VARALAKSHMI VRATHAM

[varalakshmi poojai @ GanSriPar's House == 2007]


Sri Lakshmi Gayathri:

Ohm Mahalakshmyai cha Vidmahe Vishnupriyai cha Dhi-Mahi
Tanno Lakshmth Prachodayat

"Om. Let us meditate on the Great Goddess Sri Lakshmi, the consort of Sri Maha Vishnu. May that effulgent Maha Lakshmi Devi inspire and illuminate our mind with understanding."

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This vratham is celebrated on the FRIDAY before the Full Moon of Tamil Aadi [jul-aug] to appease the Goddess Lakshmi to grant boons.

The previous [thursday] evening of the festival, the house is cleaned and a bronze or silver kalasam [sombu] is filled with rice or water, coins, turmeric, a whole lime, betel leaf and nut. The kalasam is decorated with sandal paste and kumkum, a coconut smeared with turmeric is kept on it and mango leaves placed around. The face of Goddess Lakshmi decorated with jewels is placed against the coconut. Arati is taken at night after the Goddess is offered Venpongal [white pongal] as neivedhyam.

On the day of Vratham the Goddess is welcomed to the specially erected pandal by singing the song "Bhagyadha Lakshmi Baramma......". The kalasam is placed on a bed of raw rice spread over a plantain leaf. Pooja is begun with an invocation to Lord Ganesha. During the Pooja the Lakshmi Sahasranamam and other slokas are chanted.

After doing the pooja a yellow thread called 'saradu' is tied by the women on their right wrists. in our family husband ties the saradu and for the unamrried girls, mother. The women who do the Nonbu/Vratham fast that day eating only certain foods that have been offered to the Goddess first [kozhukattai ==>>> sweet, savour]

The evening women visit one another for exchange of thamboolam. The next day after doing the punar pooja in the night they sing lakshmi songs, praying for the prosperity of the whole family and arati, the kalasam will be kept in the drum or vessel which is treated as the main granary of rice. Next moring the water is sprinkled all over the house or the rice will be kept separately to prepare Sakkarapongal [sweet pongal] on the next friday..

http://www.carnatica.net/nvr/vara.pdf ==> NINE COMPOSITIONS ON
SHRI VARALAKSHMI Text in Sanskrit & Tamil (by various composers

http://music.cooltoad.com/music/download.php?id=293401 ==> for downloading Baagyadha Lakshmi Baaramma ==> Aruna Sairam [composed by L.Vaidhyanathan], duration 6.11 mts., 8.5 mb, 192 bit stero.

http://www.spiritual-happiness.com/sanskritscriptures.html#mahalakshmi
for streaming audio...

Let us all pray HER and get blessings for our prosperity on this great occasion.

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