Vara Mahalakshmi Vrat

The Hindu festival by the name ‘Vara MahaLakshmi Vrata’ is celebrated on the Second Friday or the Friday before the day of the full moon – Poornima – in the month of Shravan. Varalakshmi Vrata is a festival to propitiate the Goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu, one of the Hindu Trinities . Varalakshmi Puja or Varalakshmi Vrata is an important ritual observed by married women in South India and Maharashtra.

In the temple this is celebrated in typical GSB manner as per shastras. This is a very special day for sumangalis(married women). They pray to Goddess Mahalakshmi to seek blessings for the longevity of their husbands and prosperity and well-being for the whole family. The Friday just before Pournami falling in shuklapaksha of the month of Shravan masa or the said Pournami itself is chosen for this vrata.

On this day, the sumangalis follow the vrata by abstaining from food or just having only fruits and milk till the puja is over. The puja for Mahalakshmi is performed in the evening, offering ashtamangalya dravyas, by following the procedure suggested by the purohit. Mahalakhshmyashtaka stotram and other Lakhsmi stutis/bhajans are sung after the puja. Generally, ashtamangalya dravyas are distributed to all sumangalis present on the occasion. The belief is that by doing this, they will be blessed with prosperity by the Goddess. After the puja, those who are performing vrata will partake the naivedhyam first, followed by the food.

Some of Poojas booked are as follows:

• Kumkumarchan to Devi Mahalakshmi by suvashinis
• Anna Santarpana