KATHMANDU: As the sun shines over Nepal this afternoon, homes and cities across the country are busy with preparations for Laxmi Puja, the grand festival of light and prosperity that will be celebrated this evening and into the night. It is the third and most vibrant day of Tihar, when households, shops, and temples will glow under thousands of lamps in honor of Goddess Laxmi, the deity of wealth, fortune, and well-being.

By twilight, the nation will transform into a sea of light — from the narrow alleys of Patan to the riverside ghats of Janakpur. Families are sweeping courtyards, painting doorways, hanging garlands of marigold, and creating colorful rangoli patterns at entrances to welcome the goddess. Streets and marketplaces are already buzzing, filled with people buying oil lamps, candles, flowers, and sweets for the rituals to come.

The festival of light and prosperity

Laxmi Puja, also known as Deepawali, symbolizes the victory of light over darkness and purity over neglect. According to belief, Goddess Laxmi visits only those homes that are clean, bright, and peaceful.

Throughout the afternoon, families prepare by cleaning every corner of the house, arranging offerings, and setting up altars adorned with idols of Laxmi, Ganesh, and Kuber — the guardians of wealth and good fortune.

As dusk falls, homes will begin to sparkle with rows of oil lamps and electric lights, guiding the goddess into their dwellings. The soft golden glow of diyas will illuminate doorsteps, balconies, rooftops, and courtyards. For many, lighting each lamp is not just a ritual — it is an act of devotion and hope, a way of inviting prosperity while dispelling darkness from both the home and the heart.

Evening rituals and offerings

As night approaches, the ritual of Laxmi Puja will begin. Families will gather in their prayer rooms or at home altars, offering flowers, fruits, sweets, coins, and money to the goddess. The worship is centered not only on material prosperity but also on gratitude and peace.

After prayers, homes will light up from every corner — kitchens, storerooms, and even barns — since it is believed that Laxmi blesses every space that shines with care and cleanliness.

Businesses across the country, especially in Kathmandu’s New Road, Ason, and Bhaktapur’s Taumadhi Square, will perform special pujas for their account books and financial ledgers, marking the start of a new fiscal chapter.

In neighborhoods and towns, the evening will be filled with laughter, music, and fireworks. Children will go door-to-door singing bhailo, traditional songs that bless households with prosperity and happiness, while families exchange greetings, sweets, and good wishes.

A nation awaits its brightest night

Even before the sun sets, cities like Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Pokhara, and Biratnagar are already adorned with lights. Streets are lined with strings of bulbs, balconies draped with marigolds, and shopfronts decorated with lanterns and banners.

Electric lights have become more common in recent years, but many families still prefer the traditional glow of oil lamps, which carry a deeper spiritual meaning.

Temples dedicated to Goddess Laxmi are expected to draw large crowds this evening. In ancient towns such as Patan and Bhaktapur, devotees will gather with lamps and offerings, filling temple squares with a serene yet festive atmosphere.

In the plains of Janakpur and Birgunj, preparations are equally grand. Lakes and temple courtyards are being decorated with thousands of clay lamps, ready to flicker against the dark sky.

In hillside villages of Kaski, Dolakha, and Palpa, people are crafting earthen designs and decorating with cow dung and flowers, continuing age-old traditions that blend artistry with devotion.

Beyond wealth: The inner meaning of Laxmi Puja

Though Laxmi Puja centers on wealth and prosperity, its essence lies in spiritual purity and gratitude. It reminds people that fortune is not measured only in riches but also in honesty, peace, and kindness. The goddess is said to bless those who work hard, live truthfully, and keep their homes and hearts pure.

As lamps are lit tonight, each flame will symbolize the victory of clarity over confusion and light over despair. The act of cleaning, decorating, and illuminating is both outward and inward — a reflection of one’s readiness to receive positive energy and renewal.

For many, the festival is also a moment of reflection — a chance to thank the year gone by and to seek blessings for the days ahead. The night of Laxmi Puja thus becomes a spiritual reset, where every home shines not only with oil lamps but also with intention and hope.

Commerce, community, and celebration

This evening, markets and business areas will stay open late, filled with shoppers and worshippers. Traders will close old financial records and open new ledgers, praying for success in the coming year.

Banks, offices, and commercial buildings will also join the illumination, turning cityscapes into radiant displays of devotion and enterprise.

In residential areas, neighbors will visit one another’s homes, sharing sweets, fruits, and laughter. The festival brings together people from all backgrounds, reinforcing community bonds and mutual goodwill. Even modest households, with just a few lamps and flowers, participate equally — every light contributing to Nepal’s collective glow of faith and unity.

As the lamps are lit

When the first stars appear this evening, Nepal will step into its most beautiful night of the year. The air will fill with the scent of incense and flowers, the sound of bhailo songs, and the gentle hum of prayers. Rivers will shimmer with reflections of flickering lamps, and the cities will appear as if blanketed in gold.

Laxmi Puja is more than a festival — it is a feeling of renewal, harmony, and connection. It reminds people to keep faith in light even amid darkness, to embrace gratitude before desire, and to share prosperity rather than hoard it.

By midnight, as the lamps continue to burn softly on doorsteps and rooftops, they will carry the collective hope of millions — the wish that every household may remain bright, peaceful, and blessed in the days to come.