Varalakshmi Vratam - Goddess Lakshmi Puja

Varalakshmi Vratam is the worship of Goddess Lakshmi especially performed on the second Friday of Shravana month.

Varalakshmi means One who gifts you with all those desires sought by you.

It is performed basically by women and girls. Women seek the happiness of their husband and the family. Girls seek for a good husband.

The month of Shravan is considered to be very dear to Goddess Lakshmi or Parvati. That's why ladies perform the Mangala Gauri Vratam or Vara Lakshmi Vratam in this month with great devotion and love inviting the Goddess to visit their homes and bestow them with all Abundance and Happiness.

How to Perform Varalakshmi Vratam

Generally, people perform this vratam in the evening times even though there is no such restriction to perform it in the evenings only. Many of them perform on the Second Friday whereas others may perform it on any one of those four or five Fridays falling in this month of Shravan.

• Get up early in the morning and take the oil-bath. 
• Decorate your homes and the main-door entrance with flowers and mango leaves, etc. Turmeric paste is applied to the door entrances and they get designed with kumkum spots and white rangoli powder lines. Rangoli designs are prepared in front of the entrances. Flower garlands and mango leave garlands are hanged to the door top. All this is done to welcome Goddess Lakshmi.
• All preparations and cooking of special dishes for puja purpose done during the day-time.
• House washing and cleansing are advisable to be done on the previous day itself or early in the morning hours before taking the bath. 
• Most people soak the chickpeas in water and before starting the puja, they are removed from the water and offered to God after the puja. You will be inviting the married women and girls in your neighborhood to participate in the puja. Similarly, you also need to attend their homes and visit their Goddess also on this occasion.
• On the Varalakshmi Vratam Day, it is most desirable to keep open the doors during the evening hours before lighting the lights and throughout the puja period. Goddess will enter your house in any form if you sincerely do the worship.
• In the evening, when you sit for the puja, make an image of the Goddess with turmeric paste in a mango leaf or lotus leaf. You need not be an artist for this. Simply make some small image and worship it as Goddess Lakshmi. The regular idols and images of God and Goddess are also worshiped along with this turmeric Goddess.
• Perform the puja with flowers, kumkum, and dry turmeric powder. 
• You can simply read some hymns of Goddess Lakshmi and worship her with the 108 names offering these flowers, turmeric, and kumkum after each name. You can do the same worship through a lyrical chanting of the verses known as Lakshmi Ashtottara Shatanama Stotram. 
• After puja is over, offer the incense and show the lights to her. Then, offer the various dishes that you prepared along with the soaked chickpeas and fruits to her as naivedyam.
• After naivedyam, light the camphor and chant the Mangala Harati, etc.
• Now, your puja is over.
• Distribute the prasadam (chickpeas, fruits, etc.) to the ladies attending the puja. 
• It is a practice to offer blouse pieces, bangles, and flowers also to the participating ladies along with the prasadam. It is believed that it lengthens the life of those ladies as well as your own prosperous happy life.

  After performing this Lakshmi Puja, obtain the blessings of Goddess Lakshmi by bowing your head in front of her as well as through the blessings of all the elderly ladies.