Laxmi Charan are the footprints of Goddess Lakshmi, and this pair carries a small covered bowl on each foot. Lift the decorated cover and the bowl holds a tealight, a little ghee with a short wick, kheel and batasha, a few grains of rice, or the first coins of Dhanteras. Point the toes into your home and you have the oldest way of asking Maa Lakshmi to walk in and stay.

Each piece is handcrafted terracotta, painted in glossy red and gold, then finished by hand with gold beadwork, a row of pearls at the ankle and small red and green set stones. The bowl itself is glazed deep green. The bowl and its lift-off cover are new to this design. The earlier Laxmi Charan closed over the foot; this one opens, so the pair works right through Diwali and then sits covered and clean on your locker for the rest of the year.

Which way should they face

Toes pointing into your home. Not outward.

The whole meaning of charan paduka sits in the direction. Facing inward, the footprints show Maa Lakshmi walking in towards your family. Turned the other way, they show her leaving. It takes a second to get right, and it is the one thing most people place wrong.

Where to keep them

• Just inside your main door, together on a small tray or one on either side
• At the front of your mandir, ahead of the murtis
• On top of the locker, safe or cash box, the oldest placement of all
• In a shop or office, on the counter facing the entrance

What goes in the bowl

• A tealight. Drop a standard tealight in and the whole foot glows.
• Ghee or oil with a short wick. The bowl is shallow, so use a little ghee and a short batti rather than a deep pool.
• Kheel and batasha. The classic Lakshmi Pujan offering, held on Maa Lakshmi's own feet.
• Coins or a note. The first earning of Dhanteras, or a coin taken from your locker and returned to it after pooja.
• Akshat, haldi or kumkum. Put the cover back on and it stays clean between poojas.

A two minute vidhi

1. Wipe the pair with a clean, dry cloth.
2. Touch a little haldi and kumkum to each foot.
3. Place a flower or a few grains of akshat in front of them.
4. Lift the covers, fill the bowls, and light them if you are lighting.
5. Offer the first coin or note of the day and say Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah.

The full step by step is in our Maa Lakshmi Puja Vidhi guide.

Details

As a gift

The pair arrives in a maroon Divine Sansar gift box, 15 x 15 x 8 cm, with a gold foil lotus on the lid. Inside it is lined in maroon velvet, and the two feet sit in a die-cut velvet tray over foam cushioning. The lid carries its own foam pad with two round seats that hold the loose covers. It can be handed over exactly as it comes. No wrapping needed.

It is the safe choice when you do not know someone's taste. Every Indian home understands charan paduka, it carries no risk of picking the wrong deity, and it is light enough to carry to a Grah Pravesh or send across the Emirates. For a housewarming pooja, a Diwali gathering or an office distribution, we do return gift quantities in our Bulk and Return Gifts range.

Ordering in the UAE

We pack and ship from within the UAE, so your Laxmi Charan pair reaches Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ajman without waiting on a shipment from India. Delivery is free on every order above AED 30, and this pair is comfortably over that. More festive pieces are in our Diwali Specials collection, and if you are setting up a new home, start with our Grah Pravesh pooja guide.

Care and safety

• Dust with a soft, dry cloth. No water and no soaking, it lifts the paint and loosens the set stones.
• Always take the cover off before lighting. Never light with the cover on.
• Stand the pair on a flat, heat safe surface, away from curtains and dupattas, and never leave a lit diya unattended.
• Terracotta is fired clay and will chip if dropped. Keep the gift box and store the pair in it between festivals.

Common questions

Which way should the Laxmi Charan feet face?

Toes pointing into your home, towards the living room. That shows Maa Lakshmi walking in. Facing them out of the door reverses the meaning, so this is the one detail worth getting right.

Can I actually light these, or are they only decorative?

You can light them. Take the decorative cover off, then use a standard tealight, or a small amount of ghee or oil with a short wick. The bowl is shallow by design, so it is not meant to hold a deep pool of oil.

What else can the bowl be used for?

Kheel and batasha on Lakshmi Pujan, a few grains of akshat, haldi or kumkum, or the first coins of Dhanteras. Put the cover back on and whatever is inside stays clean and dust free until the next pooja.

Where should I keep them in the house?

Just inside the main door, at the front of your mandir, or on top of the locker, safe or cash box. Shop and office owners usually keep them on the counter, facing the entrance.

Do I put them away after Diwali?

No. Unlike rangoli or paper decorations, charan paduka stay where you placed them. Many families keep them on the locker all year and only bring them out for a wipe and fresh haldi kumkum at each pooja.

Is this a good Grah Pravesh or housewarming gift?

It is one of the best. Laxmi Charan traditionally enter a new home before the furniture does, it arrives gift boxed, and it suits any Indian household regardless of which deity they keep. It also works as a return gift when you need twenty or more.

How is this different from your earlier Laxmi Charan?

The earlier design had a closed, diya shaped container over the foot. This one is an open bowl with a separate decorative cover, so you can light it, fill it, or close it and keep it clean. Same handcrafted terracotta, same size.

Can I wash them?

Please do not. Water lifts the handpainted finish and loosens the pearls and stones. A soft, dry cloth is all they need.

Add Divine to your Rituals.