🪷 On Diwali night, Maa Lakshmi is believed to visit every home that is clean, lit and waiting for her. The puja itself takes about an hour. But the scriptures and our grandmothers both say the same thing: Lakshmi is drawn less by how much we spend and more by how we keep our home, our words and our hearts.
Here are 21 things you can do on Diwali (Sunday, 8 November 2026) to make Maa Lakshmi happy, from the flower she loves most to the one habit that is said to make her leave. You don't need to do all 21. Even five, done with bhav (devotion), are enough.
In the Mahabharata (Anushasan Parva), Maa Lakshmi herself tells Rukmini where she lives: in homes that are clean, where people speak the truth, work hard, respect elders and women, and share food with others. She leaves homes full of quarrels, laziness and dirt. Every point below comes from this idea.
Annapurna's blessing: contribute to the 56-item Annakoot Seva
Govardhan Puja, 10 Nov · Govardhan, Braj · 56 bhog offered to Govardhan ji, then served as bhandara. From ₹251.
1–5: Prepare the home Maa Lakshmi will enter
1. Clean the whole house, not just the puja corner
Lakshmi's elder sister Alakshmi (misfortune) is said to live in dirt and clutter. Clean every room, under the beds, the kitchen and especially the north-east corner (Ishaan kon) and the main door, which is the path Lakshmi takes in.
2. Throw out broken things
Broken mirrors, stopped clocks, cracked idols, torn clothes and old newspapers are believed to block the flow of prosperity. Give away what can be used and discard what cannot, before Diwali evening.
3. Hang a toran at the main door
A toran of fresh mango or ashoka leaves with marigold flowers is a sign of welcome. Hang it on Dhanteras or on Diwali morning.
4. Draw rangoli with Lakshmi's footprints walking in
Make a rangoli at the entrance and draw small footprints (Lakshmi charan) in red kumkum or rice paste, always pointing into the house, never out.
5. Light the first diya at the main door at sunset
The first ghee diya of Diwali goes at the main door. Then light diyas at the tulsi, in the kitchen, near the water source (tap or well), on the terrace and at the window. Odd numbers such as 11, 21 or 51 are traditional. The puja itself is in the muhurat, which is about 5:55 PM to 7:51 PM in Delhi; see the Diwali 2026 muhurat guide for your city.
🪔 Book Diwali pujas and offerings in your name
 Samriddhi Mahapuja🪔 8 Nov · Gaja Lakshmi, Ujjain From ₹991 Book now → | Annakoot Seva 🍛 10 Nov · Govardhan, Braj From ₹251 Offer now → |
 Vyapar Vriddhi Puja🪔 8 Nov · Gaja Lakshmi, Ujjain From ₹991 Book now → |  Rin Mukti Mahapuja🪔 8 Nov · Gaja Lakshmi, Ujjain From ₹951 Book now → |
 7 Generation Anusthan🪔 8 Nov · Gaja Lakshmi, Ujjain From ₹991 Book now → |  Diwali Chadhava🪔 8 Nov · Gaja Lakshmi, Ujjain From ₹151 Offer now → |
6–11: What to offer Maa Lakshmi on Diwali
6. Offer a kamal (lotus): her favourite flower
Maa Lakshmi rose from the ocean seated on a lotus, and she is called Padma, Kamala and Padmapriya: "the one who loves the lotus". Offering even one lotus is believed to please her more than a basket of other flowers. Kamal gatta (lotus seeds) is used in the havan and in a mala for Lakshmi japa.
🪷 Offer kamal to Maa Lakshmi this Diwali. Can't find a fresh lotus in your city? Devpunya's pandits will offer one in your name and gotra at Shri Gaja Lakshmi Mata Mandir, Ujjain, on Diwali, and send you the video. Offer kamal now (₹151) →
 Kamal (lotus)🪔 8 Nov · Gaja Lakshmi, Ujjain From ₹151 Offer now → |  Coconut🪔 8 Nov · Gaja Lakshmi, Ujjain From ₹151 Offer now → |
7. Offer a red chunri and kumkum (solah shringar)
Lakshmi is a married goddess (Saubhagyavati), so she is offered red: a red chunri, kumkum, sindoor, bangles and the items of shringar. Married women of the house often offer shringar together and then wear the kumkum as her prasad.
🔴 Offer a chunri and kumkum to Maa Lakshmi, Ganesh ji and Maa Saraswati at the Gaja Lakshmi temple in Ujjain this Diwali, with your name and gotra in the sankalp. Offer chunri and kumkum (₹201) →
8. Offer a shriphal (coconut)
The coconut is called Shriphal, "Lakshmi's fruit", because Shri is another name of Lakshmi. A whole coconut with its tuft, wrapped in red cloth and moli, is placed on the kalash. After the puja it can be kept in the cash box or tijori.
🥥 Offer a shriphal at the temple on Diwali night in your name. It is believed to remove obstacles and complete what has been started. Offer shriphal (₹151) →
9. Offer the bhog she loves
- Kheel and batashe (puffed rice and sugar drops): the classic Diwali bhog, because the new paddy harvest has just come in.
- Kheer or white sweets such as rasgulla, peda or makhane ki kheer. Lakshmi is associated with the moon and with white.
- Singhara (water chestnut) and sitaphal (custard apple), fruits of the season and of water, her element.
- Paan with supari, cloves and cardamom, offered at the end of the puja.
10. Worship Ganesh ji first, and keep him on Lakshmi's left
Ganesh ji is worshipped first in every puja. On the chowki, place Ganesh ji on the left and Maa Lakshmi on the right (as you face them). Wealth without wisdom does not stay, which is why they are worshipped together.
11. Add Maa Saraswati and Kuber ji
Saraswati brings knowledge and Kuber ji is the treasurer of the devas. Many families keep a Saraswati image and a Kuber yantra beside Lakshmi-Ganesh, along with books or the account register.
Have Lakshmi, Ganesh and Saraswati worshipped together in your name at Ujjain
Diwali, 8 Nov · Shri Gaja Lakshmi Temple, Ujjain · in your name and gotra, full HD video, prasad home. From ₹991.
12–16: Mantras, yantra and the things to keep in your tijori
12. Chant the Lakshmi beej mantra 108 times
ॐ श्रीं महालक्ष्म्यै नमः (Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah). Chant it on a kamal gatta or sphatik mala during the muhurat. If you have time, recite the Shri Sukta from the Rig Veda, the oldest hymn to Lakshmi, and end with the aarti "Om Jai Lakshmi Mata".
13. Install a Shri Yantra
The Shri Yantra is regarded as the form of Mahalakshmi in geometry. Bathe it with milk and Gangajal, apply kumkum and place it in the puja on Diwali. After the puja, keep it in the puja room or the place of business.
14. Keep cowries, gomti chakra and a silver coin in the puja
Yellow cowries (kauri), 11 gomti chakras and a silver coin with Lakshmi-Ganesh are placed in the puja thali. The next morning, wrap them in red cloth and keep them in the cash box or locker for the year.
15. Respect the new broom
The broom is seen as a form of Lakshmi because it removes Alakshmi (dirt). A new one bought on Dhanteras is used from Diwali onwards. Never step on a broom or keep it standing upright in a visible place. Our Dhanteras 2026 guide lists what else to buy.
16. Keep the main door open and one diya burning all night
After the puja, leave the main door open (or at least unlocked) for a while and keep an akhand diya burning through the night, so that Lakshmi finds the home lit whenever she comes.
A sankalp for wealth that stays in the family for generations
Diwali, 8 Nov · Shri Gaja Lakshmi Temple, Ujjain · a family sankalp for wealth that stays across generations. From ₹991.
17–21: The habits that keep Lakshmi in the home
17. Feed a cow
The Shastras say Lakshmi lives in the cow. Feeding a cow green fodder, roti with jaggery or chara on Diwali and Govardhan Puja is one of the simplest ways to please her.
🐄 Do gau seva in your name this Diwali. Green chara is offered to Gau Mata on your behalf, and you receive the video. Offer gau seva (₹201) →
 Gau seva🪔 8 Nov · Gaja Lakshmi, Ujjain From ₹201 Offer now → |  Chunri & kumkum🪔 8 Nov · Gaja Lakshmi, Ujjain From ₹201 Offer now → |
18. Share food: annadaan pleases Lakshmi and Annapurna
Lakshmi stays where food is shared. Feed someone in need on Diwali, and on Govardhan Puja (Tuesday, 10 November) join the Annakoot, where 56 dishes are offered to Govardhan ji and then served to devotees. See the Govardhan Puja 2026 guide.
🍛 Contribute to the 56-item Annakoot offered to Govardhan ji and served as bhandara on Govardhan Puja, with your name and gotra in the sankalp. Contribute to Annakoot (₹251) →
 56 bhog Annakoot🍛 10 Nov · Govardhan, Braj From ₹251 Offer now → |  Land & home puja🍛 10 Nov · Govardhan, Braj From ₹901 Offer now → |
19. Keep peace in the home
Lakshmi told Rukmini that she does not stay where there are quarrels. Avoid arguments, harsh words and gambling on Diwali. Speak gently, especially to the women of the house, who are regarded as Griha-Lakshmi.
20. Don't sleep at dusk, and don't lend money on Diwali night
Sleeping at sunset, leaving the house dark, and lending or borrowing money on Diwali evening are traditionally avoided, because the evening is the time Lakshmi arrives. We list the rest in Diwali puja rules and do's and don'ts.
21. Get a puja done in your name at a Lakshmi temple
If you live away from home, or cannot do a full puja this year, a temple puja in your name and gotra continues the family's sankalp. Shri Gaja Lakshmi Temple in Ujjain is dedicated to Gaja Lakshmi, the form of Lakshmi bathed by two elephants, and is one of the oldest Lakshmi temples in Malwa.
💸 Struggling with loans or EMIs? The Mata Gajlakshmi Rin Mukti Mahapuja is performed on Diwali at the Gaja Lakshmi Temple, Ujjain, with a sankalp for relief from debt and for financial stability. Book Rin Mukti Mahapuja from ₹951 →
🏪 Run a shop or business? Have the Vyapar Vriddhi Mahapuja and Havan done in your name and your business's name on Diwali. Book Vyapar Vriddhi Mahapuja →
What displeases Maa Lakshmi? 7 things to avoid on Diwali
- A dirty or dark house, especially the kitchen and the main door at dusk.
- Quarrels, shouting and insulting anyone, above all women and elders.
- Gambling, alcohol and non-vegetarian food on the day of the puja.
- Keeping the idol of Lakshmi standing (she is worshipped seated, so that she "sits" in the home).
- Using an owl or Lakshmi image as a decoration item on the floor, or stepping on rangoli.
- Wasting food or throwing away the puja's bhog.
- Sweeping dirt out through the main door after sunset.
The full list, with the reason behind each rule, is in our Diwali puja rules and do's and don'ts. For the step-by-step home vidhi, read how to do Diwali puja at home.
🪷 Offer to Maa Lakshmi this Diwali, in your name
| Kamal (lotus) 🪔 8 Nov · Gaja Lakshmi, Ujjain From ₹151 Offer now → | Chunri & kumkum 🪔 8 Nov · Gaja Lakshmi, Ujjain From ₹201 Offer now → |
| Coconut 🪔 8 Nov · Gaja Lakshmi, Ujjain From ₹151 Offer now → | Gau seva 🪔 8 Nov · Gaja Lakshmi, Ujjain From ₹201 Offer now → |
Questions people ask about pleasing Maa Lakshmi
Which flower is most dear to Maa Lakshmi?
The lotus (kamal). Red rose and marigold are also offered, but the lotus is hers. If you cannot get a fresh lotus, use kamal gatta or have one offered at a temple.
Which colour should I wear for Lakshmi Puja?
Red, pink, yellow or white. Avoid black on Diwali.
What should I keep in the tijori on Diwali?
A silver coin from the puja, yellow cowries, gomti chakra, a little kumkum-rice (akshat) and a coconut or supari wrapped in red cloth. Many families also keep the year's first entry in the account book.
Is it true Lakshmi comes only to clean homes?
The tradition says Lakshmi and Alakshmi cannot live in the same place. Cleaning is really about making space, in the house and in the mind, for something new.
Can I do Lakshmi puja without a pandit?
Yes. A home puja done with devotion is complete. A temple puja in your name is an addition, not a replacement.
🗓️ Plan the evening: see the exact Lakshmi Puja muhurat, choghadiya and your rashifal for Diwali in your city. Open Devpunya Panchang →
📖 Read next in the Diwali 2026 series
- Diwali 2026 Best Tithi and Lakshmi Puja Muhurat (8 November)
- Diwali Puja Rules 2026: Do's and Don'ts for Lakshmi Pujan
- Why We Celebrate Diwali and Its Complete Story
- Diwali Lakshmi Puja for Business Growth and Debt Relief
- Govardhan Puja 2026: Date, Annakoot Story and 56 Bhog List
Offer kamal, chunri and coconut to Maa Lakshmi on Diwali
Diwali, 8 Nov · Shri Gaja Lakshmi Mata Mandir, Ujjain · kamal, chunri, coconut offered in your name, video proof. From ₹151.
Book the Diwali Samriddhi Mahapuja in your name
Diwali, 8 Nov · Shri Gaja Lakshmi Temple, Ujjain · in your name and gotra, full HD video, prasad home. From ₹991.