Varalakshmi Vratham Poojai

Varalakshmi Vratam/Nombu

Vara means “Boon” Lakshmi means “Goddess of wealth”

Varalakshmi is yet another form of LORD Vishnu’s Consort

One of the most auspicious festival, celebrated by the married women with utmost devotion on this day. It is believed that Goddess Lakshmi is the one who grants the “Boons”, on this special occasion women worship Goddess Lakshmi with full of devotion offering flower, fruits and sweets.

Usually Kalasam(representing deity) will be decorated with coconut, amman (Goddess) Face, flower, silk saree and gold jewellery.

This pooja is celebrated on the Friday, before the Full moon day in the month of “AADI” and this pooja can be performed by any women with no restriction on Caste or Creed.

 Pooja Procedure/ Vidhinam:

//This method is followed by my family custom- you can take advice from your family members for more clarification//

MAKING KALASAM:

• Usually I started the prep Pooja work on Thursday( a day before the pooja) and cleaned the house and decorate the pooja place and entrance and the pooja room.
• Also, I kept the GOD/Amman Photo facing the entrance.
• On this auspicious day, I woke up early in the morning and I took oil bath and wear new clothes and Jewellery.
• Now I started working on KALASAM which is shown in the pic
• Place one Tambulam/ plate and add some Raw rice and place the KAlasam over the rice facing EAST (the GODESS should always facing EAST Side)
• Apply turmeric powder over one good Coconut and apply kunkumam on the turmeric powder and keep aside. Allow it to dry.
• Inside the KALASAM, I kept Manjal, Kunkumam, Manjal KAyiru, coins, cardamom, clove and raw rice( count 7)
• Later, I kept the Mango Leaves (MAA ILAI)// Those who don’t have MAA Ilai, you can use Beetal Leaves (Vetri Ilai)// and place the turmeric applied Coconut in the center.
• Now decorate the kalasam with silk saree and tie the “AMMAN FACE’’ (if you have) over the coconut very carefully.
• Before decorating the Kalasam we have tie the YELLOW SACRED THREAD WITH TURMERIC ROOT, Considering THALI/ MANGAL SUTRA to Goddess.
• Now you can decorate your kalasam with GOLD/ SILVER Jewellery.
• Of all decoration, decorating KALASAM with PANJU THIRI (COTTON WICK) malai is quiet auspicious on this pooja.

MAKING NOMBU SARADU/ SACRED THREAD:

• Usually in india you can get NOMBU/ Sacred thread at local temple shop, here you won’t get, so I started making my own on every pooja required.
• Take one long white thread, apply some turmeric paste on it and allow it to dry.
• Now make 9 knots out of it (including one flower knot) 1 inch apart
• The nombu saradu should be tied by the girls and ladies in the house in their right hand. Usually the older married women tie the saradu in her right hand with the help of her husband and she will tie the knot to rest of the unmarried girls (Kanya) at home.
• Even 1 year old baby should tie the knot.

// the saradu is not clearly visible, will post a pic soon//

KOLAM – for reference

MAKING MANJAL PILLAYAR:

• Take a spoonful of turmeric powder and add drizzle some rose water/ plain water and starts shaping like a small cone and place over a beetel leaf and apply a pinch of kunkumam in the center of the pillyar.

* here you won’t get the coconut with fiber (thengai naaru), so we will keep this manjal pillyar instead of the Thengai Naaru for pooja, you can take this pic as reference for Manjal Pillayar

//Manjal Pillayar Pooja will be perform prior to varalakshmi pooja//

POOJA PROCEDURE:

• whenever you perform a pooja, you have to perform pooja to “Lord GANAPTHY/VINAYAGAR” followed by the STAR GOD OF THE DAY ( SPL POOJA)
• During this pooja mostly women observe fasting until the pooja is done, u can perform the pooja during NOON TIME / EVENING TIME.
• EVENING TIME pooja is mostly observed, whereas NOON TIME POOJA is also very auspicious.
• Check the auspicious time in your calendar and start performing the pooja “ Lord Ganapthy” first followed by “AMMAN KALASAM” and ends with deepam/ karpooram/ camphor AARATHI.
• I usually offered 11 Varities of Prasadam to Goddess. You can make it as same or even as simple.
• I have shared some simple method of decoration and simple prasadam for office going people (pics shown below)
• Some people ends their fast once the pooja gets done (noon time itself)
• Mostly in the late evening after performing “Kunkumam Aarathi”
• Once the Aarathi is done, every woman at house should tie the NOMBU SAradu in their right hand.
• Place the NOMBU Saradu in a tambulam along with coconut, flowers and 3/5/7 types of fruits and chant the following sloka and tie the knot.

                      “Navathanthu Samayuktham Navakranthi Samanvitha

                        Pathneeyam thakshanye hasthey thoragam harivallabey”

• In the evening, after lighting the deepam people we should invite married women to home and honor them with thambulam along with manjal, kunkumam, glass bangle, flower, fruits, sundal and money.
• Usually we eat neivadhyam items for dinner especially pacharisi idli/ raw rice idli

//pooja in simple way//

PUNAR POOJAI:

• On Saturday morning, after taking bath on auspicious time we have to perform a pooja for KALASAM and dismantle the kalasam. Mix the kalasam rice into your rice box in house and keep the money in the locker and use the sacred thread in your MANGAL SUTRA.
• You can even remove the Nombu saradu, thoranam on the same day or 3 days after the pooja.

SPL NAIVEDHYAM:

• Raw rice idli
• Panakam
• Pasi paruppu Payasam
• Medhu vadai

// for variety rice click the below link//

https://kanmaniskitchen.com/2018/07/16/variety-rice/

• Ven pongal
• Sakarai pongal
• Puliodharai
• Lemon rice
• Curd rice
• Black/ white channa sundal
• Semiya payasam

Raw Rice idli:

Ingredients:

• Raw rice – 1 cup
• Urad dhal – 1 cup
• Water – as req
• Salt – to taste
• Gingelly oil – to grease

Procedure:

• Wash and soak the rice and dhal separately for 4 hours
• After 4 hours, grind the urad dhal smoothly followed by rice.
• Add salt to taste and mix well and ferment the batter for minimum of 8 hours.
• Grease the idli molds with gingelly oil and fill the molds with the batter gently
• Place the batter filled molds into the respective pan and cook it for about 8-10 mins or insert a toothpick in the center of the idli and came out clean.
• The soft “RAW RICE IDLI” is ready for naivedhyam.

Pasi Paruppu Payasam:

//Moong dhal Payasam//

Ingredients:

• Moong dhal – 1 cup
• Dark Brown sugar – 1 cup
• Grated coconut – ¼ cup
• Whole milk – 1 cup (room temperature)
• Ghee/ clarified butter – 1 tblsp
• Cashews – 5 nos
• Raisins/ dry grapes – 8-10 nos
• Cardamom powder – ½ tsp
• Salt – a pinch
• Water – as req

Procedure:

• wash the dhal and pressure cook it with required amount of water ( I have used 2 cups of water for a cup of dhal)
• once the pressure released, mash the dhal well with masher and add the dark brown sugar (if not regular granulated sugar) and mix well along with a pinch of salt to enhance the sweet flavor.
• Bring to boil under medium low flame.
• Meanwhile , heat some ghee in a pan and roast the cashews and grapes and keep aside
• In the same pan, heat some more ghee and add the grated coconut and roast it until golden brown in color and keep aside.
• Once the sugar melted completely, reduce the flame and add the room temperature milk into the payasam.
• Now add the roasted nuts, grapes and coconut flakes. Mix well and allow it boil for about a min under low flame
• Sprinkle some cardamom powder and turn off the flame.

Panakam:

Ingredients:

• Jaggery powder – 1 cup
• Water – 3 cups
• Lemon juice – 3 tblsp
• Edible camphor – a pinch ( 1 rice)
• Cardamom powder – ½ tsp
• Dry ginger powder – ½ tsp
• Salt – a pinch

Procedure:

• In a bowl, add the water, powdered jaggery, lemon juice, dry ginger powder, cardamom powder, salt and a very little pinch of edible camphor. Mix well and filter out (if needed)
• The super tasty and divine “PANAKAM” is ready for naivedhyam