Lakshmi

Origin: Sanskrit
Gender: Female
Meaning: "Sign, mark"
Pronunciation: LUCKSH-mee
Other Forms: Laxmi

Lakshmi is the name of the Hindu Goddess of prosperity, luck, and beauty. She is the wife of the God Vishnu, and is sometimes also called Mahalakshmi. She is believed to bring her devotees good luck, and protect them from any sort of misery and money problems. Lakshmi is often depicted with the lotus flower, and so many of her epitaphs have something to do with the lotus.

It is said that she is flanked by elephants, and gives coins of prosperity. Other times, she is accompanied by an owl. She is usually dressed in a red or gold outfit, and shows the abhaya mudra, or gyan mudra, with her right hand, holds a pot full of gold in her left arm, and a paddy sheaf in her left hand. Lakshmi is worshiped daily, but especially in October. On Diwali, the festival of lights, people put oil lamps outside of their houses, in hopes that she will bless them.

Must people will probably recognize this as the surname of model, and TV host, Padma Lakshmi. This is also the name of Bangalore born model Lakshmi Menon (seen in the picture above).