KOJAGORI LAKSHMI PUJA

Lakshmi Puja is another Bengali festival that is celebrated in every household. Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth is worshipped just after Durga Puja. Lakshmi is one of the daughters of Durga who symbolizes wealth, peace and prosperity. On a full moon night people worship her at their homes and pray for her bessings. All the rites performed during the
Lakshmi Puja are followed with utmost care and the Lakshmi Puja time schedule is also maintained well by the devoted. Delicious Bengali Recipes on Lakshmi Puja night are cooked and are then given to Goddess Laxmi as an offering.It is considered that Goddess Lakshmi visits homes of the devotees and replenishes them with wealth.

The Myth______________________________________________

Goddess Lakshmi is generally represented as a beautiful golden woman, usually sitting or standing on a lotus, her symbol. She is also known as Sri and attained importance as the consort of Vishnu.
Goddess Lakshmi has generally been thought to have existed first as the daughter of the sage Bhrigu and to have taken refuge in the ocean of milk during a period when the gods were exiled from their kingdom as a result of a rishi's curse. She was reborn during the churning of the milk ocean as Lakshmi, one of the fourteen precious things.The Goddess of Wealth, emerged from the ocean forth fully grown
and radiant, bearing a lotus in her hand. Goddess Lakshmi was then married to Vishnu and has a clear share in Vishnu's activities as preserver, and this reinforces her earlier character as goddess of fortune and giver of wealth.
Accessories required for Kojagari Lakshmi Puja______________
Adibas dalaOil, Turmeric, River soil from the Ganges, Perfume, Stone, Grain, Dubba (a type of grass required), Flowers, Fruits, 1 dozen bananas in one stem, Curd, Ghee, Sindur, Swastik Pituli, Conch Shell,Kajol (corrilium), Gorachana (cow urine), White mustard seeds, Gold, Silver, Copper, Mirror, Alta, Yellow thread, Iron metal, Chamor (a kind of fan, a fly-whisk made of yak's tail used for fanning), Dip (Earthen Lamps), Arrows, Panch pradip (for aarati). Sindur (vermilion), Til (Sesame), Horitoki (myrobalan), Ghat (pot), an earthen bowl full of atop (a type of rice), 1 Gamcha -To cover the ghat a piece of cloth, 1Kundohari, 1 Tekatha - A triangular frame work of 3 pieces of wood, 1Mirror,Panchabarner guri (5 coloured dust) -Turmeric powder, rice powder, kusum flower/ red aabir, rice chaff or coconut fiber burnt for the dark colour, powdered wood apple leaves (bel pata) Pancha ratna (5 gems)-Gold, Silver, Emerald, Pearls, Jewel. (Original- Gold, Diamond, Sapphire, Rubi, Pearl). Panchagobbo (5 extracts of the cow)- Milk, Pure Ghee, Curd, Cow Dung and Cow's urine, 4 arrows, Green coconut with stalk, Flowers and Durba (a kind of grass having three pointed tips) etc. 3 Aashonanguriuk (Finger ring made of koosh), 3 bowls of Madhupakka (a mixture of honey, curd, ghee, sugar for oblation), Curd, Honey, Ghee, Sugar, 3 big Noibiddos,1 small Noibiddo.A sari (for Laxmi), 2 dhoties (for Vishnu and Pechok or Owl). Loha (iron), Shankha (Conch Shell), Noth (nosering), Sindur chubri (a cane basket having a small mirror, a comb, two conch shell bangles, one iron bangle, two coral bangles, alta (lac-dye used to paint border of feet), vermilion and few kories). Chandmala (Dangler with circular sponge decorations), Bhoger drobbadi (materials for the feast),Things for Homn (fire for yagna) - sand, wood, khorke (a kind of twig), Ghee -1 bottle, 28 Bilyapatra (wood apple leaves), Karpur (camphor), Chipitak/Chire (thatched rice), Coconut, Tambul/Pan( Beetle leaves), Pan masala (ingredients used in preparing a beetle leaf), 1 wooden plate, 2 Ghoti (a type of pot), Rachana (cow urine), flower garland, 1 Purnapatro (full pot), Dakhina (offerings in cash and kind to the priest).