When is Lakshmi Puja?+
Lakshmi Puja was last observed on Sunday, October 25, 2026.
What does Kojagari mean?+
It comes from "ko jagarti", "who is awake?". Tradition says that at midnight on the Ashwin full moon Lakshmi goes about asking this and blesses whoever is awake, hence the custom of staying up that night.
Why is Lakshmi Puja held at night?+
Kojagari Lakshmi Puja belongs to the full-moon night: it is held at pradosh, in the evening, on the night the Purnima tithi holds. The panjika shows 8 Kartik (26 October) as the Purnima day because of the sunrise tithi, but the puja is on the night of 7 Kartik (25 October).
Can Lakshmi Puja be done at home without a priest?+
Yes. Kojagari Lakshmi Puja is a household rite traditionally done by the women of the house. If you do not know the Sanskrit mantras, calling on the goddess in Bengali with devotion completes the puja.
Is a banana used in Lakshmi Puja?+
Yes. The usual rite places a banana (or a haritaki) on the ghot, and bananas are among the fruit offered. No scripture forbids it; a family that leaves it out is following its own custom.
Why is no bell rung in Lakshmi Puja?+
By long Bengali custom no bell or gong is sounded for Lakshmi; she is welcomed with the conch and ulu. It is a folk custom, not a scriptural rule.
Is Lakshmi Puja a holiday in Bangladesh?+
Sri Sri Lakshmi Puja falls on Sunday, 7 Kartik (25 October), and the 2026 government list gives it as a one-day optional holiday for Hindus. Sunday is a working day in Bangladesh, so the leave has to be asked for.
How is Kojagari different from the Thursday Lakshmi puja?+
The Thursday puja is a short weekly ghot puja with the panchali read. Kojagari comes once a year, on the Ashwin full-moon night: the puja at pradosh, a larger bhog, a sara or image, and the night kept awake with chira and coconut.
