Lakshmi Panchami is today
Today, March 23, is Lakshmi Panchami — an auspicious day dedicated to worshipping Goddess Lakshmi for wealth and prosperity, with traditional puja rituals encouraged to invite abundance and peace (moneycontrol.com). Observance guides list specific timings and rites for domestic worship, making it a practical day for family pujas or small temple visits (indiatoday.in).
Panchami tithi is listed as starting at 09:16 PM on March 22 and ending at 06:38 PM on March 23 for New Delhi, giving devotees a daytime window for puja and vrat observance. (moneycontrol.com) Auspicious slots noted in contemporary panchangs include Brahma muhurat at 04:41–05:29 AM and Abhijit muhurat at 11:53 AM–12:41 PM, while local panchang listings show a shubh muhurat around 11:42 AM–12:30 PM and Rahu kaal from 7:31–9:03 AM. (msn.com) (srimandir.com) Common puja vidhi instructions published by national outlets recommend cleaning the puja space, installing a Lakshmi image or Shri yantra, performing abhishek with Gangajal and milk, lighting a ghee lamp with a clove, and offering white sweets such as makhana kheer or milk-based prasad. (jagran.com) Sources list specific mantras used during the vrata, including the Lakshmi beej and salutations such as "Om Shreem Hreem Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah," and advise chanting in counts of 108 where possible. (tirth.com) (rudra-world.com) Charitable acts tied to the observance include feeding Brahmins or the needy and giving dana or coins, practices explicitly mentioned by festival guides and business-community notices as customary for the day. (jagran.com) (moneycontrol.com) Major temples and public observances include scheduled Lakshmi–Narayana events streamed by ISKCON Chowpatty and continuous darshan arrangements at city shrines such as the Shri Mahalakshmi Temple in Mumbai, which shows regular darshan hours on its official site. (youtube.com) (mahalakshmi-temple.com) Panchang and festival coverage note that this Panchami falls in Chaitra Shukla Paksha and is treated as a Kalpadi tithi—one of the Vedic time markers associated with new beginnings—placing the observance within the first week of the Hindu New Year. (moneycontrol.com) (indiatoday.in)
