Sri Suktam Vidhanam Shodasa Upachara Puja
We will worship Mother Lakshmi through offering sixteen intimate services to Her through connecting with the five elements in nature. We will worship her through earth, water, fire, air and ether. The Vedic Hymn, the Sri Suktam will be the base used in this worship.

Lakshmi is symbolic of eight forces, wealth, earth, learning, love, fame, peace, pleasure, and strength, collectively known as Ashtalakshmi.

This puja is open to everyone, attendies are encouraged to bring any images or Murthis (spiritual statues) they may possess to be energiezed during the ceremony. Please bring fruits and or flower petals to offer if possible.

The Sri Suktam is a Vedic hymn that describes the glory and compassion of the nourishing aspect of the Divine Mother know as Lakshmi. This beautiful hymn invites Lakshmi into our hearts and our lives. Chanting this hymn surrounds us with light and eliminates material and spiritual poverty.  If you would like to learn how to chant the Sri Suktam, there will be a workshop on how to chant the Sri Suktam at 1pm proceding this puja.

Significance (from Wikipeda)
The Sri Suktam assumes specific significance because of Sri Mahalakshmi's presence on Lord Sri Venkateswara (at Tirumala) or Vishnu's chest, at the Heart. Lakshmi is the embodiment of Love, from which devotion to God or Bhakti flows from. It is through Love/Bhakti or Lakshmi that the atma or soul is able to reach God or Vishnu.
Sri or Lakshmi is also the personification of the Spiritual energy within us and universe called Kundalini. Also, She embodies the Spiritual World or Vaikunta; the abode of Lakshmi-Narayana or Vishnu, not to be confused with Heaven, as The Heavenly Planets are still part of the Material Universe. Vaikuntha-Dham is purely spiritual, eternal and self illuminating. She is also supposed to have the Divine qualities of God and the soul. Lakshmi is God's superior spiritual feminine energy or the Param Prakriti, which purifies, empowers and uplifts the individual. Hence, She is called the Goddess of Fortune.