Diwali the festival of lights is celebrated with full of enthusiasm and zeal throughout India and abroad with immense grandeur and exuberance. The festival is all about celebrating the victory of good over evil and light over darkness. This festival marks the homecoming of Lord Rama with Sita. But have you ever wondered if it marks the returning of Lord Rama from exile than why Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi are worshiped together?  Hence in this article, we are going to share you the unknown fact behind the worship of both of them together.

Lord Ganesh and Lakshmi are the principal gods who give  wealth and happiness and hence worshiped. Diwali is the festival which marks the beginning of Hindu New Year where people worship to the goddess of wealth, fortune, luxury, and prosperity or do Lakshmi Puja to commemorate the new year and wish for open the year with an even bigger increase of wealth and prosperity. Though the Lakshmi Pujan is not only about pray to goddess Lakshmi it also includes the 5 Hindu deities  Lord Ganesha, 3 forms of Maa Lakshmi which are Mahalakshmi, MahaSaraswati & Mahakali & last but not the least is Lord Kuber, which is known as the treasurer of all Gods.

On the day of Diwali Lord Ganesha is worshiped with Goddess Lakshmi instead Lord Vishnu. There are many questions arises, why Lord Vishnu is not worshiped with Goddess Lakshmi and what is the relation between Lakshmi and Ganesha? The answers of all these questions can be answered by one mythological story.

Mythological Story

Once upon a time Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakhmi were having conversation in heaven and Goddess Lakshmi was praising herself and telling Lord Vishnu that she is the most worship worthy in the world and by her grace, a person can get all the pleasures of this world and becomes happiest person. By hearing the self praising by Goddess Laksmi, Lord Vishnu said to her for reducing her ego, “You are having all the qualities, still you did not feel the joy of motherhood till now and for a lady, the motherhood joy is the most important thing in this universe.”

The comment from Lord Vishnu made Goddess Lakhmi become disheartened and in this pain she went to her friend Goddess Parvati. After listing the problem of Goddess Lakhmi, Parvati asked her, “How can I help you?” Goddess Lakshmi said, “You are having two sons and if you could give me your one son you will still have one son and I could get the grace of motherhood. So, in this situation you can help me out.”

By listing her Goddess Parvati said to her, “I’m having two sons Kartikeya and Ganesha. Kartikeya is having six mouths (Faces) and because of this he needs to eat all the time. My second son Ganesha is very naughty, if I missed to keep eye on him for a bit, he ruined everything. And you cannot stay at one place for a long, so tell me how can you take care of my sons?

By hearing this Goddess Lakshmi said to her, “I’ll keep your sons close to my heart and will shower my all love on them either Kartikeya or Ganesha. I can take care both of them. All the servants of heaven will serve them day and night so please give me one of them as my adopted child.”

Maa Parvati knew her both the sons very well so she gave Lord Ganesha to Goddess Lakhmi as her adopted son. Goddess Lakshmi became very happy and said to Goddess Parvati, “From today onwards I’m giving my all accomplishments, luxury and prosperity to my son Ganesha. Also, Riddhi and Siddhi Lord Brahma’s daughters are alike my daughters will be married soon for which I give my word to you.

I will fulfill all the desires of Ganesha. In all the three loks which person shall not worship Lord Ganesha and do back biting, I will be miles away from him. Whenever my worship will be performed, Lord Ganesha’a worship will be a must. Who will not worship Shri Ganesha along with me, he cannot get Shree or myself. By listening this Maa Parvati become too much happy and handed over her son Ganesh to Laxmi Ji. As such at Deepawali Poojan or Luxmi Poojan, Ganesh Poojan is a must.

Katha of Diwali

Take some flower and rice grains in hand after the worship, listen the following story(s) and sprinkle the flowers and rice on the statue of Lakshmi-Ganesha.

Once upon a time seven brothers was living in a village. All these seven brothers were living in a poverty. One day the youngest son get married to a nice girl and he took his wife to his home. After sometime festival of Diwali was about to come. The youngest daughter in-law called up all the brothers and told them all that from now onward she is there to manage their house hold works but all of them should have go out for work and get at least one thing, what so ever they will get outside.

By listening this they all went out for work and that Sister-in-law started cleaning the house. At evening all brothers came back and get something with them. One brother get the cow’s dung and sister-in-law asked him to keep it in a courtyard. Second brother get a dead snack sister-in-law asked him to keep it on the roof and other brothers gets some milk, vegetable, broom, paddy grains and wheat grains. The sister-in-law cooked for them and served dinner to them.

Next day, there was a public proclamation by beat of the drum, that one eagle picked up Queen’s nine lacks necklace when she was bathing in a river so who so ever will find out the Queen’s necklace will get reward from the King of the state. At the same time eagle who picked up the Queen’s necklace was flying above the brothers’ house, dropped necklace on their roof by seeing the dead snake, picked up the dead snake and fly off.

All the brothers were very happy and they all said that they will go to return Queen’s necklace but sister-in-law said that no one but she herself will go to return the Queen’s necklace. All brothers agreed on it. When Sister-in-law went to the palace to return the necklace, King was very happy and he said to her, “I’m very happy with you and now tell me, what would you like to get in return?” Sister-in-law replied, “I wish that on the day of Diwali whole city should be in dark and should not light a single lamp except in my home.” King granted her wish and on the day of Diwali, Sister-in-law cleaned whole house except one room and made her brothers-in-law clean.

At night Lakshmi ji came to the city, whole city was in dark and she was looking for the little light; she found light on that Sister’s-in-law home and went there. Her door was closed so Lakshmi ji knocked her door, sister-in-law asked from inside, “who is on the door?” Lakshmi ji replied,”it is me Lakshmi, please let me come into your home, whole city is in dark and I very scared of dark.” Sister-in-law said, “No, I’ll not open my home for you, you are not staying at one place, today you are coming to my home and there is no guarantee that tomorrow you will be staying at my home.” Lakshmi ji was very scared and she promised to her that she will never go away from her home and will stay there forever.

When Lakshmi ji promised to stay at her place, Sister-in-law opened the door for Lakshmi ji, she offered the best place of home to her with full of lights and worshiped her devotedly. After worshiping the Goddess Lakshmi. Thereafter Sister-in-law went to the dark room of the house and started beating the Daridra/Narak and kicked out him of the house; she also warned him to never return to her house.

So as Sister-in-law filled her home with prosperity, Goddess Lakshmi must make each and every person to be happy.