domestic altar The household deities, part 2 Besides Lakshmi, other gods are also worshipped: Agni, the god of fire; Yama, the god of death; Navagraha, the nine planets as well as snakes in the form of diagrams etc.
domestic altar The household deities, part 1 In Hindu traditions, every home has a shrine in front of which, rites and offerings are made in honour of various deities. The altar has one or several statues or images that represent the family’s favourite gods or goddesses.
alpona Bengal alpona, part 3 "At Sumitra’s home" The path leading to the house is covered with footprints to show Goddess Lakshmi the way to their home. Rabi’s grandmother Sumitra draws on the beaten earth with a confident hand guiding the milky substance between her fingers.
mandana Mandana paintings, part 8 "Paglya, the divine footprints" The goddess is also invoked through unusual mandana called paglya, literally “footmark”. Drawn outside the house on the verandah and around the main mandana, they welcome the goddess inside the home to bless the family members.
