VARALAXMI POOJA

FESTIVAL OF WEALTH.
South Indians especially Andraites, Tamils and Kannadigas celebrate the famous festival to respect the beauty of wealth. This is called as ‘’SreeVaralaxmi Pooja’’. This festival falls usually at the month of August on Fridays. The festival celebrates Goddess Mahalaxmi. Mahalaxmi is the cosmic energy of beauty, order, wealth and prosperity.
Legends refer to Laxmi’s avathar from ocean followed by her celestial wedding with Lord Vishnu. The myth of churning of milky ocean also makes us to think about the very first life on this Earth. This is the monsoon time in Indian sub continent. So people have arranged this day to celebrate the goddess of wealth.
HOW TO CELEBRATE THIS FESTIVAL?
Mahalaxmi is incarnated as all the wealth forms of this cosmos. She is the eternal energy of Mahavishnu. She is celebrated usually as Astalaxmi which means 8 forms of Laxmies. They represent 8 essential energies and requirements of man.
DAY ONE:
This will be always a Thursday. Clean the home and decorate traditionally. By evening 6 P.M, perform Guru pooja and MahaGanapathy pooja. Simplicity is very important than grand false devotion. Then prepare the sacred kalasam as follows:
1. Take a small earthen or metal pot.
2. Fill it with water mixed with sandal paste or turmeric powder.
3. Put a 5 rupee coin or gold coin.
4. Spread 3 or 5 mango leaves and place a good fresh coconut upon them.
5. Either fix the metal face of Varalaxmi to the coconut or draw a woman’s face upon the coconut.
6. Further decorate the Kalasam based on your imagination. Please involve young children in all these rituals.
7. Arrange a wooden plank or stool where you like to perform the poojas. Decorate that also.
8. Gather your family and relatives sing bajans and welcome Devi in the form of kalasam from your entrance.
9. Place the kalasam on the pooja spot, offer simple prasadham.
10. By night perform arathy .
DAY TWO:
1. It is usually a Friday.
2. Clean your self, gather before Devi. Refer to good timing.
3. Light the lamps and agarbakthies.
4. Involve children and women to perform the rituals.
5. Perform the following rituals:
· Guru pooja.
· Ganapathy pooja.
· Vishnu pooja.
· Chant Laxmi sahasranama and astothram and offer flowers to the kalasam.
· Instead of flowers turmeric powder mixed with rice can also be used.
· We can also chant Vishnu sahasranama.
· Offer prasadham based on your manual power and economic conditions.
· Spread the sacred yellow threads upon Devi.
· Offer arathy, sing bajans and complete the rituals.
· Get aashirwadh from husband, elders and others.
· Ask husband to apply the kumkum on the forehead, mangal sutra and tie the sacred thread either on the right hand wrist or around the neck.
Respect every one as Laxmi. Offer cloths and food to poor people. Try to narrate the legend of churning of ocean to your children. Insist more about bio degradable garbage.
Laxmi says that she likes the place which is clean and tidy. She also likes traditions, simplicity and hardwork.
Let our mind and home is her permanent place.
HOW TO CONCLUDE THE POOJA:
By evening do simple prasadham and arathy to Devi. Offer all traditional items to your guests. By night do arathy and place the kalasam inside your rice box or kitchen. After a day remove all the things and pour the water to plants and use the coconut for vegetarian food.
*** For a detail pooja refer any text, audio cassette and other sources.
This year pooja falls on : August first.