"Had praying to Goddess Lakshmi made one rich, India wouldn't be poor": Swami Prasad Maurya

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 21 (ANI): Rashtriya Shoshit Samaj Party president Swami Prasad Maurya on Tuesday stirred debate with his remarks questioning the practical impact of worshipping Goddess Lakshmi on poverty alleviation. Citing widespread poverty and unemployment in the country, Maurya stated that if prayers alone could bring wealth, India would not have 80 crore people dependent on subsidised food grains.
Emphasising respect for women managing households, he urged people to worship the "Ghar ki Lakshmi", the woman of the house, for true prosperity and harmony. Clarifying that he is not opposed to any form of worship, Maurya said his comments were meant as a rational appeal, not a religious provocation.
"Offering prayers to Goddess Lakshmi might be a tradition, but this is miles away from practicality. Had praying to Goddess Lakshmi made one rich, India would not have been one of the poor nations in the world. 80 crore people in the country still lead a life of poverty...People may or may not accept it, but can those 80 crore people who survive on 5-10 kgs of rice send their children to Universities? Can such people make their children doctors, engineers, professors, advocates, IAS, IPS or scientists? Never," Maurya told ANI.
"Crores of youths are unemployed today. Had praying to Goddess Lakshmi eradicated poverty, 80 crore people would not have survived on just 5-10 kgs of rice and crores of youth would not have been unemployed...I didn't oppose any form of worship, I just said that 'Ghar ki Lakshmi' (should be worshipped) because she keeps the house tidy round the clock and makes it heavenly...If you have to pray, pray to 'Ghar ki Lakshmi' so that there is joy and prosperity at home. This is an appeal. If people take this otherwise, it depends on their mindset...," he added.
Diwali is a five-day festival that starts on Dhanteras. On Dhanteras, people buy jewellery or utensils and worship God.
The second day is called Naraka Chaturdashi. It is also called Chhoti Diwali or Small Diwali.
The third day of Diwali is the main day of the celebrations. People worship Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi on this day and offer prayers to bless them with wealth and prosperity. The fourth day of Diwali is devoted to Govardhan Puja.
The fifth day is called Bhai Dooj. On this day, sisters pray for their brothers to have long and happy lives by performing the Tika ceremony, and brothers give gifts to their sisters. (ANI)