Vara Mahalakshmi Vrata

Vara Mahalakshmi Vrata

Vara Mahalakshmi Vratha occurs in the month of Shravan on the Friday before Purnima. Have all the following ready a day before or the day of the puja...

• One tambya for kalash
• One Lakshmi face suitable or tambya.
  
• One small crawling Krishna idol,
• One each of gold, silver and money coin,
• A pearl and a coral,ring or whatever
  
• Rice or wheat are to be put in the kalash.
• Five dry fruits, badam, dry grapes, dry dates and palm sugar are also to be put in the kalash.
  
• One coconut that fits on to the tambya.
  
• Five mango leaves to hold the coconut.
  
• For navidhya, flowers, fruits, raw milk, curds, powder jaggery or sugar, honey, ghee, food cooked in madi.
  
• Festival food with sweet and kheer should be cooked.
  
• Other Items required: Tulasi plant in a vrindavan or pot.
• One small cup filled with rice and a piece of jaggery on it.
  
• Haldi, kumkum, gandha, manthrakshata, agarbathi.
  
• The flowers required are jasmine, rose, shamanthi, sampige, kevra, dhavana and moragu. Some flowers should be in the form of garlands and some should be free (udhari) for puja.
  
• Several pieces of seven or eight inch thread with nine knots on each.

Clean the place where the kalash is to be kept. Draw the aishwarya rangoli. On a plank place the mandasana, decorate with mango toran and small plantain tree on either side.

Draw a padma, a swastika and Shree on the tambya using a mixture of haldi and lime.

Draw the bhagya rangoli on the plank on which the mandasana is to be placed. In the tambya put all the items mentioned above for the kalasha.

On the morning of the puja after the front yard has been cleaned and the rangoli drawn, place the tulsi plant on a plank in front of the main door. On the threshold put a small silver cup with rice and a piece of jaggery on it.

Place the decorated kalash in front of the tulasi vrindavana. Perform tulsi puja as usual and also to the kalash. Perform mangalarthi.

The lady who is to perform the puja is to take the kalash in her hands with the kalash facing towards the house. She should then tumble the cup of rice placed on the threshold with her right foot, go inside and then place the kalash in the mandasana. Sing Bhagyadha Lakshmi baramma while taking the kalash inside. Next the Kalashpan/supari and a friut is kept on the right, as also a set of haldhi/ kumkum kadole/karumani and bangles is also kept.

Another small kalash is also to be prepared with water, haldi, kumkum, akshata inside with a small fruit (mosambi, pomagranate) kept between two betel leaves. This is known as Yamuna kalash.

Pray to Lord Ganesha, offer a fruit or jaggery as navidhya. Worship Yamuna kalash (small) with haldi, kumkum flowers and gejavastra . Offer tambula and fruit as navidhya. Perform arthi and dhoop arthi.

Now perform the Varalakshmi puja. Put a few flowers and mantrakshata near the kalash while reciting the following.

Padmasane Padmakare Sarvalokaika pujithe

Narayayana priye devi suprita varadha bhave

With a flower sprinkle a little scented water (gandha water) on the kalash. Dip a flower in panchamrita (prepared while performing saligram puja) and sprinkle on the kalash.

Mix curds, a little ghee and honey and make madhuparaka if panchamrita is not made.

Again sprinkle water on the kalasha with the flower. Worship with haldi powder and gejavastra. Again with haldi, gandha, kumkum and sindoor. This means that you have given a bath, clothed and applied mangaladhrivyas.

Offer flowers, garlands and perform Lakshmi ashtothara puja. Along with this also worship the threads with nine knots. Put one flower for every name in the ashtothara. After reciting a few more Lakshmi stotras, perform eka arthi (three vatis soaked in ghee).

This is followed by naividhya ,Fruits,milk boiled with dry fruits kesar and cardamom coconut tambula and cooked food is offered.

Then dhooparathi ,mangala arathi and deepa arathi is done.

All the members of the family do puja by offering flowers akshitha and do pradakshina namaskar. Then the ladies of the house and savashni tie the thread around their wrists. The savashni is given all the mangaladrivayas and Udithumbothu –Ontibharna is done.

In the evening lamps are lit, deepa and dhoopa arathis done. Laxmis songs& slokas are recited.Sumangalis are invited and given thambula with fruit and dakshina.

On the next day punar puja is performed as the previous day.After mangala arathi, move the kalash a little.Later keep it in a place where money and jewels of the family are kept.

There are some must do’s before the puja .Saligram puja with panchamrutha is a must.[this can be used for yamuna and laxmi kalash puja later].If due some reason saligram is not available perform puja to Krishna.

All naividhya is offered to the Lord first. It is believed that Devi does accept the naividhya offered only to her.

As varmalaxmi puja always is on a Friday make sure to start puja before rahukala or it should be started only after rahukala.

For udithombodu or ontibharna Rice 2 cups,atleast 200gms,2 haldi sticks, 2 cup supari, and coconut. The savashni should accept in her saree pallu. The lady of the house should put rice coconut and supari five times and the savashni will put a little rice back three times.

Some times Varama lakshmi puja will be on ekadasi day. On such accasions, only puja is performed, both Saligrama and Lakshmi puja, the next one has to offer Naividya, bramana/ savashni upachar ie giving of thambula, blouse/saree, food etc. On laksmi Puja day naividya to ONLY saligrama or Krishna is sugar or kade sakar. This is kept by and offered to lakshmi the next day.

Mangala Gowri Vratha.

Mangala Gowri vratha is observed for five years of marriage on all Tuesdays in the month of sravan, praying for the long life of the husband. At the time of marriage the grooms mother presents the bride with the silver Mangala Gowri image.
Articles needed for the puja are silver Mangala Gowri, haldhi, kumkum, gejavastra flowers, three blouse peices, Two are to be folded into triangles.[ fold the the blouse peice length wise to make a long strip, now fold one end like a tiangle and keep on folding it thus till you come to the end and tuck in the last bit into the fold. Fold the another on like wise.]A plank, Full chana soaked overnight [250grams will do] one copra[dry coconut]cut into two, haldi powder, maida or wheat flour, a knife for kajal.
For naividys 18 fried PHALA. For this make pooran as for poli, make the covering with maida dough rolled into small puris, put alittle puran fold seal and deep fry. USE only new oil to fry.
with same maida dough make 5 nos small cups and fry for the arathi.
The girl who is to perform the puja should take a oil bath. Clean the place where the mangala Gowri is to kept , Keep the plank, draw rangoli and spread one blouse peice on it.
To a teaspoon of haldhi add 3/4 teaspoon of maida , make stiff dough and make two cups , for lamps. In two table spoons of haldhi powder add a tespoon of maida and make a stiff dough and make five gopurams in a group [this is Gowri which has to be kept for all the five weeks]Drain the water from the soaked chana.
PLacement on the plank. Top two ends keep the two triangles, below it keep the halfed copra with a little chana. Middle keep the silver mangala gowri, below it keep the haldhi gowri.Bottom two sides keep the lamps made of dough with wick and oil.
To start the puja worship tulasi. Light the lamps made of dough. Worship the water kept for puja { with a prayer }Take a udharni of water with a flower sprikle water over both the Gowris.THEn alitlle milk with a flower, and water again in the same way. worship with haldhi powder then geja vastra, again haldhi powder gandha , kum kum flowers. [ use only good sweet smelling flowers]. light all the lamps and offer the naividya along with coconut , banana, soaked chana pan supari.
Lasly light the lamps in fried cups , offer the arathi to gowri then hold the knife over it till it forms black soot on it, this is the kajal.take this with a flower and apply to the Gowri.then the girl who has performed the pujas applys for herself. Give thambula to savashnis with pan supari chane banana or coconut, and offer the kajal.Lastly seek their blessings by doing namaskaro each savashni after giving the thambula. The naividya of 18 phalas are to eaten by the husband and wife only.Dakshina has also be given with the thambula.
The story of Mangala Gowri is to be read in the morning or evening.
 There is also a custom  that the Husbands mother gives  VAAN to the girls  on any one  Manala Gowri puja in the five Years. The Vaan is in a Thambya -- (pithal Thambya)  wheat is put along with a   metal snake --ie that Silver  or Pancha loha  is put into it and tied with a choli. The girls mother is invited, festival food served and this Vaan is presented to her  along with Haldhi kumkum and flowers etc.

Shravan Shanivaar

This puja has to be done on all Saturdays in the month of Shravan.

• Perform puja to the picture of Lakshmi Narasimha deveru in much the same way as Shravan Shukravaar. Puran arathi has to be done. Onti need not be done. Ambali/ambat kane/huli nuchu and nuchu payasa and palak bhaji are the special neividya on this day. Festive lunch has to be made.

• All the decorations on this phata(picture) including the vastras are left as it is at the end of Shravan maasa and are removed only on the ashtami following Ganesh Chaturthi in Bhadrapada month. When these decorations, the flowers, the vastras, a wool string and a silk string and a new dhaara are strung together and worn by all in the family after the Elleashtami or Jyeshashtami puja

• Those who have the custom have to send their boys for bhiksha to at least 2 houses, where the boys wearing madi and carrying a bhiksha patra, have to ask "Venkatramana Govinda Govinda" and rice is given for bhiksha. In some houses, the father asks of the daughter and the daughter gives bhiksha to the father.

• In some houses, the picture of Lord Venkatramana and Padmavathi are worshipped and puran arthi and thambittu arathi are performed.

Both Shravan Shanivaar and Shravan Shukravaar pujas are done in many different ways in each family. This is what is done in ours. Readers, do let me know how it is done in yours if it is different from this one.

Shravan Shukravaar

This festival is celebrated on every Friday in the month of Shravan. On the first Friday, decorate the picture of Lakshmi Narayana or Jivti .(You can keep this beside the picture of Lakshmi Narasimha, who is worshipped the next day on Shravan Shanivaara.) Keep the Lakshmi Narayana or Jivti picture to the right of Lakshmi Narayana picture.) Decorate the wall around the picture.
In front of the pictures, on each side keep two dry coconut halves(copra) each filled with 5 badam, 5 khajur, 5 turmeric sticks(halkund) and 5 suparis. Decorate the pictures with a haara made of betel leaves and one of flowers.
Have ready, haldi, kumkum, flowers, akshata, five strings of vastras woven together and colored with kum kum, gandha, for the puja.
For the arathi, puran arathi is important. Those who are working and are hard pressed for time can make puran by mixing fresh or frozen grated coconut with grated jaggery, a little milk and ghee. Shape these into cups to hold the ghee dipped vaathi. Have 5 strings dipped in ghee for deep arathi ready, dhoop for dhoop arathi and camphor for karpoor arathi and finally mangal arathi .
Also have ready a blouse piece, Onti samaan, haldi kumkum packets, shringar samaan.
Neividya can be anything, kosumbari, thambittu, payasa, anything
Please note, for the onti have ready rice, two dry copras, 5 haldi, 5 khajur, 5 badam and 5 supari.
Cook a festive meal.
Start the puja by lighting the lamps, and perform puja to the God pictures.
Onti has to be done now for Gowri Lakshmi. In a plate, place the blouse piece, on it haldi kumkum, shingaar samaan. Now do onti onto the blouse piece.
Do all the arathis, dhoop, deep, and when doing puran arathi, keep two turmeric rhizome (halkund) on either sides. and do the arathi, after which do dhrishti with the turmeric. Next do the karpoor arathi, neividya and finally magal arathi. At least on one Friday, if not every friday, call a savashni for haldi kumkum.

Maradha Bhagana (Soop vaan) and Udi thumbodu (Onti Bharna)

MARADHA BHAGANA ..Things needed for this are two moras. To decorate these take some haldhi powder mixed in water to make a paste. Then decorate the top of the moras right accross the like a cross on both the moras and apply kumkum on the four corners and the centre.let it dry.
When this is given to a Savashni it should contain all the provisions enough for two people to cook and eat for one day.

• Rice about 1/2 a kg ,
• tur dal 200 /250 grams,
• chana dal, mung dal , urad dal each about50/200 grms.
• Dry chilly 50 grms ,
• dhania 100 grms,
• a table spoon each of jeera, pepper, methi, and mustared
• rava/maida each a cup,
• tamarind a big lemon size,
• jaggery 250 grms,
• oil and ghee small packets of each
• milk and dahi
• any two vegetables
• Haldhi kumkum,
• kadole karimani
• coconut
• blouse or a saree
• blouse peice.

If living abroad and cannot get the moras do buy a big plastic box with lid and use it for the purpose. Even a basket can be used.
Wile giving the Bhagina the giver says MUTHAIDHI MUTHAIDHI MARSDHA BHAGNA THOGO
The person recieving must say SAVITRI SAVTHRI MARADHA BHAGANA KODU. This is to be repeated three times. Before this , the lady should be given haldhi kumkum, flowers., pan supari with a coconut and dhakshina with a blouse or saree blouse. Then the maradha bhagna. After this do namaskara and seek the muthaidhis blessing.

For udithombodu or ontibharna ...Rice 2 cups or 200gms at least, 2 haldi sticks, 2 cup or full supari, and coconut. The savashni should accept this in her saree pallu. The lady of the house should put rice coconut and supari five times and the savashni will put a little rice back three times.

Nag Panchami or Garuda Panchami

This festival is observed on shravana shukla panchami.

Once a sister asked her brother to fetch kevra flower on a panchami day. When the boy went to the garden to pick the flower, he was bitten by a snake and he died. Nagaraja the snake, however, appeared before the sister in answer to her prayers and brings the boy back to life.

The festival is observed to remember this event.

People worship nagaraja and pray for the well being of their brothers and sisters. Sisters go to the snake pit for worship and bring mud from the pit to rub on the back of their brothers and pray for their happiness.

The prasad is the same as the previous day naga charurthi. Whereas for naga chaturthi only the women of the house worship the naaga, for this all members of the family worship the snake god.

Naga Chaturthi

Naga chaturthi comes on the fourth day of the month of Shravan. This festival is generally observed by women , praying for the well being and long life of their children.The women have a oil bath. and the entrance to the house cleaned and decorated with rangoli . On two sides of the entrance draw a picture depicting a snake with a baby snake beside it. For the worship, a silver or pithal or panchaloha snake is kept in a plate. Also have ready geja vastra coloured only with haldhi, Akshata yellowed with haldi only, raw soaked chana, rice powder, salt, pepper , thambit and chiguli, raw milk with a drop of ghee added.

Thambit is made by soaking rice for an hour or so. Draining all the water and powdering this. After the rice is powdered, add jaggery and blend together or grate the jaggery and mix this well with the rice flour. [if the rice flour is wet or hot, adding jaggery will make it watery, so better grate it and mix].
Chiguli is til seeda fried till it puffs up a little and when cool grind it with jaggery.
Keep three geja vastras one for the snake and two for the snake pictures on two sides of the front door.
Wear a clean saree, if possible a new one to perform the puja.
Begin by first performing the puja to the silver/brass or alloy snake (naag) as usual with haldi kumkum and geja vasthra, and akshtha and flowers .
Then pour a spoon of water, the milk ghee mix and water again and all the other ingredients that you have ready. A little of each.
Now take all the puja things and move to the front of the house. First do puja to the thresh hold Then draw on both sides of the door say at a middle point one big snake and small one. [mother and child.]to these also do puja .
The women dont partake Rice etc on this day but take pala ahara. Uppit, sojji, pohe, friuts and milk or butter milk. One cannot eat chappathis as this does not come under the pala ahara.

Thanvi Amavasyaor Bhimana amavasya

This festival falls on ASHADA AMAVASYA. This festival is also known as Pathi Sanjivani vratha or JothiBhimeshwara Vratha.

The story behind this festival is as follows. A very poor brahmin with many children gave his daughter in marriage to a very sick prince who was about to die. He then abandoned her to her fate at the banks of a river and left. the young girl alone and afraid of the dark, made a Shiva Linga out of the sand available and performed puja with great faith. Lord Shiva and Parvathi were very pleased with the girl and appeared before her and restored her husband to life.

There fore on this day, women make two rectangular peices in clay, and decorate it with lime and red color. After the clay pieces are a little dry, tie them together with a piece of turmeric around them.

This symbolises Lord Shiva and Parvathi. These are placed on a plank with a little rice arround it

On the day of the puja the ladies and girls in the house have to take oil bath .Perform the puja as usual with haldi kumkum , geja vastra gandha and flowers. For naividya soaked chana is offered. Near the idol threads , coloured yellow with haldhi and nine knots is kept and this also is worshipped. The threads placed in front of god should be for one for each lady and girls in the house. After the puja is over, all the women should wear tie thread on their right hand. This gowri is worshiped by women for the longevity of the husband and unmarried girls for a good husband.If clay is not available, the mangala gowri given at the time of marriage can be worshiped or a pair of silver or pithal lamps kept over a little rice with ghee for wicks can be worshiped.

Ashada Ekadasi

Ashada Ekadasi is observed by many even if they dont observe Ekadasi through out the year. Fasting on this day, {fasting means eating fruits/ milk/ butter milk}will get one the PUNYA of observing Ekadasi through out the year. It is said god goes to sleep from this day for four months. Starting from this day various pujas and dhanas are given away for the four months called Chaturmaas.

The least one can do during this time is to give away to a brahmin dhana on the eight DWADASIS that will occur in the four months. One can give...

1. Haldhi and kumkum in two halved dry coconuts (COPRA) to sumangalis, on all eight dwadasis.
2. Fill 2 small katoris ,with honey and ghee and give this away as dhana(daan)
   
3. Give a pair of deepas or lamps.
   
4. Give away tulasi plants in small pots and on the last dwadasi a vrindavan in terracota ot pithal can be given. (vrindavan is a container in which tulsi is planted and worshipped)
   

On Ekadasi day, two geja vastras are offered ie one to god and one to Tulasi. The next day the one on the tulasi is removed and the one on the god is put on tulasi and a new one for god, this has to done every day till Uthana dwadasi.
These are the minimum we can do. There is more of which i will write in a few days.