Families welcome Jyeshtha-Kanishtha in their homes

Atmosphere was filled with chants of ‘Jyeshtacha Ghari Kanishta Ali, Amcha ghari Laxmi Ali.’

Aurangabad, Sep 3:

'Mahalaxmi aali gharat sonyachya payani, bhar bharat gheun aali, sarva samrudhhi gheun aali' chants reverberated in several households in the city as the 3-day Mahalaxmi Puja commenced with all religious aura and divine ambience on Saturday.

Mahalaxmi Puja is celebrated from generations to generations by several families in the city. Dozens of households in the city welcomed Jyeshtha Gauri and Goddess Kanishta along with their children. On the first day, Mahalaxmi and her family were welcomed traditionally and religiously by the women in the house.The place in the households where Mahalaxmi Puja is performed was decorated artistically and elegantly befitting the divine atmosphere. The markets in the city were also crowded since morning. From the flower market to the sweet shops, everything was bustling with activity. Most of the people had erected Makhar on Friday night. The masks (Mukavatas) of Jyeshtha-Kanishtha were placed in the puja room on Mahurat. The atmosphere was filled with chants of ‘Jyeshtacha Ghari Kanishta Ali, Amcha ghari Laxmi Ali.’ The Gauris were then decorated with ornaments. An offering of Mahaprasad will be made to Mahalakshmi on Sunday, while immersion will be done on Monday. The arrival of Mahalakshmi created an auspicious atmosphere among the families. All members living in distant cities and villages had gathered on this occasion.

Garlands sold for Rs 2000

Garlands for Mahalaxmi were sold from Rs 300 to Rs 2,000 a pair in the market on Saturday. The demand for marigold necklaces was low. Hence Shevanti, Nishigandha (Tuberose) and rose were in high demand. Marigold was sold for Rs 30 to Rs 50, Shewanti (mums) for Rs 100 to Rs 120, Nishigandha Rs 300, Rose Rs 250, Gerbera Rs 40 to Rs 50 (10 pcs), while Kakda was sold at Rs 700 to Rs 800 per kg.

Mahaprasad to be served today

The ‘Mahaprasad’ is served on the second day of the Mahalaxmi Puja on a grand scale. The elaborate prasad is prepared with a mix of 16 different vegetables. To make it convenient, the vegetable vendors had prepared ready-made packets of vegetable that were sold for Rs 300 for 16 vegetables.