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Set up your Diwali Lakshmi Puja thali the right way. Follow this step-by-step guide to invite prosperity, peace, and blessings into your home and office.
Diwali puja setup is incomplete with Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha idols, Navgraha, traditional thali, fruits, flowers, and diyas, radiating festive warmth and spiritual devotion (Image: Representational)
Diwali is more than a festival of lights; it is a time when every home becomes a temple and every prayer a promise of new beginnings. Families clean, decorate, and gather, waiting for that sacred hour when Goddess Lakshmi is welcomed with diyas, flowers, and devotion.
Each diya symbolises light triumphing over darkness, and every chant is a call for prosperity and peace. Preparing the right puja setup is how many invite abundance, not only in wealth but also in wisdom, health, and happiness.
This year, Diwali carries an even deeper meaning. As planets align and the Amavasya tithi marks the perfect moment for Lakshmi Puja, knowing how to prepare your home and altar correctly can help you make the most of this auspicious time. So before you begin, here is how to create the right Lakshmi Puja setup that welcomes grace, harmony, and good fortune into your life.
Known as the festival of lights, Diwali or Deepavali celebrates the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil. Its roots trace back thousands of years, with multiple legends attached to it. The most well-known is the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile, when the people welcomed him by lighting lamps across the city. Another legend speaks of the churning of the cosmic ocean (Samudra Manthan), during which Goddess Lakshmi emerged, symbolising divine prosperity and purity.
When Is The Right Time To Perform Lakshmi Puja?
This year, discussions have emerged regarding the exact date and timing of Diwali Puja. The Amavasya Tithi, which signifies the new moon, begins at 3:44 PM on 20 October 2025 and ends at 5:54 PM on 21 October 2025.
If sunset in your city occurs before 5:30 PM, Diwali should be observed on 21 October; otherwise, it should be celebrated on 20 October. The main Lakshmi Puja Muhurat falls between 7:09 PM and 8:19 PM, lasting for one hour and ten minutes. This window, which falls during the Pradosh Kaal and Vrishabha Kaal, is considered the most auspicious time to perform the puja, both at home and in business spaces.
What Diwali Rituals Are Performed Before Lakshmi Puja?
Traditionally, devotees begin Diwali day with an early morning bath, followed by prayers to their ancestors and family deities. As it falls on Amavasya, the day is also marked by rituals of remembrance and gratitude for one’s forebears. Many people observe a fast throughout the day, which is broken only after the evening puja.
Homes and workplaces are cleaned thoroughly, not just as a ritual of hygiene but as a symbolic act of clearing negative energy. Doorways are adorned with marigold garlands, mango and banana leaves, and vibrant rangolis to welcome divine energy. At the entrance, two Mangalik Kalash pots, each covered with an unpeeled coconut, are placed to invite auspiciousness and abundance.
Lakshmi Puja Setup At Home
Creating the right puja setup begins with intention. On a raised platform, according to Drik panchang, spread a red cloth on the right-hand side to place idols of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha. Adorn them with silk garments, flowers, and jewellery. On the left-hand side, cover the platform with a white cloth to install the Navgraha deities, represented through nine small heaps of unbroken rice.
Place sixteen small amounts of wheat or flour before the main deities to represent sixteen forms of prosperity.
The sixteen slots of wheat or flour on a red cloth during Hindu puja are part of the Lakshmi Puja for Diwali, representing the sixteen forms of the goddess Lakshmi. These slots are part of the ritual setup, where the red cloth is laid out on a platform with idols of Lakshmi and Ganesha, and nine slots of rice are placed for the Navagraha on a separate white cloth.
Each placement in this arrangement has spiritual meaning- red symbolises energy and abundance, while white represents clarity and balance. Together, they create a harmonious foundation for invoking divine grace.
Must-Have Items For Diwali Lakshmi Puja Samagri
The puja thali is the centrepiece of the ritual. Every item carries a purpose that ties back to Vedic tradition. Here is a list shared by Astrologer Sidhharrth S Kumaar, NumroVani what complete thali should include:
- Roli (vermilion) and mauli (sacred thread) to signify protection and purity
- Betel leaves and nuts for auspicious beginnings
- Akshat (rice grains), symbolising prosperity
- Dhoop and ghee lamps for purification and illumination
- Khil, batasha, and a Shri Yantra as offerings for abundance
- A conch shell, bell, sandalwood paste, and kalash filled with Ganga jal
- Idols or images of Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Ganesha, and Goddess Saraswati
For offerings, include panchamrit (a mixture of milk, curd, honey, ghee, and sugar), fruits, coconut, lotus flowers, durva grass, camphor, and cardamom. Each of these offerings represents gratitude and surrender.
Our life needs a bit of style to get the perfect zing in the daily routine. News18 Lifestyle is one-stop destination for everything you need to know about the world of fashion, food, health, travel, relationshi…Read More
Our life needs a bit of style to get the perfect zing in the daily routine. News18 Lifestyle is one-stop destination for everything you need to know about the world of fashion, food, health, travel, relationshi… Read More
October 19, 2025, 16:25 IST
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