Laxmi Puja is on October 21st, in the evening along with goddess Laxmi we also worship salt and broom. Now many will have doubt about why it is done and why we should worship salt and broom. Let us know the mythological context to know what exactly we achieve by worshipping broom and salt on that occasion.
Importance of Broom Worship:
On the day of Lakshmi Pujan, Alakshmi is also worshiped. After the Halahal poison in the churning of the ocean, Jyeshtha Alakshmi was born. According to the Kalki Purana, Alakshmi is the second wife of Kalirakshasa, the daughter of injustice and violence, the mother of death and injustice. The goddess of laziness, gluttony, jealousy, anger, hypocrisy, greed and lust, untruth, uncleanliness, unrighteousness, corruption and ignorance.
In Kali Yuga, Alaxmi likes to live in places of gambling, alcohol, prostitution, slaughter, greed. Alaxmi is considered the goddess of inauspiciousness, misfortune, and failure. There is a story of Alakshmi in the Padma Purana, while in the Sri Sukta it is described as Alakshmi Nashyamya, that is, Alakshmi should be destroyed. Alaxmi 's vehicle is a donkey, and her weapon is a broom. To prevent Alaxmi from entering the house, there is a tradition of worshipping a broom on the day of Laxmi Puja. The feeling behind it is that with the help of this broom, Alaxmi is driven away from the house.
How to worship a broom?
It is a tradition to buy a new broom on the day of Laxmi Puja and worship it as Lakshmi.After Laxmi Puja, a broom is placed in a clean place and worshipped by applying turmeric and saffron.After worshipping, a new broom is used late at night to clean the house and remove Laxmi .
Keeping in mind the importance of the broom, the following things should be avoided.
One should not step on the broom, and if one accidentally steps on it, one should immediately bow down.One should not hit anyone with a broom, not even children or animals.Scripture says that one should not immediately chop down a tree after someone leaves the house.
Why is salt worshipped?
Salt is Laxmi's brother. He also came out after her in the Sudramanthana. Salt is the essence of the world. Without it, life would be a waste. Salt is a gift given by nature. When the British started taxing it, Gandhiji had waged a salt satyagraha. Industrialist Tata also recognized the importance of the same salt and brought it to every home by calling it the salt of the country. Being aware of the salt we eat is a culture that has been passed on to us.
Even if this salt is accidentally spilled on the ground, parents warn their children not to spill it, otherwise it will have to be filled with tears. The only purpose behind this is to explain the importance of salt. Therefore, after Laxmi Puja, one should take rock salt or plain salt in a bowl and bow to it with folded hands and express gratitude by recognizing its place in one's life.
In the past and even today, a vendor selling rock salt and kerasuni used to come to the door to door in the village on the morning of Lakshmi Puja. People also used to buy salt and kerasuni with faith and respect him. Let us also worship kerasuni and salt so that Lakshmi can be removed from our homes and Lakshmi can flourish.
Importance of Lakshmi Puja-
Laxmi , the symbol of prosperity and wealth, is worshipped on the night of Laxmi Puja. During Shri Laxmi Puja, idol Laxmi is installed on the Ashtadal Lotus or Swastika made by Akshat. After that, Laxmi and other deities are offered a naivedya of cow's milk prepared with cloves, cardamom and sugar. Items like coriander, jaggery, sali lakhya, batase etc. are offered to Laxmi and then the prasad is distributed to everyone. Currency notes, coins, gold ornaments are also worshipped during Laxmi Puja. On this day, the business class worships their business documents, ledgers, and accounting documents and performs `Chopda Puja'. They also celebrate by bursting crackers.