Varalakshmi Vratam

Introduction

Varalakshmi Vratam is one of the most cherished vratams of Telugu homes. It is performed on the Friday before Shravana Pournami, in the holy month of Shravana, when Fridays (Shravana Shukravaram) are especially dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi. On this day, women worship the Goddess as Varalakshmi – "Lakshmi who grants boons" – invoking her presence in a beautifully decorated kalasham, tying the sacred thoram on their wrists and listening to the Varalakshmi Vratha Katha, praying for the health, harmony and prosperity of their families.

Significance and Legend

According to tradition, the vratam is described in the Skanda Purana, where Goddess Parvati asks Lord Shiva for a vratam that would bring blessings to women and their families, and Lord Shiva tells her of the Varalakshmi Vratam. Worshipping Varalakshmi is believed to be equal to worshipping all the forms of Lakshmi – of wealth, grain, courage, knowledge, children and victory – and so the vratam is performed with great faith.

The Vratha Katha

The katha told during the puja is the story of Charumathi, a devoted and virtuous woman who lived in the town of Kundina. Pleased with her devotion, Goddess Lakshmi appeared to her in a dream and told her to worship her as Varalakshmi on the Friday before Shravana Pournami. Charumathi performed the vratam with her neighbours, tied the sacred thread and offered naivedyam with devotion – and the Goddess blessed all of their homes with prosperity. Listening to this story with devotion is an essential part of the vratam.

How it is Celebrated in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana

• Preparing the home: the house is cleaned, the doorway decorated with mango-leaf toranams and muggulu, and a puja place (mandapam) is set up and decorated with flowers.
• The kalasham: a kalasham is filled with water, rice or coins, topped with mango leaves and a coconut, and decorated with turmeric, kumkum and flowers. In many homes, it is adorned with a face of the Goddess, a small saree and jewellery, so that Varalakshmi is welcomed as a guest of honour.
• The thoram: a sacred thread of nine strands, coloured with turmeric and tied with nine knots and flowers, is worshipped during the puja and then tied on the right wrist.
• Vayanam: after the puja, women invite married women from the neighbourhood and offer them vayanam – turmeric, kumkum, betel leaves, fruits, a blouse piece and sweets – sharing the Goddess's blessings.
• Another Friday: families who cannot perform the vratam on the main day often perform it on another Friday of Shravana.

Rituals and Puja

• The puja begins with worship of Pasupu Ganapati (a small turmeric Ganesha) to remove obstacles.
• Goddess Varalakshmi is invoked in the kalasham and worshipped with the sixteen offerings (shodasopachara puja), the recitation of her names (ashtottaram) and flowers.
• The thoram is worshipped and tied on the right wrist.
• The Varalakshmi Vratha Katha is read, and akshintalu are placed on the head at its end.
• Naivedyam and mangala harathi complete the puja, followed by the vayanam to married women.

Foods and Offerings

• A variety of naivedyams is prepared for the Goddess – sweets such as payasam and festive dishes such as pulihora and garelu – and shared as prasadam.
• Fruits, flowers, betel leaves and coconut are offered to the Goddess and in the vayanam.

Temples Known for this Festival

• Sri Padmavathi Ammavari Temple, Tiruchanur – TTD performs the Varalakshmi Vratam for the Goddess at the Asthana Mandapam, with large numbers of women devotees, and in the evening Sri Padmavathi Ammavaru is taken in procession on the golden chariot.
• Sri Kanaka Durga Temple, Indrakeeladri, Vijayawada – a free mass Varalakshmi Vratam for women on the last Friday of Shravana, with all the puja materials provided by the temple.

The next Varalakshmi Vratam date is shown in the festival dates above. It falls on the Friday before Shravana Pournami as per the Telugu panchang.