How to perform Varalakshmi Pooja

Hindu Shankarar Sri Kamadchi Ampal Tempel e.V. (Europa), Hamm, ( GER )
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SKAT -­ VARALAKSHMI POOJA – ( COMMENCING 8th August 2014 ) How to perform Varalakshmi Pooja ? Varalakshmi Pooja or Varalakshmi Vratham is an important ritual observed by all hindu married women for the prosperity and welfare of their families. The date of Varalakshmi Vratham for this year, 2014, falls on Friday, 8th. August. and the preparations for the puja begins on Thursday itself. All the necessary items needed for the pooja are purchased and collected by Thursday evening, in preparation for the next day’s Pooja. People wake up early in the morning on the Friday and take a bath. Traditionally speaking the waking up time for the puja is the „brahma muhurtham“. Then the designated pooja area and house is cleaned well and a beautiful ‘kolam’ is drawn on the intended place of the pooja. Next is the preparation of the ‘kalasham or kalash.’ A bronze or silver pot is selected and is cleaned thoroughly and a swastika symbol is drawn and is smeared with sandalwood paste. The kalasham pot is filled with raw rice or water, coins, a single whole lime, five different kinds of leaves, and beetle nut. The items used to fill the kalasham includes turmeric, comb, mirror, small black bangles and black beads. The kalasham up to the neck is sometimes covered with a cloth and mango leaves are placed on the mouth of the kalasham. Finally, a coconut smeared with turmeric is used to close the mouth of the kalasham. To this coconut, an image of Goddess Lakshmi is fixed or the image of Lakshmi is drawn using turmeric powder. Now the kalasham symbolically represents Goddess Mahalakshmi. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Hindu Shankarar Sri Kamadchi Ampal Tempel e.V. (Europa), Hamm, Deutschland Siegenbeckstrasse 4-5
, D-59071 Hamm
, Deutschland
Tel: 0049-23 88-30 22 23 / Fax: 0049-23 88 -30 22 24
/ E-Mail: [email protected] Temple Pooja & Prayers : Daily 08:00 Hrs / 12:00 Hrs / 18:00 Hrs Temple Contact : Siva Sri Arumuga Paskarakurukkal 1 Hindu Shankarar Sri Kamadchi Ampal Tempel e.V. (Europa), Hamm, ( GER )
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SKAT -­ VARALAKSHMI POOJA – ( COMMENCING 8th August 2014 ) / ( continued ! ) In some women place a mirror behind the kalasham. Today, there are also specially made Varalakshmi pots commercially available in the market. The kalasham is usually placed on a bed of rice. First, Lord Ganesha is worshipped. Then begins the Varalakshmi Pooja. The puja consists of singing slokas dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi like the Lakshmi Sahasranamam. Arati is performed on the kalasham. Different types of sweets are offered. Some people offer pongal. Some women tie yellow thread on their hands. The woman who is observing the Varalakshmi Pooja abstains from eating certain kind of food ( abstinence from non-­‐vegetarian food !) Some women fast throughout the entire of the Varalakshmi Pooja period. Thamboolam – betel leaf, areca nut and slaked lime – is offered to women in the locality and in the evening an arati is offered. The next day, that is on Saturday, after taking a bath the kalasham is dismantled and the water in the kalasham is sprinkled in the house. If rice is used then it is mixed with rice in the house. There are no hard and fast rules in performing the Varalakshmi Puja and you can be flexible on the puja items. Even a simple prayer will please the Divine Goddess Mahalakshmi and she will shower you with her divine blessings and prosperity ! __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Hindu Shankarar Sri Kamadchi Ampal Tempel e.V. (Europa), Hamm, Deutschland Siegenbeckstrasse 4-5
, D-59071 Hamm
, Deutschland
Tel: 0049-23 88-30 22 23 / Fax: 0049-23 88 -30 22 24
/ E-Mail: [email protected] Temple Pooja & Prayers : Daily 08:00 Hrs / 12:00 Hrs / 18:00 Hrs Temple Contact : Siva Sri Arumuga Paskarakurukkal 2