Goddess Lakshmi is one of the earliest Goddess in Vedic civilization. Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and fortune, power and luxury, beauty, fertility and auspiciousness. She is the divine power that transforms dreams into reality. She is prakriti, the perfect creation, self sustaining, and self contained nature.

In Tantrik tradition she is "Maha Lakshmi", the supreme Goddess. They all symbolized the timeless mother goddess who nurtures and nourishes all life. The antithesis of Mother Goddess Lakshmi is goddess "Alakshmi". The Atharva Veda refers to two Lakshmis. It also provides spells and incantations to drive away the former.

"Alakshmi brings poverty and misery in her wake. Though she is ugly, she is the goddess of misfortune, nobody dares revile or abuse "Alakshmi", for she is Jeystha, Lakshmi's elder sister. Instead people offer her prayers and respectfully request her to stay out of their lives.

Once when Alakshmi found Lakshmi living happily for ever with Vishnu as his consort in paradise, she cried, "though I am elder to Lakshmi, I have neither husband nor home" Feeling sorry for her Lakshmi decreed, Mrityu, god of death, decay and degeneration will be Alakshmi's husband and she will dwell wherever there is dirt, ugliness, slot, gluttony, envy rage, hypocrisy, greed and lust". Hence those who want Alakshmi to stay out of their lives must clean their house and their hurts.

Thus the tradition of lighting and decorating and cleaning of houses during Deepawali festival arose along with the worship of Goddess Lakshmi. Lakshmi is fickle and she will leave us the moment she will discover dirt and filth in our surroundings and in our heart and Alakshmi will take her place instead.