This pooja is performed for the well being of family members especially for the life of Husband & to get children, wealth etc. Every year Varalakshmi Vratham is observed in Sravana (in Telugu) month (Avani in Tamil & Sawan in Hindi). It is celebrated on Friday preceeding the full moon day (Pournami). Those who cannot perform it on that day, can do it on any other Friday in that month. On this day, married woman should observe fasting till they finish the puja.
In my family, both Mom & MIL don’t have the practice of doing Varalakshmi Viratham but every Friday we used to do Vilakku poojai for Goddess Mahalakshmi. But still I am making this post as per a reader's request. A reader from Chennai mailed me to share the details of Varalakshmi Vratham with pooja vidhanam/procedures and slokas as she is a beginner.
Shalini gave me a book titled “Aadi, Avani maadha Pooja Vidhanam” in which all the important festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi, Varalakshmi Vratham, Naga Chathurthi and Garuda Panchami were discussed in detail with slokhas in Tamil. Not just that, Shalini spent nearly 3-4 hours over phone , explained each and everything about the pooja while I was drafting the post. Without the help of Shalini, this post would not have come up in my blog. I must really thank God for giving me such a helpful friend in all aspects of my life.
If you are a beginner and looking for Varalakshmi pooja slokas in Tamil, right click on the images and click "Save as", download and save them in your mobile or PC and chant these slokas while doing the pooja. I have also shared some audio, video links for people who look for Varalakshmi vratham pooja vidhanam and idol decoration in Telugu and Tamil .
Please visit my in-laws kolam blog "Learn Kolam" for Rangoli ideas. Lets see how to do Varamahalakshmi Pooja at home :)
Varalakshmi Vratham Prasadam Recipes List
Check out my list of Varalakshmi vratham recipes of Tamil nadu, Andhra and Karnataka.
Items required for Varalakshmi Pooja
- Rice flour & colors – for drawing rangoli ( Please visit my in-laws kolam blog Learn Kolam for Rangoli ideas.)
- Thambaalam/A big plate OR A wooden plank/Peeta
- Few Banana leaves
- Raw Rice – as needed ( to spread over the peeta)
- One Kudam/Kalasha ( silver, bronze or copper)
- Water scented with Jathikai/Mace, Cardamom, Saffron threads/edible camphor, Cloves(to fill the kalasha)
- few Mango leaves ( to keep on top of kalasha)
- One coconut for kalasha and few more for thamboolam bags
- Turmeric powder ( for making gowri, if you have the practice)
- Kumkum
- Chandan( Sandal paste)
- Akshatha ( Raw rice coated with turmeric/Manjal podi)
- One lotus flower
- Face of goddess ( Available ready made in Market)
- Jewelries ( For Eyes, Nose – Available in market)
- Dress and blouse piece for Lakshmi ( Buy in market)
- Flowers and garland ( for archanai & decoration)
- Betel leaves, Betel nut, Banana ( Vetrilai, Paaku, Vazhai Pazham)
- Thoram for hands/pongu nool for neck (Thoram is nothing but a sacred thread coated with turmeric powder with 9 strings and 9 knots whereas Pongu nool is a single thread smeared with turmeric powder)
- Milk, Dry fruits & nuts ( optional)
- Fruits ( all seasonal fruits)
- Panchamirtham ( a mixture of fruits, jaggery, dry fruits, nuts and ghee)(optional)
- Neivedyam recipes ( Idli, Sweet pooran kozhukattai ( poornam borelu), ellu kozhukattai, Karjikai/fried sweet samosa, Chitranna, Payasam, sweet appam ( based on your tradition).
- Thamboolam set of kumkum,chandan,bangles, Betel leaves and nuts, Yellow rope, blouse pieces, coconut, banana along with 1 rupee coins) – Make them ready as per the number of ladies you invite.
- Ready made(plastic) cups and bowls for distributing prasadam.
- Mahalakshmi stothram book or download the images I have shared here.
Pre preparatory works for Varalakshmi Pooja
On Thursday morning,wash all the pooja vessels and kalasha pot.Wash the lamps, keep kumkum dots and put threads. Oil the lamp and keep it ready for the next day use. Make the thoran and pongu nool and arrange the other pooja things in a plate.You can also prepare the stuffing for sweet pooran kozhukattai, soak the pulses for sundal and grind the batter for idli.
Padi Poojai/Chukkalu pette pandaga(Telugu)on Thursday evening
On thursday evening around 5.30 pm, sweep the entrance of each room (Nilai padi/vaasal padi). Apply turmeric on the sides and draw 2 lines using kumkum. It is partitioned into three divisions. Put chandan & kumkum dots. This pooja is done to welcome Goddess Lakshmi and it shows the beginning of next day function.You can also keep the manai/Wooden plank/Peeta and place a banana leaf over it. Spread the raw rice and keep it ready for next day’s pooja. Remember you should not keep the kalasha now. It should be kept only on Friday. Please click on the image to see the bigger sized picture.
Varalakshmi Pooja Story in English
Dasibootha samastha devavanitham lokaika deepamkuram
Sri manmanda kataksha labdhivibhat brahmendra gangadharam
Twamtrayamlokyakutumbhineem sasijavandemukunda priyam
Then Charumathi offers Tambulam to the brahmin priests and distribute the vrata prasadam to the relatives and lead a happy life. Since then, Hindu women perform this vrata with utmost faith and trust till today. With this, Lord Eswara concludes telling the story to Goddess Parvathi.
How to make thoram and Pongu nool
Thoram and Pongu nool are nothing but the sacred thread smeared with turmeric powder. Thoram is made by taking 9 strings of thread. Put 9 knots in equal intervals. The number of thoram depends on the number of ladies & young girls at home. Thoram has to be tied around your wrist and Pongu nool is nothing but a single thread smeared with turmeric powder.How to make the kalasha/Kalasam for Varalakshmi Pooja
For making Kalasam / Kalash, Fill the silver or bronze pot(kudum) with scented water (add cardamom, nutmeg, edible camphor etc) till its brim. Some people add kumkum, turmeric powder, dry fruits in the water. Some people have the practice of keeping raw rice, 1 lemon, 9 betel leaves(vetrilai), 9 betel nuts, 9 turmeric sticks( manjal kizhangu), 9 dry grapes, 1 moulded jaggery (Achu vellam), dry fruits & a karimani mala (black bead chain), coins inside the kalasha instead of scented water.How To Make Kalasam For Varalakshmi Pooja
The next day i.e Friday, after taking bath, wear a silk saree and some gold ornaments ( old or new). Wash the place where the pooja is going to be held. One should observe fasting till the Pooja is finished( Elderly woman can have milk and fruits). Draw rangoli using rice flour and place the peeta/Wooden plank/Manai OR Big plate/Thambaalam.
Place the kalasha over the rice. Cover the coconut using a new blouse piece( made into cone shape by referring the video link given below).
To this coconut, an image of Goddess Lakshmi is fixed or the image of Lakshmi made using turmeric powder. My friend makes the face of Lakshmi using turmeric powder as shown in the second picture. In some areas, women place a mirror behind the kalasham. Today, there are specially made Varalakshmi pots and faces available in the market. So you can buy and fix it with the blouse piece.Now the kalasham symbolically represents Goddess Lakshmi.
Decorate the idol with dress and Jewelries and garlands. You can dress it with a tucked saree or skirt (Pavadai). Put some jewels (Preferably gold) and tie a pongu nool around the neck. It is considered to be the Mangal sutra(Thali) Keep chandan & KumKum dots. Now Goddess Lakshmi idol is ready to perform pooja. Make a cone shaped Ganesh/Pillayar using turmeric powder mixed with water and keep it near the kalasha. Light the lamps at the time of pooja and start doing it.
Please refer this video for decorating Goddess Lakshmi Idol.
How to Perform Varalakshmi Pooja
शुक्लाम्बरधरं विष्णुं शशिवर्णं चतुर्भुजम् ।
प्रसन्नवदनं ध्यायेत् सर्वविघ्नोपशान्तये ॥
Shukla-Ambara-Dharam Vissnnum Shashi-Varnnam Chatur-Bhujam |
Prasanna-Vadanam Dhyaayet Sarva-Vighno[a-U]pashaantaye ||
Meaning:
1: (We Meditate on Sri Vishnu) Who is Wearing White Clothes, Who is All-Pervading, Who is Bright in Appearance like the Moon and Who is Having Four Hands,
2: Who is Having a Compassionate and Gracious Face, Let us Meditate on Him To Ward of all Obstacles.
Source : (http://www.greenmesg.org/mantras_slokas/sri_vishnu-shuklambaradharam_vishnum.php)
Avahanam and Anga Pooja
After finishing Ganesha pooja, take some flowers and akshatha in hand and chant the Avahanam slokha. Visualise Goddess Lakshmi in mind and offer the flowers and akshatha to kalasha. Goddess Lakshmi is invited to our house.
Lakshmi Ksheera Samudra Raaja Tanaya
Sree Ranga Dhaameshvari
Daasi Bhootha Samasata Deva Vanithaam
Lokaika Deepankuraam
Sreeman Manda Kataaksha Labdha Vibhava
Brahmendra Gangaadharam
Tvaam Trailokya Kudumbineem
Sarasijam Vande Mukunda Priyaam
Meaning: Goddess Lakshmi, who is the daughter of the king of the ocean of milk, whose abode is Srirangam (with Lord Ranganatha), who is served by all the divine ladies in heaven, who is the guiding light for the world, who has obtained the sustained (continued, everlasting) glance (Grace) from Brahma, Indra and Shiva, whose abode is the three worlds (Bhu, Bhuva, Suvaha) - I offer my prostrations to Thee, the beloved of Lord Krishna (Mukunda).
Now perform Anga Pooja (Worshipping each body parts of Lakshmi). Offer flowers to Kalasha by chanting Anga pooja sthothram. Refer the picture below for Anga pooja Sthothram in Tamil. Please refer this link in Hindupad for sthothra in English.
Following this, chant Lakshmi Ashtothram(108) by offering flowers to Kalasha.
Refer the below picture for Anga Pooja slokha & Lakshmi ashtothram ( Click on the image to see the bigger sized picture).
Varalakshmi viratham slokhas |
Varalakshmi vratham slokhas |
Proceed with thoram Pooja/Nonbu Saradu poojai which is known as Thorakrandhi pooja.
Neivedyam and Mangala Aarathi
Finally, Mangala Harathi is performed for the kalasha. Different types of sweets/neivedyam are offered in front of the God. Nonbu saradu/Thoram (yellow thread) should be tied on the woman's right hand and Pongu nool should be tied around your neck. You can ask your Husband to do this. At the end, take harathi by mixing turmeric & kumkum in water. Sing the Harathi song while taking mangala aarathi.
If you have not read the Varalakshmi Vratham story on Thursday, do it now.
Punar Puja - How To Remove Kalasha
Some people remove the kalasha on Friday night. But my friends told me to do it on Saturday. On Saturday morning, after taking bath, perform a pooja for the kalasha. Then dismantle it at auspicious time of the day. Consume little water as theertha. Sprinkle it all around in the house. Then pour the remaining water in well, trees or tulsi plant. If rice is used in Kalasha, mix it with rice in the house. If you used coins, keep in the locker safe. You can remove the nonbu saradu/Pongu nool and thoram after 3 days or on Saturday. Make some sweets with the coconut you kept in kalasam and enjoy with your family. Do not make any spicy dishes with the coconut.
Some useful Links for Slokhas & Videos for beginners
Refer THIS LINK for the detailed pooja procedure with slokhas in English- This VIDEO will help you to decorate Lakshmi Idol & placing Kalasha.
- If you want to do the pooja by listening to slokhas chanted by a priest, please refer this AUDIO, AUDIO & VIDEO , THIS VIDEO for Telugu Version. You can just follow the instructions and perform pooja.
How to do simple Varalakshmi Pooja
NOTE from a reader Mrs. REVATI
She has been doing this Pooja since 27yrs. Thanks a lot for sharing this valuable information mam.
If any close relative from in-laws side dies, we should not perform full puja BUT on the festival day one must take out Amman moham/ face and keep in silver glass or panchatram with rice, tambulam, coin in it in silver or peetalai / brass plate with banana leaf below. Yellow thread should be kept in amman, neivedyam should be done with fruits, beetal leaf, supari, manjal. After that tie sharadu in your right hand.
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