The Temple of Lakshmi
"Vishnu and Lakshmi" by Vishnu Dasa
Lakshmi describes Herself in the holy book, the Lakshmi-tantra, this way; "I am inherent in the point of existence, whether manifested or unmanifested.
I am at all times the inciter of all things. I manifest creation from myself, I ultimately dissolve it again, and I occupy myself with activity at the start of creation.
I alone send forth creation and again destroy it. I absolve the sins of the moral, as the Mother Earth, their Mother,
I pardon them. I hand everything out. I am contemplation...I am everything.
My 3 younger daughters and I visited the beautiful Lakshmi temple in Delhi, India in March of 2010.
Photos were not allowed inside but it is even more beautiful than the outside you see here in our photo. It is a truly magical temple.
Lakshmi is the Hindu Goddess of wealth, fertility, abundance, prosperity, and good luck.
She is said to be the only one who can banish Alakshmi, Her sister, the Goddess of bad luck, from one's life.
Lakshmi is associated with money, jewels, children, gold, silver, crops, health, happiness, and all things of any value, either spiritual or material.
Lakshmi is the Goddess of Cattle
...both cows and elaphants.
In fact, cows are even called by
Her name in parts of India.
Cows are treated with the upmost
respect and caring in India, as they
as seen as being sacred due to their
association with Lakshmi.
Lakshmi is Vishnu's Shakti, meaning she is the root of all His power and divine energy. She is His wife, His soul-mate,
His co-defender of the world, in His many lifetimes of saving the world from various demons and other dangers, throughout the ages.
Lakshmi ritually incarnated along with Her lover, Vishnu. She was Sita to His Rama, She was Radha to His Krishna.
She was and is always at His side to assist Him, in His mission to forever preserve humanity. Once He was a dwarf, who had to win back the universe from a demon, who had taken it from the Gods.
She was not incarnate, but since Vishnu needed Her, She sprang from a lotus, at His feet, to assist Him!
Thus, the lotus flower is one of Her symbols.
The Holiday Holi is connected with Lakshmi as Rahda and Khrishna celebrated Holi in Vrindavan
and many artworks and stories depict those celebrations. Holi is the Celebration of Spring colors.
Diwali is the Hindu New Year. Lamps are lit to symbolize the
divine light dispelling the darkness.
The holiday honors
and celebrates the defeat of the demon Ravana by the
Preserver God, Vishnu, in his avatar of Rama.
The holiday also recalls and honors Lakshmi and Vishnu getting married.
The Gods Vishnu, His wife Lakshmi and Ganesa
are all invoked on this holiday.
Diwali Falls in late Autumn shortly after Halloween
The Diwali Puja Ritual
You will need;
Idols (statues or artwork depicting Vishnu, Lakshmi,
and Ganesha)
Flowers, fruits, bread, sweets, spices, milk,
curds, butter, sugar, and honey
Coins
Rose Quartz charm
First clean the Puja room (a general sweeping with a magical
broom will do...you can smudge, or sprinkle a salt circle if
you like as well)
and then Cleanse each Deity idol. (Either
statues or artwork of Vishnu, Lakshmi & Ganesha) first with
water, then with rose water, followed by water once more.
Make a 'Panchamitra ' by mixing milk,
curds (such as
cottage cheese), ghee (clarified butter), sugar &
Honey.
Place this Panchamitra mixture in a bowl before the
Gods' idols.
Then decorate the altar with flowers and lit lamp around
the idols of the Gods (oil lamps rather than candles for
this rite, please.)
Now make offerings of fruit, candy,
spices and gold or silver coins.
(It is VERY important that
this food be donated to the poor or thrown out to be 'donated
to the wild animals'
and that the money be donated to the poor.)
Now pray to the Gods asking for their blessings.
Vishnu and Lakshmi are the 'divine couple' and rule over matters
of love, marriage, family, beauty, art, good fortune, prosperity
and luck.
Ganesha is the 'remover of obstacles,' the God of
good luck and is always honored before any other Gods in such
Puja rites.
I suggest a charm be made during this part of the
rite, and charged with a prayer. You can of course write
one appropriate for you and your needs,
but a good one (unfortunately) all of us can use from time to time
is a 'healing of a broken heart' charm I composed.
It is as follows:
"Invoking Vishnu and Lakshmi, I charge this charm of Rose Quartz,
to bring love energy to me, and heal my heart of past hurts."
"From Lakshmi's hands painting By Ginger Strivelli
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