Subbus Kitchen

Varalakshmi Pooja is an important pooja performed by many women in the states of Andra and Tamilnadu. This year Varalakshmi Viratham is on August 12, 2011.

Varalakshmi Pooja is celebrated on the friday, before the full moon day, in the Tamil Month Sravana (July-August). Varalakshmi is yet another form of Lord Vishnu’s consort, Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. Varalakshmi is believed to be the one who grants boons (Varam).
Varalakshmi Pooja can be performed any woman with no restriction of caste or creed. The legend of Varalakshmi Vratham is that Goddess Varalakshmi appeared in a woman devotee named Charumathi’s dream and expressed her satisfaction in the woman’s devotion towards the Goddess.

During this auspicious day, married women gets up early in the morning and decorate their front yards with rangolis. Later they take oil bath and wear new cloths and jewellery. Also they start preparing neivedhyam for the pooja and decorate the kalasam.Every women who has the ritual to perform this viratham will have the Varalakshmi face(Amman mugham) in Silver. As a conclusion to the festivities, they sing praises of the goddess and also invite another married woman to don the role of Lakshmi and offer them sweets. That evening, the neighbours are invited to the home and offered tamboolam. Together they sing hymns in praise of goddess Varalakshmi.

Decorating Varalakshmi Amman
In a thambalam(Plate), plantain leaf(Vazhaiilai) is laid and over the leaf, put 1 cup of raw rice and spread it evenly. Keep a silver pot(Sombu) and decorate the sivler pot with sandal and kumkum. The silver pot is filled with rice or water, coins, turmeric, betel leaf and a nut. Take a coconut rub it with turmeric keep that Over the silver pot, on the top of the coconut, decorate with karugumani bangles and cover the silver pot with blouse piece. Now place the Varalakshmi face over the coconut and tie it tightly in the back of the coconut to avoid falling. Decorate the Amman Mugham with different colors of flowers and gold chains. Now decorate a small table with thoraman and maaviali(Mango tree leaf) and place the thamabalam inside the table.

Perform Pooja
Pooja is avaialable in the internet as well as we can get DVD's which can be played to perform the viratham. We can also call sastri(priest) who will perform this pooja at our home. Finally once the pooja is about to complete, keep all the food which we have prepared for the neivedhyam. At last, the elderly married women ties the nonbu kayiru in her right hand with the help of her husband and she will in turn ties other nonbu kayiru to kanya(unmarried) girls at home. Everyone after they tie the knot in their hand ,they will pray to Varalakshmi godess to seek her blessings.

Recipes for Neivedhyam:

	Paruppu Vadai		Ulundhu Vadai
	Paruppu Payasam with coconut milk		Sarkari Pongal (Sweet Pongal)