This is a festival to revere the Goddess Lakshmi and is observed on the last Friday of the Tamil month of Adi.

It is believed that it was on this day that Goddess Lakshmi was born. She arose from the ocean of milk.

It is often said that Lakshmi will come into the houses of her ardent devotees and grant them a boon. Vara means boon. Varalakshmi is obviously the Lakshmi who grants boons.

By performing the Varalakshmi Vratham, one is supposed to get benefits like money, plenty of food, health, property, children and a long life.

The women and the young girls of the house are the main participants in this pooja. They tie yellow threads around their wrists and wear flowers in their hair and kumkum prominently on their foreheads.

There is an interesting legend behind the Varalakshmi pooja. It is said that Shiva and Parvati played a game of dice. Shiva kept claiming to have won. But Parvati knew otherwise. But she called a Gana to mediate and settle the matter.

The Gana being a creature of Shiva decided to declare him the winner. Parvati worked herself into a rage and cursed him, declaring he would suffer from leprosy.

When Shiva pleaded with her, she gave in to him but on one condition. She declared that if the women of the world performed the Varalakshmi Vratham, the Gana would be free of the disease.

Since then the Vratham has been performed every year.

Post Comment

Name : Email : Password : Comments :