Lakshmi- The Goddess Of Wealth Is The Goddess Of Health Too

Diwali is the festival to celebrate the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance and good over evil. 

Laxmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity of all forms, both material and spiritual is worshiped on Diwali who provides us all kind of material abundance. Goddess Laxmi symbolizes good luck.

There are many rituals that the festival is celebrated with spirit and positivity so that Goddess Laxmi chooses us to shower her blessings upon us. We follow the traditions to be the wealthiest person. We want to please Goddess Laxmi so that she showers money on us.

I know money is very important to survive but pandemic has made us learn that true wealth is our health. ‘Health is Wealth’ is a very old saying but it is still true today.

Goddess Laxmi not only provides us wealth and prosperity but she also protects us from ill health and misfortune.

The following rituals of Diwali which we follow to attract good fortune can also give us good health.

Keeping Fast

Many people keep fast on the day of Diwali and eat after Laksmi pujan. In my previous blog (https://womania99.blogspot.com/2021/10/keeping-fast-worth-or-not.html?m=1) I explained various benefits of keeping fast and fasting on Diwali gives us that health benefits too.

We live in that age where everything is just a click away. Our mind is overloaded with the temptation of the latest offers on everything from food to apparel. Fasting is a great way to exercise self-control and rule over your mind.

Panch Meva

Panch meva is a combination of five dry fruits. These are also related with panch tatva (Suraj, Chandrama, Jal , Agni and Vayu). You can use any dry fruit for this purpose but it mainly includes almond, raisins, walnuts, makhaana and dry dates. These five dry fruits are used as offering in pooja thali during Diwali. They are especially made for the purpose of pooja or during fast.

These dry fruits give you many health benefits and provide us a lot of energy. Nuts are loaded with anti-oxidants and good source of those elements which are necessary for our health.

Dry fruits are also considered as the purest nuts on the earth, that’s why they are also spiritually connected.

Homemade Sweets

Diwali and sweets are complementary to each other. Not only Diwali but also any celebration is incomplete without sweets. On every auspicious occasion we say ‘Muh mitha karao’ because sweets are considered as a way to convey our happiness to others. 

There is a very old ritual of Diwali to give sweets and gifts to each other. It denotes the expression of companionship and fellowship among the people. 

Though sugar is not good for our health, there is always scope of moderation and portion control. In our tradition, offering homemade sweets to guests during festivals has been a very old practice. 

Eat homemade traditional sweets like Laddoo, barfi, chikki and multiple other sweets which are prepared at home with wholesome and nourishing ingredients; don't affect your weight and health. So, you can have homemade sweets made with natural ingredients while practice portion control.

Panchamrit

Panchamrit is an offering made to gods during puja. It is a concoction of five ingredients, milk, honey, curd, sugar and ghee; it is called the drink of Gods. Panchamrit is used during Diwali puja, Rudra Abhishek, Janamashtmi and Shivratri.

It has several benefits of having Panchamrit. It balances the Pitta Dosha, improves immunity, and enhances brain function, memory and creative abilities. It clears complexion and keeps hair healthy. It boosts health of mother and foetus if consumed during pregnancy.

Panchamrit is a must for religious ceremonies but can be consumed every-day. In fact, Ayurveda recommends it for nine months during pregnancy.

Having Paan

Paan is very important in Diwali puja. It is considered that Maa Lakshmi likes paan so after worshiping Goddess Lakshmi, we offer paan.

Chewing a paan after meal is an ancient food tradition in India. This heart shaped beautiful leaf is much more than just a mouth freshener. It is also known to ease indigestion, constipation and gastric pain. Paan is consumed due to its digestive properties. Betel leaves are full of vitamins and antioxidants like vitamin C, thiamine, and niacin and are a great source of calcium. These antioxidants help manage the pH level of stomach.

Rangoli

The festival of Diwali is known for the home decoration which makes the ambience of our house delightful and cheerful.

There is a very old practice to make rangoli on Diwali to please the goddess Lakshmi.  Rangoli represents the happiness, liveliness and positivity of a house. It's decorated to welcome Goddess Lakshmi. The purpose of Rangoli is beyond decoration. 

Making rangoli at home during Diwali is considered very auspicious. It's not only good for religiously but also it has several advantages to decorate your home with rangoli. 

The major benefit of making rangoli is that you feel very positive and it decreases your stress level. 

You make Gyan mudra while making rangoli which makes your brain energetic and active. 

When you come in the contact with colors, the energy emitted by them affects you, which is possible to treat many types of physical and mental problems. 

Rangoli made from different colors and flowers fill your surroundings with positive energy. It makes the mind and atmosphere pleasant which affects your health. 

Diwali is a five days celebration with different significance of each day. When we celebrate our festivals traditionally, it provides us several spiritual and healthy benefits. So learn from them and be proud of your traditions.

Have a wonderful Diwali!