Kolam by Sudha Balaji

Varalakshmi Vratham ( வரலட்சுமி விரதம் in Tamil ) , Varamahalakshmi Pooja ( ವರಮಹಾಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಿ ಪೂಜಾ in Kannada )  and వరలక్ష్మి వ్రతం  in Telugu  is a very popular festival for Goddess Lakshmi.  For me the preparations start on Thursday, the previous day.  Cleaning all the Pooja vessels and Pooja room takes a lot of time. On Thursday ,  I purchase all the flowers, fruits, kewda flowers, mango leaves for thoran and plantain plants for mantapa alankara. Hridaya kamalam is my most favourite rangoli for the mantapa.  We can draw Aishwarya Patra rangoli also. Neivedyam preparation starts early in the morning on Friday , around 4.30 am because the Pooja should commence before 10.30 am on Friday. The early bird is always lucky ,   so I thanked the Goddess because there was a general power shut down from 9 am to 5 pm.  If I had delayed naievedyam would have been affected..  Offerings include, appe payasa , ambod...

   Update: Vararalakshmi Vratham 2018 date is 24th August (Friday ) It is preferable to celebrate the festival on that day when it meant to be celebrated as per Panchangam However if for any reason we are not able to celebrate on that day we can celebrate on any Friday of Aavani month If we miss the Aavani ( Sravan ) month we can celebrate on a Friday during Navratri On Thursday before the Pooja day , the Pooja room is cleaned well and all the photos of Gods in the Pooja room are cleaned with a wet cloth  Apply sandalwood paste in the form of a tilak to the photos.  Then apply turmeric powder and kumkum on the sandalwood paste .  This is done usually for the forehead and Feet of the photos of God The items required for Pooja or betel nut leaves, areca nut ( pakku ) , coconut , five types of flowers and five types of fruits Of the flowers lotus and Thazampoo ( screw pine ) are important for this festival Mandapam decoration The images below should ...