Varalakshmi Vratam

The tamil month of aadi is a harbinger of a spate of spiritual and social events and festivities.

Varalaskmi vratam was celebrated with piety and religious fervor on Friday and incidentally our Independence day .also occurred on that day.

I sauntered around certain pockets of Chennai to peek into the celebrations.



The four mada streets around Mylapore Kapaleeshwarar temple which is the religious hub of Chennai wore a festive look a week before the festival. The roads are flanked by jewelers who dished out Varalskhmi Mugam and other Pooja related articles.

It looked like a limitless stretch of flower garden with myriad hues of flowers strewn around. The assortment of fruits a la fruit orchard enticed the multitude to buy them.

Plantain saplings, Mavilai Thoranam were sold at exorbitant prices. Women prepared themselves and the household the previous day itself. They cleaned the houses and decorated the entrance with rice flour Kolam festooned with Chemmann( red sand paste) which was a sight to behold.

Varalakshmi, the Goddess of wealth and prosperity was welcomed by placing a replica of her face in silver on a kumbam.

An array of delicacies were prepared as Offerings to the Goddess. In some houses the Purohits initiated the Pooja while in many houses the women performed themselves.

Women were clad in their traditional Madisar sarees.

It reached a crescendo in the evening when women paid a visit to their friends and relatives house to receive the Tamboolam.

All the houses were redolent with the fragrance of the incense sticks and sweet scented flowers.

Goddess Karpagambal looked gorgeous with a silver brocaded saree and exquisite ethnic jewelery.

In the commercial hub of T Nagar, the jewelers and textile barons lured the buyers

by displaying a wide range of related items.

In other localities women were busy with the Pooja in the mornings and visiting the friends and relatives at dusk.

All the temples were bursting at it seams as the devout prayed fervently to seek the blessings of the Almighty.

Varalaksmi Vratam is not only a religious function but also a social event as people get visit their kith and kin atleast during this time.

UshaRaja