Diwali Lakshmi Puja at Home: The Vidhi, the Samagri, and the Muhurat

The Diwali Lakshmi–Ganesh puja is not complicated, but it is easy to reach the evening and realise you are short a moli, or the diyas, or you are not sure of the order. Here is a version you can follow at home.

When
The main puja is done on Amavasya evening, after sunset — traditionally in the pradosh kaal, and many families sit for it in the sthir (Vrishabha) lagna window. The exact timing shifts every year, so check a panchang or ask your local priest for this year's muhurat rather than going by memory.

The setup
- A wooden chowki, wiped clean, with a red or yellow cloth over it
- Idols or images of Lakshmi and Ganesh — Ganesh on Lakshmi's left
- A kalash: a copper or brass pot with water, a coin, a few grains of akshat, mango leaves at the mouth, and a coconut on top
- One thali for the diyas, another for prasad
- A silver coin or photo of the family's kul devta, if you keep one

The samagri
Roli, kumkum, haldi, akshat (unbroken rice), moli (kalava), a supari, paan leaves, cloves and cardamom, dhoop and agarbatti, camphor, cotton wicks, ghee and oil for the diyas, gangajal, and flowers — marigold for sure, lotus and rose if you can get them. For bhog: kheel, batasha, sugar toys (khilone), dry fruit, and any sweet the family makes. Kamal gatta and a few cowrie shells are traditional in many households.

The order, simply
1. Light a diya and the dhoop. Do achman and the sankalp.
2. Ganesh puja first — water, roli–akshat, flowers, durva, and modak or laddu.
3. Kalash and Navagraha puja, if your family does it.
4. Lakshmi puja — offer snan (or symbolic snan), then vastra (moli), roli–kumkum, akshat, flowers, a garland, dhoop–deep, and bhog. Many families also do a short Lakshmi–Kubera puja over the cash box, jewellery and account books.
5. Aarti — Ganesh first, then Lakshmi. Take everyone's blessings, then light the rest of the house diyas.

What people forget
- Wicks and enough oil or ghee — you always need more diyas than you planned for.
- Fresh marigold. It is hard to find well-priced on Diwali evening itself.
- Prasad plates, if family is coming over.

Shopping for it
A Diwali puja kit covers roli, kumkum, moli, wicks, dhoop and the rest. Add diyas, rangoli colours, and dry fruit or sweets for gifting to the same order, and pick a delivery date a day or two before Diwali — Sadar Bazar, Lajpat Nagar and the sector markets are at their most crowded on the final two days.