Generally, the new moon day is considered inauspicious; however, this day is an exception to the rule. Since it is still not auspicious for all events, it is more appropriate to call it a day of happiness rather than an auspicious day.

    The deities Lakshmi and Kuber are worshipped on this new moon day. Lakshmi is the deity of wealth, but Kuber is the treasurer. Some people possess the art of earning money but do not know how to save it. However, saving money and spending it appropriately is far more important than earning it. Since most people do not know how to spend money properly, their spending is unwarranted and ultimately, and they become bankrupt. Kuber is the deity Who teaches the art of saving money as He Himself is the treasurer. Therefore, in this ritual, the worship of Lakshmi and Kuber has been recommended. Though all people celebrate this festival, the business community in particular does so with great enthusiasm and splendor. The celebration of this proceeds as follows:

	An auspicious bath (abhyangsnan): Bath with an oil massage is recommended on all the three days from Narak chaturdashi to Balipratipada. One should wake up early in the morning and take an oil bath. With an ordinary bath the raja and tama components decrease by 1/100,000% and the sattva component increases by the same amount for a duration of only three hours. However, with the oil bath it lasts for four to five hours. An oil bath consists of an oil massage to facilitate the absorption of oil by the skin, followed by a warm water bath. Oil should be applied to retain elasticity of the skin. Warm water is auspicious and pleasing to the body. Bathing after an oil massage retains only that amount of oiliness that the skin and hair require. Hence, an oil massage is necessary before a bath. Application of oil after a bath is inappropriate.
	Lakshmipujan: On this day, one performs Lakshmipujan, that is, worship of deity Lakshmi, the deity of prosperity. After an auspicious bath at dawn, one should worship the deities. In the afternoon, a rite for the departed souls (parvanshraddha) and an offering of meals to Lord Brahma (who created the Universe) is done and in the evening, in a pandal decorated with creepers and leaves, Lakshmi, Vishnu, Kuber, and other deities are worshipped in the following manner. A statue or picture of Lakshmi should be installed on a seat on which either an octapetalled lotus or a svastik is drawn with consecrated rice (akshata). Next to Her, a statue of Kuber is placed on a pot (kalash). Then, all these deities are offered a sacrament (prasad) of a mixture of coagulated cow's milk (khava), sugar, cardamom and cloves. Then, items like coriander, jaggery, and corn from parched, uncleaned rice, sugar candies (battase), etc., are offered to Lakshmi and distributed to friends. The Puranas (Hindu spiritual texts) narrate that on this night, Lakshmi enters the ideal home, which besides being clean, is inhabited by men who are faithful, dutiful, merciful, righteous, have control over passions and are devotees of God, and women who are virtuous and chaste.
	Cleaning the house: Development of virtues gains importance only if in the process, defects are overcome. Just as one makes efforts to acquire wealth (Lakshmi), poverty (alakshmi) should be destroyed. To signify that, on this day a new broom is bought. It is called Lakshmi. At midnight one should sweep the house with that broom, accumulate the garbage in a dustpan and throw it out. This is called 'driving off' of alakshmi (garbage - poverty). Sweeping/vacuuming the house and throwing the garbage out at night is forbidden on other days.
	Decoration with lit lamps: Lamps should be lit both inside and outside the house on all the evenings of Divali. This gives the house a decorative look and generates enthusiasm and joy. Earthen lamps lit with oil are more decorative and soothing than a string of electric bulbs. This is in alignment with the Vedic teaching that one should go from darkness (spiritual ignorance) to light (spiritual knowledge.). Offering lit lamps attracts Lakshmi. Each and everyone should celebrate the religious festival of Dipavali with enthusiasm so that Lakshmi perpetually inhabits one's home and one is enlightened with spiritual knowledge. This helps to maintain happiness and prosperity in the family.
	Decoration with lanterns (akashkandil): The lantern should be hung outside the house on a tall pole. The pole should be held in the ground by burying its base and the lantern should be hung on it with the help of a string. This lantern should be displayed from the eleventh day (ekadashi) of the bright fortnight of the month of Ashvin till the eleventh day of the bright fortnight of the month of Kartik. To gain prosperity, the lantern should be ritualistically installed, repeating the mantra : "I am offering this lantern along with the lamp to The Supreme Almighty Damodar. May He endow me with prosperity."
	Rangoli: The word rangoli is derived from the Sanskrut word 'rangavali' (an array of colors). Thus, a design created by a pinch of hand, allowing the powder of a special soft white stone to flow freely is called rangoli. Rangoli is an art, which precedes sculpture and painting. It is both an auspicious and a preliminary necessity in any religious ritual.     The two aims of drawing rangoli are revelation of beauty and acquisition of auspiciousness. It is a practice to draw rangoli at the site of any auspicious religious ritual such as a holy festival, a religious festival, an auspicious function, ritualistic worship, a vowed religious observance, etc. When performing the act of moving lit lamps about the face for someone (arti), rangoli is drawn around a wooden seat (pat) on which he is seated and also in front of him. At public functions also during a meal rangoli is drawn around a wooden seat and the plate or leaf on which the meal is served. During Divali various rangoli designs are drawn at the doorstep and decorated with different colours. In the ancient times it was a practice to sweep and sprinkle every doorstep with cowdung everyday and draw rangoli.     Rangoli is drawn with powder obtained by pounding a cleavable and lustrous mineral (shirgola). Rangoli powder is generally coarse. As a result, it is easily released with a pinch. After smearing the ground with cowdung, one should not forget to draw at least four lines of rangoli on it. Ground smeared with cowdung but not decorated with rangoli is said to be inauspicious. When sweeping the floor or smearing with cowdung, subtle lines are created on it. These possess certain frequencies. Since these lines are irregular, their vibrations, too, are irregular. These are harmful to the body, eyes and mind as well. To overcome these unfavorable frequencies, if cones and auspicious symbols are drawn systematically with rangoli on the smeared floor, then the ill effects of sweeping/vacuuming and smearing are overcome and favorable results are obtained.