Kojagari Lakshmi Puja

I remember this song. An old one, sung by the bengali singer Sandhya Mukherjee. Hearing this reminds me of Lakshmi Puja. The music is by a person called Amal Mukherjee. This is from a movie - DAABI starring Samit Bhanja, Mousumi Chatterjee and Sandhya Rani. The lyrics are like 'Sankha bajiye Maa ke ghore enechi' (I have welcomed 'Lakshmi' home by blowing on the conch shell).

Every Purnima after Durga Puja was a busy time. When I was studying, work had to be done after school, and when working, I was given strict instructions to come early home that, if that was a working day, or finish the work and then leave for work and then again, come back early.

I miss that this year. Ma, missing you!!

The work? Morning instructions were to get 108 durba ready , vilva leaves (which was the toughest part), a branch of the mango tree, tulsi leaves and flowers. After this, it was to go to the sweet shop to see what was the freshest non-fried sweet there, and get that. Then get fruits.

Evening was alpana time. Helping Ma paint the house with the steps of Lakshmi.Steps going from all possible entrances of the house to the Puja Room - Alpana.

Every Sharad Purnima evening, we used to celebrate Kojagari Lakshmi Puja at home, and Ma was the one who did the puja. A simple homely puja. No homa. She knew the mantras that she would recite and then recite from the Lakshmi Brata Katha / Lakshmi Panchali which had stories of Lakshmi. I used to be the assistant. Blowing the shankha, lighting incense and then waiting for the Khichuri that would follow after Puja.

First Ganesha, then Vishnu and then Lakshmi would be worshiped along with her owl. The owl teaches us to open our eyes to the light of the wisdom residing within us.

Kojagari probably comes the saying that on this night Lakshmi goes from house to house and asks KO JAGARI? Who is awake? And when the Goddess finds someone who is awake, she blesses them.

There are many stories of Lakshmi told in the Panchali/ Bratakatha.

They all usually start with (this is in Bengali) :

Dol Purnimar Nishi Nirmal Aakash
Dheere Dheere Bohiteche Moloy Batash
Lakshmi Devi Baam a kori bosi Narayan
Koriteche Nana Kotha Sukhe Alapon

A rough translation is like :

On a full moon night, in the Hindu month of Phalgun (March/ April),
When a soothing breeze is blowing
With Lakshmi on his left, Narayan (Vishnu) is sitting
Talking of things.

All stories will follow Narada, the sage, coming and telling Lakshmi about the plight of people. Then Lakshmi would try and find out the cause. She would test her devotees by making them go through a rough time, and would eventually bless them.

One of them talks about a king. There was a king who was going through a bad time and financial strains. He had bought an idol of Alakshmi (the opposite of prosperity) and was under Alakshmi's evil eye. His wife kept on praying Goddess Lakshmi who is known as the Goddess of wealth. She used to be awake at nights and used to fast on Thursdays. Seeing the queen's devotion, Goddess Lakshmi blessed them and they regained prosperity.

Then there is story about Dhaneshwar, the merchant in the land of Avanti. He had seven sons. When he died, his family fell to bad times. The widow was hurt to see this and  went crying into the forest, all the time thinking of Lakshmi. There she met an old woman, who was the Goddess in disguise. She told the widow to fast and pray to Lakshmi on every Thursday. Going back home, the widow told her family to fast on Thursdays. With the proper following of rituals, the pleased Goddess came and blessed the family and their financial status was restored.

Then there is one about a poor Brahmin who was so poor and sick he could not feed his family. His wife was advised to fast every Thursday. The family used to survive on the alms that were given and by Lakshmi in disguise advised the wife to perform Lakshmi Vrata. Doing so, the Brahmin became healthy and the family became prosperous.

The last story talks about a wife who told her merchant husband, in the land of Avanti, about the greatness of worshiping Lakshmi on Thursdays. The merchant left for trade and mid way had to face a ship wreck. Losing all, he prayed to Goddess Lakshmi who restored back all. Coming back the merchant gathered people to spread the word about worshipping Lakshmi on Thursdays.

The stories end by saying who prays to Lakshmi and recites the stories will gain Lakshmi's blessings and will have wealth and prosperity.

The Alpana is a special that is made outside houses, especially on Lakshmi Puja days. Rice is ground and with that a pair of Lakshmi's feet is drawn. At home, we used to mix chalk and fabric color to make a permanent pattern. We would also draw an owl (Laksmi's vehicle) and a pot with mango leaves.

In a temple or in a community, a proper sixteen fold puja along with homa (fire offerings) is conducted.

In Pune, I used to see a similar custom. Milk was boiled under the open sky in the middle of the night, This would be gradually simmering and people would be sitting around talking. It was said that Lakshmi would be showering nectar in that milk, and the next day there would be a rush to drink that milk.

Scientifically, it is said that the moon and earth are at a close distance on Sharad Purnima night and due to this , the rays of the moon have several curative properties. It is believed that staying up and keeping food under the moonlight nourishes the body and soul.

This year 2015, the Puja will start on Monday 26th and carry on till Tuesday 27th . The New moon starts at 21:10 on 26/Oct/2015, is on till  17:34 on 27/Oct/2015.