Lakshmi Puja and Pot

[Guest guest]

Namaste Everybody,

 

Thanks very much Parvati for posting the beautiful picture of Lakshmi

and the pot!!

 

We are all very excited to learn how to establish a pot and get ready

for Kali puja.

 

Swamiji said that in the New Moon day called Mahalaya (the day before

NAvaratri officially begins) is the great dissolution. Through out

the Nine days of Navaratri we pray to Divine Mother -- we say we

cannot conceive of you as the Infinite Beyond Conception -- so we

create a form for you and sing to You and dance around You and make

garlands and prasad to offer to You -- we do this for the Nine days

of Navaratri.

 

On the 10 th day (Vijaya Dashami) there is Visarjan - Traditionally,

the forms of Divine Mother and taken to the ocean and once more we

worship Mother as being manifested in all of creation.

 

On the Full Moon following Navaratri celebrations, we do Lakshmi

Puja. The new creation has begun -- and we worship Mother Lakshmi!

 

"Lakshya" means goal - and Mother Lakshmi helps us in formulating and

sustaining us as we strive to reach our highest ideals. So we worship

Mother Lakshmi and pray to Her to help us be pure instruments in Her

new creation!!!

 

Lakshmi also symbolizes prosperity and wealth - Swamiji says that

what we value is our wealth - so our goals and aspirations are our

wealth. Another aspect of wealth traditionally was the harvest - and

you can see in this picture green shoots rising from a plate in the

altar. Shree Maa Herself planted rice seeds (we call it paddy in

India) and barley in a tray at the beginning of Navaratri and they

grew to be those shoots. She used rice flour with water to draw Feet

of Divine Mother all over the temple.

 

What a beautiful celebration -- and now we wait in eager anticipation

for Mother to come as Kali Maa and take away all our darkness!

 

Jai Maa!!!

 

ramya

 

, "parv108" <parv108 wrote:

>

> Dear Linda and all,

>

> The photo of Lakshmi has been uploaded to the photos page. You can

view the picture

> under the photo album page called Devi Mandir. There is also

another picture of Lakshmi

> with some feet leading to the altar drawn by Shree Maa. Please

enjoy!

> Jai Maha Lakshmi!

>

>

>

>

> , nierika@ wrote:

> >

> >

> > Parvati wrote:

> >

> > Please enjoy this beautiful picture of Maha Lakshmi's puja and

pot performed

> > by Swamiji on the full moon night of October 6. (Thanks to Gauri

for

> > capturing this image.)

> >

> >

> >