Quick Details on How to Perform Varalakshmi Vratam Festival 2024.

 

India is an economic hub that has a lot of businesses going on. However, the country values religious aspects and sets aside days to celebrate each festival and ritual. The Hindu religious community recognizes the presence of great deities and honors each with the right celebrations. This doesn’t regard other religions as they also receive their best days and festivities across the year. Most festivals are done to celebrate their Deities who are believed to be the outcome of who devotees are in their lives. Goddess Varalakshmi is one of the celebrated Deities. Varalakshmi is a form of Goddess Lakshmi, a name derived from two words:

"Vara" meaning "boon".

"Lakshmi" meaning "Wealth".

Varalakshmi Mata is a form of Goddess who blesses people according to their wishes. Another name for Varalakshmi Mata is “Varamahalakshmi” which is known for Varalakshmi Vratam celebrations. Varalakshmi Pooja is highly performed under grand festivals in different parts of India. The 2024 falls on Friday 16^th August.

The story of Varalakshmi Vratam.

The Hindu mythological stories state that there was a beautiful woman called Charumathi who lived in the town of Kundinagaram in the kingdom of Vidarbha. She is with her family and husband. Charumathi was a dedicated and God-fearing woman who worshipped Goddess Lakshmi. In her dreams, Goddess Adilakshmi is said to have visited her, and she gave Charumathi instructions for performing Varalakshmi Vratam. As she woke up the next morning, she said to her husband what had happened. She involved the village women in performing the Varalakshmi Vratam. They all participated and Charumathi said the shloka and tied the thoranam on her right-hand wrist. She offered sweets to Goddess Varalakshmi Mata who in turn blessed her with ornaments on the first prayers. Goddess Lakshmi gave her navaratna kankanams on the next move of prayers. After finishing the Varalakshmi Vratam prayers, all the women were blessed with a lot of wealth.

Varalakshmi Vratam festival.

Referred to as Varalakshmi Nombu. The Gregorian calendar shows that the festival may come in the month of July or August as it is found in the "holy month of Shravana" falling on every second Friday the Shravana’s holy month (Poornima). In celebration of the festival, it involves fasting and conducting Varalakshmi Vratam Pooja which leads to appeasing Lakshmi. Goddess Lakshmi is celebrated in her eight forms which include:

• o   Vidya Lakshmi: Goddess dealing with Knowledge and Arts.
• o   Adi Lakshmi (Maha Lakshmi): Goddess dealing with inner conscience and spiritual wealth.
• o   Vijaya Lakshmi: Goddess dealing with victory.
• o   Dhana Lakshmi: Goddess dealing with wealth and money.
• o   Dhairya Lakshmi: Goddess dealing with valour and courage.
• o   Dhanya Lakshmi: Goddess dealing with agricultural produce and food grains.
• o   Santana Lakshmi: Goddess believed to bless married couples with children.
• o   Gaja Lakshmi: Goddess believed in blessing devotees with cattle, abundance, and prosperity.

Preparing for Varalakshmi Pooja.

It is a Pooja that brings blessings to the whole family. It can be conducted at home. Keep the ingredients for the puja ready before the preparation. The Pooja Samagri are such as:

• v  Face of Goddess (One can get it from the market).
• v  Sandal paste (Chandan).
• v  Kalash.
• v  Akshatha.
• v  Bananas and seasonal fruits.
• v  Betel nut and betel leaves.
• v  Raw rice grain.
• v  Wers and garland.
• v  Mango and banana leaves.
• v  Kumkum and coconuts.
• v  Turmeric powder.
• v  Rice flour and colors.
• v  Lotus flowers.
• v  Milk.
• v  Devi Vastra.
• v  Dry fruits and nuts.
• v  Devi Abhushan Flo.
• v  Peeta or Thambaalam (Huge wooden plank).
• v  Scented water containing cloves, cardamom, edible camphor, mace, and saffron and fill it in Kalash.
• v  Naivedyam.
• v  Pongu nool.
• v  Plastic cups and bowls (for distributing prasadam).
• v  Panchamrit (Dry fruits, nuts, ghee, fruits, and jiggery).
• v  Thoram.
• v  Takeaway sets "given to women who attend prayers) also Thamboolam.

Preparation for celebrating Varalakshmi Pooja Vidhi.

The Varalakshmi Vratam falls on Friday. The day before (Thursday) women should wake up early in the morning to prepare. They clean all Pooja items and the Kalash. Put oil in lamps and keep them ready. Prepare Thoram, kumkum and Pongu nool. Lastly, arrange the puja plate and wait for the Varalakshmi Pooja.

Performing Padi Pooja on Thursday evening.

It starts on Thursday at 5:30 pm. It involves cleaning by sweeping and mopping the room entrances in the house together with the floor. On every corner of the house at the entrance, one must paint two kumkum lines and one turmeric line. After that smear kumkum and Chandan dots on the lines, light the lamp, and give neivedyam. Pick Peeta, keep it in front of Maa Varalakshmi picture or idol, put a banana left on it then pick a handful of raw full-grain rice and spread over it. The scented water in a kalash is placed into its place on Friday at the Pooja timings.

Performing Varalakshmi Vratam rituals.

It is performed on Friday. Women start by waking up early in the morning to take a bath, dress silk saree, and wear Jewellery (golden). Fasting is observed till the end of Pooja. Old women and those who have prescribed conditions are allowed to have milk and fruits. Below is the procedure for the Varalakshmi performance:

• Ø  Start by drawing the rangoli containing rice flour, then place the wooden plank over the rangoli.
• Ø  Put a banana leaf on the Peeta followed by one hand of full rice grains over the banana leaves.
• Ø  Put the kalash of scented water with the betel leaves and coconut on the rice grains.
• Ø  By using of Fresh blouse piece, cover the coconut to have a conical shape.
• Ø  On the coconut part facing the people, decorate it using ornaments such as neckpiece, nose ring, and decorative eyes.
• Ø  Put a pongu nool said to be Mangalsutra around the coconut neck. Right on the forehead, hands, and legs of the goddess, spread Chandan and kumkum tikas.
• Ø  Conduct the puja by lighting the ghee Diya.
• Ø  Pooja begins by worshipping Goddess Lakshmi as devotees chant the mantras on lotus seed beads.
• Ø  In the qualified Brahmins, one can choose to conduct Mahalakshmi puja.
• Ø  Wear the “seven Mukhi Rudrasksha beads” to purify one’s inner self and strengthen the power which brings money blessings.
• Ø  Worship Lord Ganesh as devotees chant His mantra and stotram.
• Ø  Pick an akshat with fresh flowers in your right hand and do the Avahanam slokha.
• Ø  Dedicate the akshta and flowers to the pot as you meditate about Goddess Lakshmi. Give the Goddess flowers and akshatha from the pot.
• Ø  Conduct the Thorakrandhi Pooja or Nonbu Saradu Pooja.
• Ø  Finish by conducting Mangala Aarathi by offering numerous Naivedyam types previously prepared to God Nonbu Saradu.
• Ø  Women are supposed to tie a thoram on the wrist of their right hand, then wear pongu nool on their neck.
• Ø  Get a mixture of kumkum and turmeric with water in a bowl then sing Mangala Aarti.

Timings for Varalakshmi Vratam festival.

During the Varalakshmi Vratam festival time should be adhered to. The table below shows the timings to be followed during the celebrations:

 

Event.	Time.	Duration.
Simha Lagna Puja Muhurat.	6:20 am – 8:19 am.	1hour 59 minutes.
Vrishchika Lagna Puja Muhurat.	12:20 pm -2:30 pm.	2 hours 10 minutes.
Kumbha Lagna Puja Muhurat.	6:34 pm – 8:20 pm.	1 hour 46 minutes.
Vrishabha Lagna Puja Muhurat.	11:55 pm – 1:58 am.	2 hours 4 minutes.

 

Reasons for celebrating Varalakshmi Vratam festival.

The Varalakshmi festival is celebrated in the following states of India:

• ·         Tamil Nadu.
• ·         Andhra Pradesh.
• ·         Karnataka.
• ·         Telangana.
• ·         Orissa.
• ·         Maharashtra.

Married women, newly married women, and childless women observe fasting throughout the day and conduct Varalakshmi Pooja for several reasons:

• §  Praying Goddess Lakshmi to bless them with children.
• §  Praying Goddess Lakshmi to bless their husbands with longevity and good health.
• §  Praying Goddess Lakshmi, for the family’s well-being.

FAQs.

1. 1.      When are the 2024 Varalakshmi Vratam celebrations?

The 2024 Varalakshmi Vratam celebrations will be on 16^th August 2024.

1. 2.      Who observes fasting during the Varalakshmi Vratam festival?

Women observe fasting during the Varalakshmi Vratam festival.