Deepavali, Lakshmi Pooja & the constellation Boötes

Deepavali – Lakshmi Pooja – In 2022 on – 24th Oct

Deepavali or Diwali is celebrated on a new moon day. This year, 2022, is an exception since there is a solar eclipse, it is celebrated one day earlier. Diwali is also the start of Gujarati new year.

On that day, the Sun & the Moon both will be below a constellation called Boötes which is in the northern sky in the shape of a cone. The brightest star of Boötes is Arcturus. It is called Swathi – स्वाति “Su-Ati” (Sanskrit) Very good. Boötes represents Lakshmi.

Most female Goddesses are represented by constellations that have a V shape at the bottom indicating feminine gender, fertility. Boötes ends in a V shape with the bottom of the V represented by the star Arcturus (Alpha α Boötes). One other example is Saraswathy (Cepheus) with 5 major stars including a V shape.

• The Boötes constellation has 8 major stars shown above – Goddess Lakshmi has 8 forms – AshTa-Lakshmi (अष्ट लक्ष्मी). 
• Boötes constellation is shaped like a flame – Deepa (दीपा)
• Boötes constellation is also shaped like an owl – Lakshmi’s divine vehicle (vaahana वाहन:) is an owl.
• Boötes also is similar to the shape of a lotus bud – Goddess Lakshmi is known as Kamala कमला
• Arcturus in Boötes is the 4th-brightest star in the sky. It is a giant red star 27 light years away from us. It appears golden yellow/bright orange in color to the naked eye – It is said that Goddess Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth with gold lying at her feet.

The development of AshTaLakshmi & Shri Mahalakshmi Yantra through the years – A possibility

Boötes includes a star called Izar (Epsilon ε Boötes) – Ishtar (Inanna), the ancient Mesopotamian Goddess of current day Iraq is represented by an eight pointed star. Her symbols include an owl. Ishtar in Mesopotamia and Lakshmi in India are both derived from the Boötes constellation. 

Very old form of Ishtar below from British Library collection – Burney relief

Comparison of Lakshmi with other deities in the World

Isthar or Inanna is an ancient deity worshipped in Mesopotamia almost 4000 years ago. The current form of Lakshmi is much more sophisticated and reformed with a lot of new meanings added to the Goddess in India and elsewhere.

Female deities across the world are surprisingly similar. Inanna-Ishtar was associated with lion and owl. An ancient Greek Goddess named Ashtarte/Astarte was derived from Isthar. Isthar – Ashtarte – Ashta Artha. Artha literally is meaning but in this context, Artha means wealth/
material goods –Aishwarya – Ashtarte name is same as the symbolism for Ashta Lakshmi. From Ishtar, the Greeks derived Ashtarte and Athena/Athene. Romans equated Minerva, their goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare, and the sponsor of arts, trade and strategy, to Athena. Minerva’s symbol is owl for its wisdom. Remember that Goddess Lakshmi in India is also associated with lion and owl. So, are Goddess Lakshmi &
Inanna the same deities? I have no doubt that the Star of Ishtar is the Boötes constellation representing Goddess Lakshmi.
Ishtar could be represented either by Boötes or by Virgo. By observing the position in the clay tablet comparing Ishtar and Kali, it may also be that Ishtar was represented by Virgo since the star of Ishtar as Boötes is depicted separately in addition to Ishtar above her.

Last, but not the least point about Boötes. Boötes constellation’s name comes from the Greek word Βοώτης, Boōtēs, which means ox driver, ploughman, or herdsman. The correct pronunciation is /boʊˈoʊtɨs/, with each ‘o’ pronounced separately and stress on the second syllable. Okay, what is the meaning of Seetha, wife of Lord Sriram, in Ramayana? It means “one who came from a ploughed land“! Go back & look at the shape of Boötes, which appears like a ploughshare, the hardened blade of the plough.

Astronomy In Ancient Indian Belief Systems

The book (see below) has many analyses similar to the one above. It identifies the constellation representing a deity and beliefs about the deity to substantiate the identification. Do you want to find out more about the the path taken by the liberated souls from Earth to heaven? Are you curious to find out further on the complete details how Hercules is Lord Vishnu, Orion is Lord Shiva and re-discover the astronomical origins of other Indian pantheon like Lakshmi, Daksha Brahma, Prajāpati, Indra, Nārada, Dhanvaṅtari, Kubēra; divine vehicles like Garuda, Naṅdi, Makara, Adishēsha, Vāsuki, Airāvata; divine animals like Kāmadhēnu, Uchchaishravas? Why Auriga is Mount Meru? Where is Kailāsa, Vaikuṅtha, Gōlōka? Would you be interested to understand the origins of various Indian festivals throughout the year?

Read the book

ASTRONOMY IN ANCIENT INDIAN BELIEF SYSTEMS

by Chandrashekar B U

More details about the book at