
The Varalakshmi Pooja is a sacred festival that brightens homes with prosperity and joy. This festival has a special place in the heart of Indian traditions as it celebrates the goddess of wealth, Varamahalakshmi. On this day, people perform unique rituals and offer heartfelt prayers to the goddess.
- Varamahalakshmi Pooja 2024 Date: 16 August 2024, Friday
- Simha Lagna Muhurat – 06:32 AM to 08:59 AM
- Vrishchika Lagna Muhurat – 12:50 PM to 3:08 PM
- Kumbha Lagna Muhurat – 6:55 PM to 8:22 PM
- Vrishabha Lagna Muhurat – 11:55 PM to 01:55 AM on 17 August 2024
What is Varamahalakshmi Pooja?
India has a rich culture that is full of interesting as well as meaningful festivals. One such interesting festival is the Var Mahalakshmi festival. This auspicious day is mostly celebrated in the Southern Parts of India. Furthermore, people celebrate this festival in their own ways depending on the part of the country.
During this festival, families come together and worship the goddess Laxmi. Goddess Laxmi, or Mahalakshmi, is the Hindu goddess of wealth and knowledge. Therefore, devotees across India worship the goddess to seek fortune and harmony in their lives. As the name suggests, Var means blessings.
Therefore, whoever prays to Mahalakshmi during this festival receives the divine blessings of the goddess. Furthermore, women honour Laxmi Maa by observing a fast on this day. According to popular belief, keeping a fast on this day shows Maha Lakshmi’s favours on individuals as well as their families.
Significance of Varamahalakshmi Pooja in Hinduism
There is a huge significance behind the celebration of Varamahalakshmi Pooja in Hinduism. Our meaningful festivals always have interesting reasons behind them. Therefore, knowing the meaning makes people even more eager to celebrate them. The Vara Mahalakshmi festival falls in the holy month of Shravan or Savan of the Hindu calendar.
People, especially women, celebrate this festival with great pomp and show. Married women keep a Varalakshmi Vratham to pray for their husbands’ and family’s health and well-being. Furthermore, women keep this vrat on the 2nd day after Shravan Purnima.
According to Hindu mythology, those who keep a fast on this auspicious day can get the blessings of Ashtalakshmi. Maha Lakshmi has eight divine forms which represent various different qualities. These are Siri, Bhu, Saraswati, Priti, Keethi, Shanti, Santushthi, and Pushti. They represent Fortune, Earth, wisdom, love, reputation, Peace, Pleasure as well as strength.
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Vara Mahalakshmi Festival Rituals
Our colourful festivals are incomplete without their colourful rituals. Do you want to welcome Mahalakshmi to your home this year? Well, do not worry because we have the perfect set of rituals that you can perform. Let’s learn all about these rituals to make our Varalakshmi vratham 2024 even more special!
1. Pooja Preparation
To begin any pooja, we must prepare for it and get all the Samagri needed. But before that, we need to prepare our minds and surroundings to conduct the Pooja with harmony and wisdom. Therefore, people wake up early in the Brahma Muhurat to prepare for the Var Lakshmi Pooja. They bathe and dress in clean clothes and remember the goddess in their prayers. Furthermore, they clean the house to welcome the beloved goddess.
2. Kolam
In Southern India, people follow this unique ritual of drawing Kolam on special occasions or daily life. This ritual gives them several spiritual as well as health benefits. Therefore, women draw Kolam on the entrances of their homes to welcome Maha Lakshmi. This is a rangoli of rice flour with beautiful geometrical designs. Furthermore, they attract Goddess Laxmi’s blessings and remove negativity from one’s surroundings.
3. Kalash Sthapan
Afterwards, people prepare a Kalash to put in the area for the Pooja. Kalash is a very important part of many Hindu Pujas or auspicious traditions. This is because the Kalash represents various gods themselves. Hence, devotees take a bronze or silver pot and put coins in it. Then they fill the pot with water, uncooked rice, beetle nut and holy leaves. Afterwards, they keep a coconut on the pot and draw swastikas on the pot and the coconut using Kumkum or chandan.
4. Padi Pooja
Padi Pooja is another famous South Indian ritual that people perform on this auspicious day. It is the ritual to welcome the goddess to reside in our homes during the festival. People draw a line of haldi and two lines of Kumkum at the entrances of all the rooms in their houses. Furthermore, they also put rice and drew dots of Kumkum and Chandan on the lines. These are holy symbols that invite Mahalakshmi to reside in our house.
5. Mahalakshmi Pooja
Afterwards, devotees perform the Mahalakshmi Pooja. This is the most auspicious part of the festival. Mahalakshmi’s photo is placed on an altar along with lord Ganesha. The puja begins with the worship of Lord Ganesha. Afterwards, devotees offer prayers to Laxmi Maa. Devotees’ light diyas offer flowers, fruits and other auspicious things to the deities. They also recite prayers and chant various mantras to remember the goddess of wealth and ask for her divine protection.
6. Varmahalakshmi Vratham
One of the most significant parts of any auspicious hindu tradition is the Vrat. Keeping a fast is a popular practice that helps devotees connect with the deities. Therefore, the Varmahalakshmi Vratham enhances the benefits of the Varmahalakshmi Pooja. Women get ready in silk sarees and keep a fast for the whole day till the Pooja. After the Var Lakshmi Puja, they break the fast and consume Naivedayam offered to the goddess.
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Varmahalakshmi Vrat Katha
There is a very interesting story behind the Varmahalakshmi Vratham. Our festivals have meaningful origin stories, which make our connection with our roots even stronger. Therefore, in order to celebrate our festivals in their truest sense, we must learn the stories behind them.
The story behind the Varmahalakshmi Vratham is the story of Charumati. Charumati lived in Kundinagar town with her husband and their family. She was a great devotee of Maha Lakshmi and prayed to her religiously. This deeply impressed Mahalakshmi, and therefore, she visited Charumati in her dream. Lakshmi Maa told Charumati that by keeping a fast on the Shukla Paksha of the Shravan month, she could gain various benefits and blessings.
Upon waking up, Charumati told her husband about her dream. Furthermore, she invited all the women from the neighbourhood to keep the fast along with her. This gave all of them and their families the divine blessings of goddess Laxmi and immense wealth and fortune. Therefore, after this incident, many devotees started observing the Varmahalakshmi Vratham during the Savan month.
In conclusion, the Vara Lakshmi festival is the time to celebrate our culture and traditions with great enthusiasm and joy. By performing these rituals and keeping the Var Lakshmi Vrat, we can welcome countless blessings and positive energy into our lives. Furthermore, we can make our festivals even more meaningful by learning about the stories behind them. Therefore, to learn more about such interesting festivals and their stories, visit InstaAstro’s website and download the app!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What Mantra to chant on Vara Lakshmi Puja?
2. What to eat during Varamahalakshmi Vratham?
3. What leaves to keep on Mahalakshmi Kalash?
4. Which day is best for Varalakshmi Vratham?
5. What Colour to wear on Varalakshmi Vratham?
6. Which flower is Mother Lakshmi?
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