Saraswati Puja at home Pooja decoration

A plank called manai is cleaned well and a traditional kolam with lines and with kaavi border is drawn on both sides

 At the centre we can draw a free hand rangoli or Puja room rangoli like Hridaya kamalam or Aishwarya kolam.

A simple method of offering Puja at home to Goddess Saraswathi which is celebrated during Navarathri festival.  It is usually performed on the 9th day of the 9-day long festival.

The next day on Vijayadasami day which is considered auspicious for beginning any new venture,  children are asked to take the books from Puja and study for some time.  

 

Prepare sandalwood paste, apply on the forehead of the Goddess followed by turmeric powder and kumkum, a traditional method of applying tilak or tilagam for decoration.

Offer white flower garland to the Goddess, I make the garland at home,  we can also buy it from a flower vendor.  When we do it ourselves, we get lot of mental satisfaction.

White lotus flowers are offered, I did not get white lotus, so I offered pink lotus 

We can add more decorations like different flowers and cotton vastra also.

Clean another plank and draw a kolam , these simple and traditional rangoli are called manai kolam in Tamil.

Place the books on this plank, books of school or college going children, any books we use.  I place my kolam book in which I practice and create designs!

Offer two to four betel leaves of good quality, areca nut and plantains.

A coconut is also offered

Aarthi is prepared with ghee and cotton wicks and is offered to the Goddess

Of course a pair of lamps are to be lit before Goddess Saraswathi Ma

We can do our prarthana , sing slokas and songs we know - they can be in any language, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi or Tamil.  Camphor is offered to the Goddess to complete the Puja