Kathmandu:Kattik Amabasya or Aunsi, known as Laxmi Puja, is being observed this evening nationwide with special rituals dedicated to Goddess Laxmi, the Hindu deity of wealth and prosperity.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the evening of Kattik Krishna Aunsi (Amawasya), which coincides with the third day of the Tihar festival (Yamapanchak), is reserved for the worship of Goddess Laxmi as per Vedic traditions.
On this occasion, it is traditionally believed that Goddess Laxmi visits only homes that are neat, tidy, and well-maintained. Consequently, people across the country are thoroughly cleaning their houses and decorating them with marigold flowers, lights, and other embellishments to welcome the goddess and seek her blessings, as explained by religious scholar Toyaraj Nepal. Historically, mud houses were cleaned with cow dung and red clay before being illuminated with oil-fed earthen lamps known as Diyo. In modern times, candles and electric lights have become popular for decorating homes.
Kattik Krishna Aunsi is also referred to as Sukharatri, meaning the night of happiness, as part of the celebrations. After cleaning their homes, devotees create symbolic footprints of Goddess Laxmi from the courtyard to the prayer room using a mixture of rice flour and red vermillion powder. These footprints symbolize the arrival of Goddess Laxmi into the house. Banana stems or earthen bowls are placed along the decorated pathway, with lamps lit to welcome the goddess. Professor Nepal highlights that Vedic tradition specifically prescribes lighting traditional oil-filled earthen lamps rather than candles or modern electric lights.
Following the lighting rituals, devotees place a diyo, a kalash (sacred vessel), and idols or images of Lord Ganesha, Goddess Laxmi, and Lord Kuvera in the prayer room. Goddess Laxmi is then worshipped according to prescribed rituals, with offerings of jewelry, money, rice, fruits, traditional selroti, and garlands.
After the Laxmi Puja, girls and daughters are offered tika and money as a mark of respect, as they are traditionally regarded as manifestations of Goddess Laxmi. In the evening, girls and women participate in Bhailo, a traditional singing and dancing activity, visiting neighborhood homes. Residents welcome the groups with offerings of money, paddy, rice, flower garlands, and selroti, believing that such generosity will bring happiness, prosperity, and good fortune to their households.