What to keep in mind while offering lotus flowers at Lakshmi Puja this Diwali

Diwali will be celebrated across the country on Sunday, November 8, 2026. In this five-day festival, which begins with Dhanteras, the worship of Mahalakshmi and Shri Ganesh in the evening of that day carries special importance.

During Lakshmi Puja, offering Mahalakshmi a fresh lotus with full devotion is considered highly auspicious. The lotus is described as extremely dear to the goddess, so a few things need to be kept in mind while offering it in the puja.

Lakshmi Puja is performed with due rites in every home on Diwali. But at times some important items that Goddess Lakshmi holds dear are left out of the puja material. The lotus is one of them. According to religious belief, offering the lotus to the goddess during Lakshmi Puja brings happiness and prosperity to the home through the year and keeps Lakshmi's presence there.

According to Hindu scriptures, Mahalakshmi is believed to have been born, or to have appeared, from a lotus flower. For this reason several names of Goddess Lakshmi are linked to the lotus, such as "Kamala" or "Kamalasana", meaning the goddess seated on a lotus. In Lakshmi Puja it is usual to offer an "Ashtakamal", that is, eight lotus flowers.

A special feature of the lotus is that it grows and lives in mud, yet never loses its purity and beauty. The Gita gives a fine message on this. The verse is: "Brahmanyadhaya karmani sangam tyaktva karoti yah. Lipyate na sa papena padmapatramivambhasa." According to this verse of the Gita, a person who stays true to their duty and goodness even in hardship or bad circumstances is like a lotus leaf, which remains completely dry and apart even while in water. This is the great message the lotus gives us.

Now to the precautions to take while offering the lotus. On Diwali, always offer Goddess Lakshmi a lotus that is fresh and fully bloomed. When offering any flower, place it gently at the feet of the goddess with full devotion.

Some mistakes must not be made in the puja, even by oversight. Do not use a lotus that is wilted, dried, eaten by insects or has broken petals. Bring the flowers with full respect and purity. They must not be disrespected in any way, nor treated carelessly.