VARALAKSHMI VIRATHAM

THIS VRATHAM OCCURS EITHER IN THE MONTH OF AADI OR AAVANI AFTER NEW MOON ON ONE FRI DAY . THIS VRATHAM IS OBSERVED MAINLY IN SOME 'SMARTHA' AND IN 'TELUGU' BRAHMIN 

FAMILIES. SOME FAMILIES BELONGING TO THESE COMMUNITIES DO NOT OBSERVE THIS VRATHAM, FOR THIS A SMALL PORTION OF THE WALL FACING EAST WILL BE WHITE WASHED AND THE FIGURE OF 

GAJA LAKSHMI WILL BE DRAWN WITH PAINT OR RED OXIDE. IN SOME FAMILIES , ONLY THE FACE OF THE GODDESS UPTO NECK WILL BE DRAWN. 

SOME OTHER FAMILIES WILL DRAW A PICTURE OF KALASAM WITH MANGO LEAVES AND COCONUT AND THEN DRAW A MANDAPAM AROUND IT. WITHIN THE MANDAP DRAW KUTHU VILAKKU, COMB, MIRROR, 

KUMKUMAM BOX. AMMMANAI, COCONUT SHELL, SAANTHU, MAI KKOODU, . BOTH SIDES OF THE MANDAP WILL ALSO HAVE DRAWINGS OF TENDER PLANTAIN LEAVES WITH STEM. THESE DRAWINGS ARE BASED ON 

ONE'S OWM FAMILY CUSTOM AND TRADITIONS. THE SIZE OF THE DRAWING WILL DEPEND UPON THE AVAILABLE SPACE IN THE WALL.

NOW A DAYS PICTURES OF 'VARALAKSHMI' AVAILABLE IN THE MARKET ,CAN ALSO BE PURCHASED KEPT BEHIND THE KALASAM. THE VARALAKSHMI FACE IS AVAILABLE NOW A DAYS IN SILVER THIS 

CAN BE PURCHASED AND TIED TO A SILVER OR COPPER VESSEL (SOMBU). IF THE COPPER VESSEL IS TO BE USED CLEAN AND SMEAR IT ON ALL SIDES WITH LIME, AND ALLOW IT TO DRY BEFORE THE 

'VARALAKSHMI' FACE IS TIED TO IT.

IF 'VARALAKSHMI' FACE IS NOT TO BE USED APPLY SOME LIME AND DRAW ON ONE SIDE OF THE SILVER VESSAL A CIRCULAR PATTERN AND ALLOW IT TO DRY. THEN DRAW THE FACE OF THE GODDESS 

VARALAKSHMI USING KAAVI. IF COPPER VESSEL IS TO BE USED , DRAW THE FACE OF GODDESS 'VARALAKSHMI' ON ONE SIDE OF THE VESSAL. ALREADY SMEARED WITH LIME. TIE KARUGAMANI (BLACK 

BEAD) AND GOLD DOTS. SETS OF BLACK BANGLES AND LEAVES CALLED 'PICHOLAI' KARUGAMANI AND KARI VALIAS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE MARKET . PUR CHASE TWO SETS OF IT. TIE ONE SET AROUND 

THE NECK OF THE VESSAL AND PUT THE OTHER SET INSIDE THE VESSAL.

ALSO PUT INSIDE THE VESSAL, 2 TO 4 CUPS OF RAW RICE, 2 BETEL LEAVES, 2 BETEL NUTS, TURMERIC-2; LEMON-1; PLANTAIN ONE AND ONE RUPEE COIN, AND GOLD CHAIN OR BANGLES. THEN, 

DECORATE THE VESSAL WITH MANGO LEAVES ARRANGED IN A CIRCULAR PATTERN. PLACE A SMALL COCONUT SMEARED WITH TURMERIC PASTE, AT THE MOUTH OF THE VESSAL. DURING POOJA , KEEP READY A 

BLOUSE BIT . BLACK COLOUR IS AVOIDED.

USE A SMALL TABLE. COVER THE TOP AND SIDES OF THE TABLE WITH MANGO LEAF AND THORANAMS AND PLANTAIN SAPPLINGS. DRAW IZHAI KOLAM UNDER AND NEAR THE TABLE AND BEUTIFY IT 

WITH KAAVI. DRAW ALSO A SMALL KOLAM IN A CORNER OF THE SIT OUT/ DRAWING HALL / LIVING ROOM. TAKE ONE SITTING PLANK AND DRAW IZHAI KOLAM ON IT. KEEP 4 CUPS OF RICE IN A BRASS OR 

SILVER CIRCULAR VESSAL AND PLACE THE DECORATED KALASAM ON IT.

BEFORE STARTING THE MAIN POOJA , PLACE THE KALASAM DECORATED WITH VARALAKSHMI FACE ON THE KOLAM IN THE SIT OUT OR DRAWING HALL OR IN LIVING ROOM. LIT A LAMP HERE. DO 

ARCHANA AND NEIVEDHYAM AFTER DHOOPAM AND DHEEPAM HERE ( THAAMBOOLAM AND PLANTAIN FRUIT) AND DO KARPOORA HARATHY AND PRAY TO GODDESS LAKSHMI TO COME TO THE MAIN POOJA PLACE. 

THEY WILL SING 'BHAAGYATHA LAKSHMI' SONG.AND OTHER TRADITIONAL SONGS.THEY WILL CAREFULLY TAKE THE KALASAM FROM SIT OUT TO THE MAIN POOJA PLACE.


BEFORE OR AFTER RAHU KALAM IT MUST BE DONE. THAT IS THEY ARE INVITING GODDESS FROM FRONT OF THE HOUSE TO THE PLACE WHERE THEY ARE GOING TO DO MAIN POOJA. ON THOSE DAYS A PLACE 

'REZHI' WILL BE THERE . FROM THERE THEY WILL DO SMALL POOJA AND WILL GO TO THE POOJA ROOM. 

THE KALASAM SHOULD BE FACING EAST.IT IS CUSTOMARY FOR THOSE WHO PERFORM THIS POOJA TO FOREGO MEALS AND HAVE LIGHT TIFFEN ONLY. BUTTER MILK SHOULD NOT BE USED ON THE WHOLE 

DAY. DURING THIS POOJA A NONBU CHARADU APPLIED WITH TURMERIC PASTE SHOULD BE TIED IN THE HAND. ONLY ONE KALASAM IS ALLOWED IN ONE HOUSE, BUT MANY PERSONS CAN JOIN THERE TO DO 

POOJA IN THE SAME KALASAM. 

USE TWO KUTHU VILAKKU FOR THIS POOJA. PLACE THEM ON BOTH SIDES. BUY REQUIRED LOOSE FLOWERS AND ALSO STRINGED FLOWERS. FLOWER GARLANDS (OPTIONAL) COCONUT, PLANTAIN FRUITS 12 

NOS, BETEL LEAVES AND NUTS, CAMPHOR, OOTHUBATHI, TURMERIC POWDER, SANDAL PASTE, KUMKUMAM,WICK, GINGILLY OIL AND GHEE, MATCH BOX, STAND FOR DHOOPAM,DEEPAM ETC; UNBOILED COW'S 

MILK 50 MILLE. OTHER FRUITS; GUAVA, WOOD APPLE, BLACK BERRY, ORANGE, APPLE. GRAPES. COUNTRY APPLE PLANTAIN COCONUT, THAAMBOOLAM ETC FOR NEIVEDHYAM.

FOR NEIVEDHYAM: COOKED RICE WITH DHALL AND GHEE, VADAI, PAYASAM, (MODHAKAM) KOLUKKATTAI MADE OF DHALL, COCONUT, BLACK GRAM DHALL; AND GINGILLY SEEDS, RAW RICE IDLYES.THESE 

ARE ONLY MADE AS PER FAMILY TRADITION AND CUSTOMS. IN SOME FAMILY ONLY COCONUT AND JAGGERY MIXED KOLUKATTAI AND COCONUT AND BLACK GRAM DHALL MIXED KOLU KATTAI AND RAW RICE 

IDLIES WILL BE THERE FOR NEIVEDHYAM.

16 UPACHAARA POOJA WILL BE DONE IN THE MAIN POOJA PLACE. THEN POOJA TO SARADU AND THE SARADU WILL BE TIED IN THE HAND.GIVE DHAKSHINA TO SASTRIGALS/PUROHIT. ON THE 

EVENING BEFORE THIS NONBU SOME FAMILY CUSTOM: THEY WILL TAKE OIL BATH IN THE EVENING AND PREPARE VEN PONGAL AND FRIED VADAGAMS AND FRIED APPALAMS IN SOME FAMILIES ONLY IN 

THALAI NONBU TIME THEY WILL PREPARE VEN PONGAL AND FRIED APPALAM AND VADAGAM.FOR NEIVEDHYAM AND TAKE IT AS PRASADAM.


THALAI NONBU: THE NONBU PERFORMED BY THE GIRL IN THE FIRST YEAR OF THE MARRIAGE IS KNOWN AS THALAI NONBU. ( THALAI NONBU, NONBU EDUTHAL). ONLY MARRIED GIRLS WILL PERFORM 

THIS NONBU. IN THE FIRST YEAR GANESA POOJA AND GRAHA PREETHEE ARE EXTRA. ALL OTHERS ARE SAME. FOR THIS THALAI NONBU THE BRIDE'S PARENTS WILL USED TO GIVE SILVER SOMBU OR 

COPPER SOMBU, SILVER LAKSHMI FACE, WITH THAAMBOOLAM, FRUITS, FLOWERS, .

IN THE EVENING SOME NEIVEDHYAM WILL BE DONE FOR THE LAKSHMI GODDESS MILK OR FRUITS. AND ON THHE NEXT DAY MORNING PUNAR POOJA WILL BE DONE.AND OFFER MAHA NEIVEDHYAM, 

THAAMBOOLAM AND FRUITS. ON SATURDAY EVENING PREPARE SOME SUNDAL INVITE SUMANGALIS, DO SUNDAL NEIVEDHYAM, INVITEES WILL SING SONGS ON AMBAL. AND THEY WILL BE GIVEN 

THAAMBOOLAM,SUNDAL, KUMKUMAM.

FINALLY ON SATURDAY NIGHT AARTHY WILL BE TAKEN AND THE KALASAM WILL BE MOVED SLIFGHTLY TO THE NORTHERN SIDE. TAKE OUT THE KALASAM AND KEEP IT IN A DRUM OR A VESSAL WHERE 

RAW RICE IS STORED IN YOUR HOUSE. REMOVE THE KALASAM ON SUNDAY MORNING. TAKE THE GOLD ORNAMENTS AND ONE RUPEE COIN AND KEEP IT SAFE. THE RICE MAY BE USED FOR COOKING. 

PEOPLE BELONGING KANCHIPURAM DISTRICT WILL KEEP THE COCONUT KEPT AT THE TOP OF THE KALASAM TILL NEXT FRIDAY AND PREPARE PAYASAM USING THE RICE AND COCONUT KEPT IN THE 

KALASAM. LAKSHMI DEVI WILL VISIT EACH FRIDAY AND SEE WHETHER THEY ARE DOING POOJA . STORY ABOUT VARALAKSHMI VRATHAM WILL BE STUDIED ON FRIDAY NIGHT. 

NOW A DAYS ON FRIDAY EVENING ITSELF SUMANGALIES ARE INVITED AND THEY WILL BE GIVEN THAAMBOOLAM, SUNDAL, KUMKUMAM ETC;