Varalakshmi Vratham Festival - Varalakshmi Puja, Tulasi (Tulsi) Pooja
In Hindu culture, different kinds of festivals are celebrating for various deities. One among them is the "Varalakshmi Vratam" which is the most important festival and pooja performed by many women in the South India States of Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra. This festival is dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi who is an eternal energy and wife of Lord Vishnu. Varalakshmi Vratam a.k.a Varalakshmi Puja, Varalakshmi Vrata, Tulasi Pooja, Tulsi Puja, Varalakshmi Nonbu. On this occasion, people who planting Tulsi, they clean the Tulsi pot with water and decorate with turmeric and kumkum. After that, chant vedic hymns & slogas and perform pujas & aaradhanas to Goddess Lakshmi. Also people offer fruits, different types of sweets to Goddess Lakshmi. Hindus believed that Goddess Lakshmi dwell in Tulsi plant, so they performed Tulsi puja on this occasion.
This festival comes in the Tamil month of Aadi, which corresponds to the English month of July-August. The prescribed day for the pooja is the friday of the month of Sravan in the fortnight known as Sukla paksha, preceding the full moon day. Today (Friday, July 31, 2009) is the Varalakshmi Vratam Festival. This is the festival for married women and girls because Goddess Lakshmi is the female form of God. Hence, women and girls observe fasting and performed pooja on this event. Also they tie yellow threads around their wrists and they give Thamboolam to other Sumangalis a.k.a. married women on this special day.
"Om Mahadevyai sa Vidhmahe Vishnu Pathni sa Dheemahi- Lakshmi Gayathri Mantra
Dhanno Lakshmi Prachodayat"
Labels: Goddess Lakshmi, Hindu festival, Lakshmi Devi, Tulasi Pooja, Tulsi Puja, Varalakshmi Nonbu, Varalakshmi Pooja, Varalakshmi Puja, Varalakshmi Viratham Festival, Varalakshmi Vratam