Introduction to Varalakshmi Vratam 2024
Varalakshmi Vratam is the holy festival dedicated to the goddess who rules over wealth, prosperity, and well-being. This is one of the major festivals, particularly in South India, in which with great zeal and aspirated desire, married women observe the vrat for health, wealth, and happiness of family members. For the year 2024, Varalakshmi Vratam is falling on a Friday, August 16, which is supposed to be an ideal day to channel blessings from this boon-conferring goddess.
Why Celebrate Varalakshmi Vratam?
Varalakshmi Vratam: It is a festival of dedication and worshiping Goddess Varalakshmi for her holy blessings. Hence, celebrating this festival for the welfare of the husband, children, and entire family is the prime duty of a married woman. Additionally, this festival is mostly widespread in the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. There are practices like fasting, engaging in prayer procedures, and a detailed puja performed with great devotion.
Who Is Goddess Varalakshmi?
Prayers are offered to her for the bestowal of benedictions and good wishes to her devotees. Among all the other forms, Goddess Varalakshmi is the most holy one. The very name “Varalakshmi” means “Vara,” or boon, and “Lakshmi,” prosperity; riches are called “Lakshmi” in Sanskrit. In other words, this form of the goddess is worshiped so that she showers all kinds of wealth, health, happiness, etc., to her devotees, and so she is quite central to most of them.
When Is Varalakshmi Vratam 2024?
Varalakshmi Vratam this year falls on the 16th day of Friday on August 16. This festival falls on the second Friday of the Shravana month, which is considered very propitious in the Indian calendar. And usually, Fridays also happen to be the exact day for worshiping Goddess Lakshmi, so it will turn out to be twice as lucky.
Here are the important puja timings (Muhurat) for Varalakshmi Vratam 2024:
- Morning Puja: 05:57 A.M to 08:14 A.M, Simha Lagna
- Afternoon Puja: 12:50pm to 03:08pm, Vrishchika Lagna
- Evening Puja: 06:55pm to 08:22pm, Kumbha Lagna
- Midnight Puja: 11:22pm to 01:18am, August 17, Vrishabha Lagna
The Story Behind Varalakshmi Vratam
Being impressed by her devotion, the goddess appeared in her dream and instructed her that she had to observe Varalakshmi Vratam. She also enlightened her about how to perform the Vrat and its significance. Then Charumathi also followed suit and observed the Vrat, after which she became very rich and was full of happiness. Since then the method is passed down from mother to daughter, and today almost all the women of the country follow the process of Varalakshmi Vratam every year.
How to Prepare for Varalakshmi Vratam 2024
Day Before Festival, Friday morning: Preparation
Women do the day-before cleanup in the house and get all the paraphernalia ready that will be required for the pooja. These must include an image or idol of Goddess Varalakshmi, a kalash, turmeric, kumkum, flowers, fruits, sweets, betel leaves and the consecrated thread called Thoram.
List of things that would be required for the pooja:
- Image of Goddess Varalakshmi
- Kalash (Sacred Pot)
- Kumkum and Turmeric
- Flowers and Garland
- Fruits and Sweets
- Betel Leaves and Nuts
- Coconut
- Sacred Thread, Thoram
How to Do Varalakshmi Vratam
On Varalakshmi Vratam Day, the womenfolk wake up before sunrise, take a bath, and put on the traditional clothes—silk sarees would be ideal. Poojas are purified, and the place is decorated with rangoli. Put a wooden plank and place the kalash. The top of kalash is to be filled with water and a coconut is to be put on top of this kalash with mango leaves attached to it. On top of this kept kalash, the idol or the image of Goddess Varalakshmi is placed and is decorated with all the jewelry and flowers.
It all begins with lighting a lamp and further goes on with prayers to Lord Ganesha to remove obstacles away in between. The basic ingredients of the ritual are mantras, naivedyam, and tying the sacred thread on the wrist of the right hand on the side to show that the goddess has blessed it. The final puja is done at home as a Mangala Aarti.
Puja at Home: A Simple Guide
The Varalakshmi Vratam festival takes a much better shape at home when the atmosphere becomes full of life due to family bonding, peace, and satisfaction. The pooja place should be cleaned and set with flowers and Rangoli. Place the kalash on a bed of rice on the wooden plank, and then the mango leaves need to be decorated on the said plank along with a coconut resting on it. The idol of Goddess Varalakshmi is to be dressed with a silk cloth and decorations.
First of all, start the puja by praying to Lord Ganesha and then to the goddess Varalakshmi. Now, listen to the recitation of mantras and serve naivedyam to the goddess. Then, tie the thread of good luck, a yellow thread around your right wrist, and give a finale to your puja with Mangala Aarti.
Special Pujas for Varalakshmi Vratam 2024
True, apart from this main puja, there are many khas poojas, the likes of Laxmi Kuber Puja and Ashta Lakshmi Puja, which many devotees directly perform. Going by the belief, while the former will bring in wealth and prosperity, the latter is performed to seek blessings of the eight forms that Goddess Lakshmi takes up.
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Tips for a Successful Varalakshmi Vratam
Prepare in advance: Keep all the pooja items available a day in advance before the vrat.
Clean: Clean the place where you are going to do the puja very profoundly and keep it properly organized before the puja.
Upvaas: To tune into the spirit more and more, you can consider doing this after having the fast in the morning, the entire day, until the time the puja isn’t done.
Bhakti: It should be done with complete devotion and sincerely done with a pure heart in order to get blessed by the goddess.
Varalakshmi Vratam Mantras
This will help you bless yourself with the deity’s grace. Some of the mantras that you can chant are:
“Om Hreem Shreem Lakshmibhayo Namah”
A great mantra for wealth and prosperity. This is the perfect allround mantra used for success:
“Om Shree Mahalakshmyai Cha Vidmahe Vishnu Patnyai Cha Dheemahi Tanno Lakshmi Prachodayat Om”
Invoking wisdom, plenty, and prosperity.
Benefits of Observing Varalakshmi Vratam 2024
Varalakshmi Vratam has its own welfares, may it be spiritual or materialistic. All the devotees believe that if the vrat is observed with full dedication
Wealth and Prosperity: The goddess showers her devotees with good wealth and prosperity.
Family Harmony: The vrata ensures peace and harmony in the family.
Health and Longevity: The wives equally pray for the good health and long life of their husbands and that the same may be obtained by their children.
Conclusion
Grand are the poojas done all over, and the overall celebration of Varalakshmi Vratam joins families to worship and devote themselves. Celebrate this festival with a pure heart in 2024; seek in life such blessings of riches, health, and prosperity. You may be doing this for the first time or for many years—what should stay the same is giving your heart toward making the ritual with love and faith. May Goddess Varalakshmi bless you and your family.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1.Why should I fast on Varalakshmi Vratam?
Varalakshmi Vratam fast purifies the heart and body, in tune with the valued worship of Goddess Lakshmi.
2.Can unmarried women fast for Varalakshmi Vratam?
Yes, even unmarried women can keep the fast on the occasion of Varalakshmi Vratam to secure blessings for a good and wealthy future.
3.What if I miss the date for Varalakshmi Vratam?
If the date for performing the vrata is missed, then never mind; it can be done on any Friday of Shravana because all Fridays of Shravana are considered to be good for Lakshmi worship.
How shall I discard puja articles?
Articles, like flowers and leaves, arranged for puja, could be thrown away under some sacred tree or in a river; with the sacred yarn, of which there is composed a special kind leading around the neck three times, and then being preserved to be worn around the arm as an auspicious charm, or vermillion to be put in the locks by the temple.
This is not enforced, but yes, most of us ladies do this every year, marking it to continue invoking the blessings of the Goddess over our families.