Kojagari Lakshmi Puja

After the intensity of nine-night Navaratri, the full moon of Ashwin arrives—pure, luminous, and considered the most brilliantly full moon of the year when the Earth is closest to the Sun. On this night, Goddess Lakshmi—goddess of wealth, fortune, and prosperity—is said to leave her celestial abode and wander the earth from home to home, asking at each doorstep: "Ko jagarti?"—"Who is awake?"

Those she finds vigilant and devoted have their households blessed with abundance. To ensure Lakshmi finds them worthy, devotees stay awake through the night with lamps lit, reciting her names and singing bhajans in her praise. A distinctive ritual is preparing kheer (rice pudding with sugar and cardamom) and placing it under the open sky overnight to absorb the light of the full moon. Ancient Ayurvedic texts describe the autumn full moon's rays as charged with special nectar (amrita) capable of healing the body and purifying the mind.

In Bengal and Assam, beautifully drawn alpana (rice-paste patterns) depicting Lakshmi's footprints are made on the floor of homes—an invitation for the goddess to step inside and stay. Lotus flowers, her symbol, fill every household altar.