Varalakshmi Vratham : How to perform Varalakshmi Puja

Varalakshmi Puja

Varalakshmi Puja is performed by married Hindu women to seek the blessings of goddess Mahalakshmi, wife of Lord Vishnu, who is considered to be the house of wealth and prosperity.

Varalakshmi Vratham is usually performed in the month of Shravan on the Friday proceeding the full moon day. Those who cannot perform it on that day can do it on any other Friday in that Shravan month. A woman decorates hand and legs with Mehndi designs one day before Varalakshmi Vratham.

How to perform Varalakshmi Puja

The puja starts early in the morning on Friday. Women clean their homes and decorate their front yards with Rangoli (colorful designs on the floor with colors and flowers) on the day of Varalakshmi Vratham. Later, they take a head bath and decorate themselves with stunning clothes and jewelery and apply turmeric to there feet’s.

Puja Mandapam to perform puja

Set a place for Mandapam for worshiping god or place of worship on the east direction of wall of your house. If this is not possible you can do puja in your Puja room too. Clean the place and then made a muggu or rangoli with rice flour and sprinkle some Turmeric (Pasupu or Haldi) and Kokum and place some rice and nine grains (Navadhanyalu). And covered the place with white cloth or silk cloth on floor or base. Spread white rice on the cloth equally in the middle or center should be placed Kalasha.

Kalasha or Kalasham for puja

To prepare Kalasha can use tumbler made out of bronze, silver, or steel and apply turmeric and kokum. Take some fresh water in kalasha and add Pasupu, kokum or kumkuma, Sandal wood powder or Gandham, a pinch of white Rice, few coins i.e. 1 rupee coin is enough or sliver coin, Tulsi leaf and flower, and one dry date all should be added in Kalasha. Place Kalasha on top of which white rice spread in Mandapam should be arranged in middle. Place five mango leaves in the kalasha or can use 5 betel leaves as available. Take a clean coconut and apply turmeric all over. Wrap with a new blouse piece which is red in colour or any new piece and place it on the kalasha as a cone shape on the coconut. Now the kalasha is ready for puja. You can decorate kalasha with your new and old gold jewellery, flowers and perform the puja. There are many ways to make this puja, like some make puja for Varalakshmi or Lakshmi photo, some use Lakshmi Roopam statue or Ammavaru picture, some make Roopam from turmeric and stick it on coconut. And almost all perform Kalasha puja.

The main puja begins by worshiping Lord Ganesh who is believed to drive away all obstacles and evil forces. Later, goddess Mahalakshmi is invoked into the kalasha. They worship a couple of toranams (a bunch of nine threads with nine knots) and tie one to the kalasha while the other one is tied around the right hand wrist of the lady performing the puja.  Later, they perform puja mantra the Lakshmi Ashtottara Shatanamam (a list of hundred names in praise of the god) with lot devotion.

They offer the goddess nine varieties of delicacies including both sweets and savory stew. In conclusion of the Vratham, they sing hymns in praise of goddess Varalakshmi and also invite another married woman assuming her to be goddess Varalakshmi and offer her sweets. This day all women will fast till the Vratham is over and eat the Prasadam offered to Goddess.

That evening, they invite all the neighboring women to their homes and offer them tamboolam (an offering consisting of betel leaves, fruits, betel nuts, Kokum, turmeric, Dakshina (money) and raw chana’s. They also collectively sing songs in praise of goddess Varalakshmi. At night perform Aarti and move Kalasha three times to left and three times to right thus ending the puja.

Varalakshmi Vratham thali or Naivedyam thali or Prasadam thali

Usually make different types of prasadam – Kheer with vermicelli, Poornam Boorelu, Garelu or wada, Appalu, Payasam with rice, Pulihora or tamarind rice, Guggulam and plain rice with Pappu (dal). Offer all types of fruits which is availability for you offer to god on Varalakshmi Vratham

Next day of Varalakshmi Vratham they remove the Kalasha and break the coconut and make sweet of the coconut. This sweet should take only family members. And the water in the kalasha will offer to Tulsi plant at home. These bring wealth to the family. This is women festival for wealth and happiness.

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May Goddess Varalakshmi shower you with blessings and fulfill all your wishes.