Welcome Lakshmi in to home Standing Lakshmi Devi
We can invite the deities to our homes during festivals, similar to inviting our friends, neighbours and relatives. During Krishna Jayanti Festival day, most of the Hindus would draw kolams in the inside and outside of their homes, in order to invite Child Krishna to their homes. Similarly during Varalakshmi Vratham festival day, most of the Hindus would draw big kolams in their puja room to order to welcome the divine mother Lakshmi to permanently dwell in their homes.
Similar to drawing Kolams, we can also invite the deities by preparing their favourite food items, like Mothakams for Vinayaka, Butter and Butter snacks for Krishna, and special sweets for Ma Lakshmi, since Ma Lakshmi loves sweets prepared out of rice, jaggery and coconut. Malayalees used to prepare rich feast in their homes during Onamfestival, to welcome their beloved king Sri Mahabali to their homes.
In ancient times, during festival days, people would wake up early in the morning, would draw big kolams in front of their homes by taking about spiritual matters with their neighbours, and would prepare special sweets and snacks items using firewood stove for their beloved deities. Before few centuries, there was no pollution, and the people would breathe fresh air, and hence their thoughts also would be good. In the homes of some sincere devotees, the god itself would appear by taking a different form and used to have food from their homes.
According to legend, Lord Krishna took the form of a child, and ate simple food in the homes of lot of Varkari saints like Tukaram, Namdev and GhoraKumbhar. Lord Krishna would love only the simple food from the homes of his sincere devotees. Even if a rich man offers plenty of delicious food, and calls him without showing bhakti on him, the Lord would simply ignore his food, and would go to the homes of the poor and his sincere devotees.
Hence let us put big kolams in the inside and the outside of our homes during festivals, prepare delicious food items, perform puja and invite the almighty to eat our affectionate food items.
“OM SRI VINAYAGAYA NAMAHA”
WRITTEN BY
R.HARISHANKAR