Kolam by Sudha Balaji

  Varmahalskmi Habba / Navratri decoration -  harathi preparation  Friday Puja procedure I use a small silver plate as shown in the image for preparation of aarti plate as it is also called , for Friday Puja and also for other festivals like Varamahalakshmi Pooja , every day during Navaratri , Sravan Sukravar Pooja  Add some kukkum in a small plate and mix it with water.  Apply sandalwood paste and kumkum on four sides of diyas  Place flower shaped cotton wicks or long wicks depending upon the type of lamps we use.  Add cow's ghee to the wicks, light the lamps and perform aarthi  or harathi .  We can sing suitable songs in a language of our choice or mother tongue  Harathi songs in Kannada and Pooja songs in Telugu are quite popular 

 Welcome  Goddess Lakshmi, Giver of Happiness, please enter Our Mother, Giver of Supreme Happiness,  welcome When You take one step at a time,  Your anklets jingle, When the pious and saints perform Puja You appear like ghee from buttermilk                    You shower rains of gold You fulfill the desires of all ( devotees ) homes You are as bright as one crore suns  King Janaka's daughter , quickly ( please enter /welcome ) Give us infinite blessings Bangles rolling on Your Hands You wear kumkum on Your Forehead O! Lotus -eyed Proud Queen on Lord Venkateswara Stay forever in the homes of  Your devotees Giving auspicious occasions and good fortune forever Saint and pious souls who know the Truth You are in their thoughts , Golden doll  Sugar and ghee in our homes , When we perform Puja on Friday He lives on the other side, Lord Ranganatha He is Lord Vittala , You are his Queen. Translation of the vers...

A very popular and revered song of Sage Purandaradasa .  I have shared the song as I have learnt from my mother.  I have tried my best but my knowledge of Kannada, Tamil and English are the constraints.  If still this post is useful I will feel blessed. We can sing on Friday ( Sukravar ) or Navratri Friday or Varalakshmi Nombu There is  video from my YouTube channel Rangolisansdots - the song sung by my friend.   The link for the video is  Bhagyada Lakshmi Baramma    if you want to know the tune, lyrics  and the meaning for the lyrics Friday Pooja songs | Varalakshmi Vratham Pooja songs  Bagyada Lakshmi Baramma song lyrics in Tamil  Meanings in English | English translation Please enter ,  You give  happiness , Lakshmi please enter  Our Mother , You give  Supreme Happiness , please enter  When you take one step at a time Your anklets jingle When the pious and saints perform Puja You appear like ghee ...

Navratri Pooja songs | Friday Pooja songs in Tamil Abhirami Padhigam lyrics in Tamil I share some of the stanzas I sing with English translation ( done with  limited knowledge of Tamil and English ).  I hope it is useful.  I have shared the lyrics as I sing them so the meter may not as per the original composition Prayer for good family life in Tamil சகல செல்வங்களும் தரும் G iver of all wealth இமயகிரி ராஜ தனையை  Daughter of King ( of ) Himalayas மாதேவி  great Goddess நின்னை சத்தியமாய் நித்தம் steadfastly and  daily உள்ளத்தில் துதிக்கும் worshiping  உத்தமருக்கு  devotees ,   மிகவும் இரங்கி அகிலமதில் with compassion,  in this world  நோயின்மை Perfect health கல்வி education தனம் Wealth தான்யம் Food  அழகு beauty புகழ் fame பெருமை greatness இளமை youth அறிவு wisdom சந்தானம் children வலி strength துணிவு bravery வாழ்நாள் longevity வெற்றி  success ஆகு நல்லூழ் good destiny நுகர்ச்சி pleasant ex...

Preparations on Thursday   1. Clean the Puja room or Puja mandap with a clean cloth after taking bath. 2.  Remove all the old flowers and offer them to the Tulsi plant preferably or to any other plant or tree 3.  Clean all the lamps and wash them thoroughly and separately.  4.   Purchase flowers from the vendor or if possible tie the flowers for God using the traditional        method of making a garland. Puja Procedure on Friday   In the Puja room or mandapam draw Aishwarya kolam or Hridaya kamalam kolam with kaavi    border.  The image shows both these kolam drawn with kaavi border.  We can draw both kolam            also in the Puja room. Preparation of vilakku or lamps   Prepare the kuthu vilaku ( five faces lamp ). The lamp can be made from silver or brass.   Apply turmeric powder and kumkum on the lamp .  Using cotton wicks , five numbers  make the...

Aarti songs are important in the celebration of festivals and on Fridays.  After completion of Puja we offer Aarti to God or Goddess and it is customary to sing a song in praise of the God or Goddess for who we are performing the Puja. Varalakshmi Pooja songs in Telugu - aarti Mangala aarti song | Telugu Harathi song Jayamangala Nithya Subhamangala         ( Jaya is victory, mangala is auspicious, nithya is always ) Muthyala Aarti Pagadala Aarti                  ( We perform aarti with pearls, corals ) Manika Aarti                                             ( We perform aarti with rubies ) Mikutambuga meeku                                 ( You are very fond of these aarti ) Ananda kalamalu arisalu palalu ...

For Navaratri and Friday Pooja more emphasis is given to kuthu vilakku .  The decoration of the vilakku varies from family to family.  I share how it is being done in our family for the past many decades. On Thursday, the kuthu vilakku is cleaned and washed thoroughly ( along with other lamps ). It is tradition to place the kuthu vilakku on a plate so that excess oil if any is collected in it and the Pooja mandapam is not affected by oil. Sandal wood paste is mixed with rose water and applied on the five faces of the kuthu vilakku and also on the top.    Then turmeric powder and kumkum are applied over the sandal wood paste. Five wicks are placed on the five faces and then oil is filled.  Some have the tradition of filling oil and then placing the wicks.  What I follow is better because oil may stick to our fingers when we place the wicks after filling the oil.  The wicks are then dipped in the oil so that it easier for the ...