Varalakshmi Vratam fell on August 20. It is an important puja for married women. It falls on a Friday and is before the Full Moon. It falls in the Sravana month. This year, the puja can also be performed on August 27 and September 3.
Varamahalakshmi means the goddess who grants boons. Performing this puja is equivalent to worshipping the Ashta (eight) Lakshmis. This puja thus leads to the eight benefits, Wealth, Love, Learning, Earth, Strength, Fame, Peace and Desire.
Mahalakshmi, as we all know, is the consort of Lord Vishnu. She has four arms. In the upper two arms she holds the lotus flower and a kalasha. From the right lower arm she dispenses a stream of gold coins and from the left lower arm she grants boons. She is a very beautiful goddess.
The rituals for this puja are:
* Get up during Brahma Muhurtam (4.30 a.m. to 6.30 a.m.) and have a bath
* Create colourful rangolis in your front yard or at the front door
* Arrange the kalasha and decorate it with turmeric, kumkum and place a coconut on it; place it in front of the goddess
* First worship Lord Ganesh to remove the obstacles from the puja
* Invoke Goddess Lakshmi into the kalasha (it can be done by simply praying if you do not know the mantras)
* Tie a toram (a thread dipped in turmeric) to the goddess
* Tie another toram around your wrist
* Perform the puja to the goddess (use the shodashopachar puja steps)
* If you can, chant the Lakshmi Ashottarnamavali or the Lakshmi Sahasranamam
* Perform aarti and sing whatever hymns you know in praise of Goddess Varalakshmi
* Offer Prasadam to the goddess
* In the evening, if feasible, invite other women and offer tamboolam (a package consisting of fruits, betel leaves, kumkum, and a blouse piece).
This puja is so important for married women that it is described in the Skanda Purana. Goddess Parvati asked Lord Shiva about a vrata that would be of great benefit to women and help them lead a life of bliss and happy marriage. Lord Shiva told her about the Varalakshmi Vratam.
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