Kojagori Lakhhi(Laxmi) Puja is celebrated in the various parts of West Bengal on the full moon night of Ashvin. On this day bengalis invoke the Goddess of wealth and welcome her to our homes and seek her blessings. The east bengal traditional way of celebrating Lakkhi puja was worshipping the Goddess in the form of Shora, a clay disc on which the image of Maa Lakkhi was hand painted by artisans. I had seen my parents bringing the Shora every year during the occasion. This year I tried to put a bit of my childhood into the puja and went ahead with painting an earthen matka which was lying in the house for quite some time. Little Biryani too was excited with this recyclable idea which not only taught her to reuse things, it also made her aware of the traditions which are long forgotten and no more followed by the current generation.
We both took turns to change the simple matka into a colourful picture with images of Laxmi and her vahan The owl. The lotus on which she is seated and also holds in her hand symbolising purity and beauty. We also painted husks of paddy (dancer choral) which symbolises the essence of prosperity. The sindoor case associated with married women and the ghada symbolising wealth. The Shri jantar symbol painted at the back is the auspicious mark which is supposed to bring wealth and prosperity to a household. The Laxmi footprints painted are symbolic to Goddess Laxmi arriving and blessing the family.
In a playful way I could teach my little daughter about the essence of one of the rituals carried on in a bengali household over centuries and I hope this be continued in the future as well. I do not know about the religious part of the tradition but the simple fact of staying rooted to the culture and heritage of our lives is of utmost importance and equally significant. As a parent this DIY activity was a way to teach the kid about her roots, culture and tradition with a twist of recycling and reusing products.After all #learningisfun . #laxmipuja #lakkhipujo
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