Today is Varalakshmi Vratham, a festival to honour the Goddess Lakshmi. “Vara” which means “boon,” and “lakshmi” means “fortune or wealth.” This auspicious day is observed on the second Friday or the Friday before the day of the full moon (Poornima) in the month of Shravana (July–August).
What exactly is Varalakshmi Vratham?
In the ancient Magadha, there lived a woman named Charumathi in the town of Kundinyapura (now in the Amravati district in Maharashtra). The Goddess Mahalakshmi appeared in her dream, impressed by her devotion to the goddess, and asked her to worship Varalakshmi, thus seeking to fulfil her wishes. Varalakshmi is a variant of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.
When Charumathi told her family about her dream, they encouraged her to perform the pooja. Many other village women joined her in performing the traditional pooja and offering many sweets to the Goddess Varalakshmi, along with sacred chants.
And now, Hindus all over the world deify this pooja for its significance and goodness. Aside from abstaining from certain foods, there is a way to perform the Varalakshmi Vratham pooja.
How should the pooja be performed?
We can perform Varalakshmi pooja, in which we offer flowers, sweets, and fruits to the goddess, known as Vayana. A brass pot, known as the ‘kalash,’ representing the goddess, is wrapped in a saree and filled with rice or water, coins, betel nut, and five different types of leaves.
A swastika symbol is drawn on the saree using vermillion and sandalwood paste. As offerings to the goddess, mango leaves and a coconut with turmeric smeared on it are kept at the mouth of the vessel, and flowers and gold are kept in front of the pot.
The water from the pot is sprinkled throughout the house the next day, and the raw rice grains are used to prepare a meal for the family.
If you are unsure about the mantra to use during the Varalakshmi Vratham prayers, please watch the video below and play it as you follow along.
What else did we overlook about the Varalakshmi Vratham? Please let us know so that together, we can all learn about our deeply rooted culture.
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