How to Appease Goddess Saraswati at Home

The ultimate power of delivering knowledge and wisdom is in the hands of the divine goddess Saraswati. The name Saraswati explains itself as sara which means “knowledge” and swa which means “our own self”. The giver of knowledge and wisdom is worshipped by artists, students, creative folk and every other person who strives to learn in order to reach a higher level. Goddess Saraswati is believed to be the giver of speech to the human race. She is looked upon as the mother of Vedas. People from all over India worship her on various occasions such as Vasant Panchami, Navratri, Diwali and Magh Panchami. Alternatively prayers are also offered to her regularly by those who wish to gain highest wisdom and attain success in various fields of performance.

Prior Arrangements

To perform Saraswati Pooja at home it is necessary to make some prior arrangements and assemble all the essential ingredients at one place. Make sure you have cleaned the house and the place of worship before you start your pooja. Books, tools and musical instruments are usually dusted, cleaned and placed in their pure form in front of the goddess in order to seek her blessings. The essential items required to perform Saraswati Pooja are listed below.

• The idol of Goddess Saraswati or even a photograph would suffice.
• Turmeric Powder
• Vermillion or kumkum
• A piece of white cloth
• White color flowers for Saraswati and red color flowers for Ganesha
• Durva grass
• Five different varieties of fruits which include Bananas
• Coconut
• Mango Leaves
• Kalash (a metal or earthen pitcher pot)
• Raw rice
• Betel leaves and betel nuts
• Milk
• Wooden pen and Ink pot
• Necessary ingredients to prepare the prasadam or offerings to Saraswati. Most often a sweet made out of jaggery is offered during the ritual.

Performing Saraswati Pooja

It is necessary to wake up early and purify your body by applying the mixture of Neem and Turmeric. After which you need to take bath with medicinal water which consists of Neem and Tulsi leaves. Wear a washed or a new dress in white or yellow colour and get ready to perform the ritual. Perform Ganesh pooja by invoking him with water, flowers and the above mentioned leaves. Recite Saraswati mantras. You can start the Saraswati pooja by positioning the idol or photo in the worship place in your house. Light the oil lamps and place them on both the sides of the idol. It is believed that Saraswati is more inclined towards the colour white. So either cover the idol with the white cloth or spread it plain on a plate of raw rice and place the idol on top of it. Decorate the idol with flowers and garlands. This represents that you have invited the goddess to your house and have offered a sanctified place to sit. Fill the empty inkpot with milk. Place the wooden pen inside it and position it next to the idol. Pour water into the kalash and place five mango leaves inside it. On top of the kalash place a betel leaf with betel nut, flower and durva grass. Offer prayers with flowers and leaves by reciting Saraswati mantras and singing devotional songs. Offer the sweets cooked at home along with fruits.