I started Mandir Essentials after watching my mom scramble every Diwali — one site has diyas but no kumkum, another has incense but forgets the cotton wicks, and none of them include an actual step-by-step vidhi guide for people who didn't grow up doing this every year.

A proper Lakshmi Puja setup needs about 9-10 specific items: brass diya + oil/ghee, cotton wicks, kumkum, haldi, akshat (rice), a puja thali, incense, rangoli colors, and ideally something to place the idol/photo on. Missing even one means a last-minute run to three different stores on Diwali night.

So I put together a single kit with all of it, plus a printed guide with the actual mantras and order of steps — for people who want to do this right but didn't grow up with a priest on speed dial, or for kids now running their own household puja for the first time.

If you're prepping for this festival season (or know someone who is), happy to answer questions on ingredients/rituals in the comments — genuinely enjoy talking about this stuff.