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Home > Other Astrological Information > Events / Festivals > Varalakshmi Vratam
The traditional month of Sravanamasam / Aavani is considered to be very auspicious especially for women. Women perform the famous Mangalagouri vratam on Tuesdays and Mahalakshmi puja on Fridays during the month. Varalakshmi Vratam is the most important of festivals of them all. The vratam will be performed on the Friday before the Full Moon Day or the Poornima day in Sravanamasam. It is believed that worship of Goddess Lakshmi will bring health, wealth and prosperity. Vara means boon. Needless to say, performing puja (in the form of a Vratam) to Goddess Varalakshmi will bring in boons to those who performs with utmost devotion. Those who fail to perform the Vratam to invoke the blessings of Goddess on that day could do so on any other Friday of the Sravanamasam. This puja is performed by the women folk irrespective of their caste and creed. This women festival is popular in Southern India, particularly in the regions of Andhra Pradesh and parts of Tamil Nadu (particularly amongst the Tamil Iyers) and Karnataka, and is considered a must-do puja by the newly married women.
The name Varalakshmi can be interpreted in two ways. In one sense, Varalakshmi is one who grants boons. In another, she is the Goddess who is invited into the home and honored. The different types of benefits that will accrue thanks to performing the Varalakshmi puja are Dhan (Money), Dhanyam (Gains or Food), Arogyam (Health), Sampath (Property), Sathsanthanam (Virtuous offspring) and Dheerga saumangalyam (Longevity of the husband).
Ancient texts say that those who perform the puja have to observe fast on the eve of Varalakshmi Vratam. The preparation for the puja begins few days before the actual puja day. Women shop gold ornaments and new clothes (that are placed before the Goddess Lakshmi on the puja day). Goddess Lakshmi loves cleaner and tidier homes. Hence, it is a general practise to make the house clean and tidy the day before the puja day itself. Puja related vessels are cleaned and polished. The actual puja day will be a very busy one. Women gets up early in the morning (during Brahma Kalam) and take bath. The household should be cleaned and the entrances of the house are smeared with turmeric powder. Kum kum marks are applied. A small Mantapam (or mandapam) is set up by drawing rangoli. Rice is spread on the rangoli and a kalasa is placed on the rice. The kalasa comprises of a small pot on which a coconut is placed. The coconut is applied with turmeric and is richly decorated with kumkum. Atop the coconut, a cloth is placed to look like a cap. The features of the Goddess are also drawn on the coconut to make the image of Her to facilitate worship. Jewelry is put round the coconut. Flowers are used to enhance the decoration.
Lord Ganesh is worshipped first which is the usual practice before any puja or ritual. The main puja of Varalakshmi Vratam is performed after that. Special eateries (called pindi vantalu) are cooked. According to the legend, a brahmin woman Charumathi, an ideal housewife serving her in laws and husband dutifully has a dream in which Goddess Mahalakshmi appears and asks her to perform puja to Varalakshmi. She, therefore, organizes the puja and invites her friends and relatives to the puja, after which Charumathi as well as all those who attend were bestowed wealth.
One day when Lord Eswara is relaxing in Kailasa giri, Goddess Parvathi approached Him and asked him to tell a vrata that gives wealth and prosperity. The Lord tells her that performing Varalakshmi Vratam will bring in sowbagyam to the women folk. He narrates the story and explains the process of performing the vrata to Goddess Parvathi. This vrata has to be performed on Friday that falls before Poornima in Sukla Paksham in Sravanamasam.
The story happens in a beautiful town called Kundinagaram located in the Kingdom of Vidarbha (Vidarba Rajyam). In that Kundinagram town, Goddess Adilakshmi, being pleased by her devotion tells Charumathi in a dream and directed her to perform the vrata to enable Her to fulfil her desires. Charumathi wakes up and tells her husband about the dream. Charumathi along with some neighbourhood women takes bath in the wee hours and prepare a mandapam and invites Varalakshmi Devi. She recites the following sloka along with other women with utmost faith and devotion.
Lakshmi Ksheerasamudra rajatanyam sri rangadhameswareem
Dasibootha samastha devavanitham lokaika deepamkuram
Sri manmanda kataksha labdhivibhat brahmendra gangadharam
Twamtrayamlokyakutumbhineem sasijavandemukunda priyam
Then she wore nine threads Thoranam to right hand and offers naivadyam to Goddess Lakshmi Devi. On the completion of the first circumstance, she heard she found Gajjelu, Andelu and other ornaments. On the second circumstance, they found kankanams made of navaratnams to their hands. On completion of the third circumstance, they found immense wealth. 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. Varalakshmi Astottaranamavali is recited
Varalakshmi Vratam falls on the following days in the respective years: