Kojagari Lakshmi Puja Celebrated Today by Bengali Hindus

Kojagari Lakshmi Puja, one of the major religious festivals of the Bengali Hindu community, is being observed today, Sunday, October 25. The festival falls on the first full moon after the annual Durga Puja celebrations. Devotees worship Goddess Lakshmi, and many stay awake through the night to offer prayers. The occasion is also known as Kojagari Purnima.

Besides the Ashwin full moon, many devotees perform special worship of Goddess Lakshmi every Thursday. In some regions, Lakshmi Puja is also observed in the evening on Dipanwita Amavasya. Worship is performed using a ritual pot, known as a ghat, or an idol of the goddess. The ceremonies may be held in individual homes or organised as community celebrations.

According to Hindu religious beliefs, Goddess Lakshmi represents wealth and prosperity. She is also associated with progress, light, knowledge, good fortune, fertility, generosity, courage and beauty. Devotees worship her in the hope of bringing happiness, peace and prosperity to their households.

The owl is regarded as Goddess Lakshmi's vehicle. According to Hindu mythology, when Vishnu incarnated as Rama and Krishna, Lakshmi accompanied him as Sita and Radha, respectively. Popular belief holds that on Kojagari Purnima night, the goddess visits devotees' homes and blesses them with wealth and abundance. Worship of Lakshmi has long been practised by kings, merchants and ordinary householders alike.

According to the Vishuddha Siddhanta almanac, Kojagari Lakshmi Puja falls on Sunday, October 25, this year. The full moon period began at 11:55 a.m. on October 25 and will end at 9:41 a.m. on October 26.

Various popular folk stories about Goddess Lakshmi are part of Bengali cultural tradition. These stories are traditionally recited in the form of panchali during the worship and are collectively known as Lakshmir Panchali.

Important items used in Lakshmi Puja include vermilion, a ritual pot, paddy, soil, mango leaves, flowers, sacred grass, tulsi leaves, haritaki, sandalwood, incense, lamps, offerings, unboiled rice and water. A ceremonial pot, stalks of paddy and alpana designs made with rice flour are common features of the ritual. Many households decorate their courtyards with footprints symbolising the goddess's arrival and pray for good fortune and prosperity.

The term “Kojagari” is traditionally associated with the phrase “Who is awake?” According to religious belief, Goddess Lakshmi visits homes during the night. It is believed that she may turn away from homes where the doors are closed and the household members are asleep. This belief underlies the tradition of staying awake during Kojagari Lakshmi Puja.

Many Hindu devotees observe a fast on the occasion. Alongside worship and prayers, families clean and decorate their homes, create traditional alpana designs and seek the goddess's blessings for happiness, peace and prosperity.