Devotees Flock to Lucknow Temples for Lakshmi Puja

Last Monday, devotees flocked to temples across Lucknow to celebrate the Kojagari Lakshmi puja, a festival that takes place on the full moon night. According to beliefs, on this auspicious night, the goddess Lakshmi is said to descend to Earth and bestow her blessings upon her devoted followers.

At the Kali Bari temple in Ghasiyari Mandi, the goddess was worshipped with a variety of offerings, including coconut sweets, til ke laddoos (sesame seed balls), khila (puffed rice), and an assortment of fresh fruits. Gautam Bhattacharya, the president of the temple's managing committee, explained that the Kojagari Lakshmi puja is performed specifically to honor the goddess Lakshmi, and devotees observe a fast on this day.

The puja was also held at the Rabindrapalli Puja Park, as well as at the Sevagram Railway colony in Charbagh, where priests from Kolkata had come to perform the rituals. The celebrations were a testament to the deep-rooted faith and reverence that the people of Lucknow hold for the goddess Lakshmi, who is believed to have emerged during the churning of the ocean (Samundra Manthan).