May Goddess Lakshmi bring you prosperity and happiness

It's early in the morning and everyone in the house has already taken a bath. A month long house-cleaning spree is over. You can still smell the new paint, and feel happy that all the effort you've put in to make your house look clean and beautiful has paid off. Now, it's time to decorate the house further with a rangoli at the entrance and brighten the walls with colourful lights. Only few hours are left for Lakshmi Puja. It is said that the Goddess Lakshmi enters only beautiful and clean houses.
Today is the most important day of Diwali as the Goddess Lakshmi is worshiped in most Hindu homes. After all the preparations are done like cleaning of house, making of sweets, and clothing in new dresses, it is time to worship goddess Lakshmi. The goddess' picture or idol is decorated, and people offer sweets, fruits, money, jewellery, silver and gold coins to Laxmi. The primary reason for the prayer is that the goddess Lakshmi is called the goddess of prosperity and wealth, and it is believed that if you worship Lakshmi on this day, she will bless you with happiness and prosperity. Some people also worship Lord Ganesha and any other god they believe in along with the goddess Lakshmi.
Goddess Lakshmi is the consort or wife of Lord Vishnu and is the known as the goddess of prosperity, purity, chastity and generosity. She sits on a fully blossomed lotus and her four hands represent four spiritual virtues.
"We have painted our home especially for Diwali and decorated it to make it look beautiful. Diwali is an occasion that brings the entire family together and spreads happiness. I believe diyas are lit at the entrance to keep the evil away and bring prosperity. We worship silver coins and any other ornaments that we purchased on 'Dhanteras'," a resident of Nerul Pramod Narayan Srivastav said.
The puja starts with a ritual bath of the god and the goddesses with water and then with panchamitra (rose water). A row of diyas (candles) are lighted in front of the deities to ward off evil spirits. "I believe in decorating my home beautifully this day. I feel the entrance should look the most beautiful so I light it with candles and decorate it with fresh flowers," a resident of Army colony Archana Srivastav said.
On the day of the puja account book, and other money related items are also worshiped by people. "I purchase a silver coin every year during Diwali. On this day I worship all the silver coins that I purchased over the years," a Nerul resident Babita Changotra said.
"We perform puja of all the things that are related to wealth. I arrange fruits, sweets and snacks are in a plate and offer it as 'prasad'. After we light candles and burn incense sticks, we say prayers dedicated to the goddess," Koparkhairane resident Sangita Sinha said.
The puja ends with burning of crackers.