
First and foremost, do a complete cleaning of the house. On the day of the Puja sprinkle some drops of Gangajal / gomodhukam / water mixed with turmeric all around to purify the entire household thoroughly.
Step2 - Food Diet:
No Fasting/diet is required while doing this pooja or you can follow basic norms of pooja by not having onion/garlic till the puja is done
Step3 - Dont's:
Do not gossip or lie during the day when you are offering prayers and be on your best behavior to attract positivity.
Step4 - Count the Flowers:(Pre-step must)
Kusumalu(Stigma or Stamen) in flower is must when you are selecting flowers. Without Stigma or Stamen it is not valid.
Option1: You can offer total count of flowers - 108 on one go. Please do a count of the flowers and make sure you have 108 flowers of that variety and keep extra 2- 20 flowers if possible on a day before puja or earlier to puja so that you will have perfect count. Make sure you have scribbled or noted the variety in a book.
Option2: You can make a split of count with more than 10 flowers count on the day you get flowers and another 20/30/50 in another day as such but make sure you are keeping the count and variety you have used scribbled in a note book.
For example: On day-1 or any day when you are using the variety of flower lets take you got only 15 flowers then you should do astothara from 1-15 by offering 15 flowers to goddess and finish the astothara till 108 by chanting and make a note of it. Then later on another day you got flowers of same variety of some count of 45 then you need to start offering flower from 16th astothara till 60 astothara and finish astothara just by chanting and make a note of it continue this process till you reach the count of 108. It depends on the location you reside and the varieties of flowers you get. Please do not forget to make note of all flowers.
Option3: If you get 8 varieties of flowers with count of 108 then you can offer 8 varieties in same day but you need to chant astothara 8 times 108 flowers with 8 varieties on each astothara. Here you should have little patience to do. I prefer this kind only on auspicious days like Ekadashi, Pournami, varamahalakshmi pooja, Gowri pooja and so on.
As I stay in Bengaluru, I use to get the complete count of variety flower and used to finish in a single stretch as specified in Option1. Some days I have done pooja with 14 varieties on a single day. One day I did with 12 varieties early bramhi muhurtha 8 varieties and godhuli 4 varieties as such. During this time we have to do astothara for that many times.
List of flowers can be used. The link shows you for referral which flowers we can opt for
Who to do?
108 different varieties of flowers offering to goddess Lakshmi is for getting Soubhagyam, Muthaiduva bhagyam for ladies and to get any of your wish/es to be fulfilled and get blessings by Goddesses Lakshmi and for papa vimochanam
How to do?
Step1 - Set up Puja platform:
Select an altar(platform) where you intend to do Puja at your Puja room or north-east corner, east or north and make sure that you face the north or the east while offering prayers. Spread a red cloth on the platform and keep a handful of grains in the middle of the platform (optional) or on peetam or cleaned area with peeta mughu or Rangoli.
Step2 - Place a Kalash:(optional)
Place the Kalash(silver/bronze pot) in the middle of grains. Fill the Kalash with 75% of water and put one supari(betel nut), one flower(any), a coin and some rice grains, fresh milk, dry fruits 5 different or any one dry fruit with count of 5. Place 5 Mango leaves on the Kalash in a circular design.
Step3 - Place idol of Lakshmi and Ganesh for puja
Place the idol/photo frame of Goddess Lakshmi in the center and idol of Lord Ganesh on the right side(south-east direction) of the kalash. Take a small thali(copper/silver) and make a small flat mountain of rice grains, draw a lotus flower with turmeric, put some coins and place it in front of the idol.
Step4 - Start with achamanam
1. Sit normal
2. Twist the right palm so that the little finger, ring finger and middle finger are stretched while first finger is bent inwards forming a hollow in the middle of the palm. The thumb will remain separate from the first finger.
3. Put a small quantity of water from the vessel in the right hand palm (only a small quantity of water should be taken), swallow (not sip) this water uttering:
Om Achutaya Namah
Repeat 3 above uttering two times each repeating
Om Anantaya Namah
Om Govindaya Namah
Clean your mouth (lips) with water and wash hand
Recite the following mantras
Om keshavaaya namaH thumb to touch right cheek
Om naaraayaNaaya namaH thumb to touch left cheek
Om maadhavaaya namaH ring finger to touch right eye
Om govindaaya namaH ring finger to touch left eye
Om vishhNave namaH index finger to touch right nostril
Om madhusuudanaaya namaH index finger to touch left nostril
Om trivikramaaya namaH little finger to touch right ear
Om vaamanaaya namaH little finger to touch left ear
Om shriidharaaya namaH middle finger to touch right shoulder
Om hR^ishhiikeshaaya namaH middle finger to touch left shoulder
Om padmanaabhaaya namaH four fingers to touch navel
Om daamodaraaya namaH four fingers to touch head
follow 12 more names of the God
Sankarshanaya namaha
Vasudevaya namaha
Pradyumnaya namaha
Anirudhaya namaha
Purushothamaya namaha
Adhokshajaya namaha
Narasimhaya namaha
Achyutaya namaha
Janardanaya namaha
Upendraya namaha
Hariye namaha
Sri krishnaya namaha
(It is believed that these 24 names are the most important names of Vishnu Sahasranama)
Step5 - Ganesh pooja
Refer link below of Sri Lakshmi Poojavidhanam after 2 minutes of audio visual till 10:40 seconds in step6
Step6 - Lakshmi pooja
Follow step 5,6,7 as defined in this audio link Sri Lakshmi Poojavidhanam till 10:40 seconds you can follow step 5, 6 and for step7 if you are doing with only one variety of flower or else you can follow this link directly if you are doing with more varieties of flowers Sri Lakshmi astothara sathanamavali
For each mantra -
- Om Prakrityai Namah - offer one flower
- Om Vikrityai Namah - offer one flower
- Om Vidyayai Namah - offer one flower .... till
108.Om Bhuvaneshwaryai Namah - offer one flower
When?
To do:
Start on Tuesday or Fridays or Ekadasi at home at early Suryodhay - Bramha Muhurta or Suryastham - Godhuli Muhurtham.
I have started on tholi ekadasi on starting day of Chathurmasa with 2 varieties of flowers. Started with pink lotus
Not to do:
- Not at afternoon after 12pm till 5pm
Where to do?
There is no restriction on place but direction is more important and make sure the place is tidy. Preferably pooja room is good to go where we have restrictions to the place and we maintain all restrictions and rules.
Post completion methods:
This is all individual capability that completion method is done
Option 1: By taking 16 varieties of flowers with 1000 count of each and place the flowers near to Goddess Lakshmi with ashtothara satanamavali and offer Dhanam to married couple with 108 flowers which are made with silver or silver coated gold with swayampakam and vastram.
Option 2: Offer Dhanam to married couple with 108 flowers which are made with silver or silver coated gold with swayampakam and vastram.
Option 3: We can give the same amount of it to any orphanage or to the poor who are in needy or do annadhanam.
Option 4: Offer sampurna thambulam (betle leaves, betle nut, tumeric root(5), coconut, blouse piece / Saree/ fruits(Banana(2)/Apple/ Orange / Mango etc) to 8 members by applying turmeric powder mixed with water to cheeks, hands/palm, feet and offer prasadam (panakam, peserabedalu(moong dal, cucumber, carrot(optional), grated coconut(option), coriander finely chopped, squeezed lemon juice, finely chopped chilli and salt) looks like moong dal salad and with food) Take blessings from each and every individual.
8 members is the count which Mahalakshmi's favorite name of Lord mahavishnu which is noted as
Om Na mo na ra ya na ya
With all God blessings and with support of Lord Ganesh ji (vigna vinashakaya) I was able to finish with in 60 days and with support of my family members. I have started on July 20, 2021 and finished it on 20th September, 2021 with intermediate breaks. I feel chaturmas is the best season to do this pooja where we can get varieties of flowers blooming and available at different parts of regions too.
Om Mahalakshmi ee Namaha
12. Generupoolu / Oleander / Kanagale flowers Pink
15. Violet chrysanthemum with yellow centered/ Neeli rangu buttons
16. Orange Red Layered Roses
