The essence of the festival is devotion to Goddess Lakshmi, with the belief that staying awake through the night, performing bhajans, kirtans, and chanting Lakshmi mantras will invoke her blessings.

Bhajans or devotional songs are sung in praise of Goddess Lakshmi and traditional sweets are offered to the the goddess. Credit: DH Photo It is widely believed that buying gold and silver on ...