Chez Moi

Varalakshmi Vrata is one of the biggest festivals that are celebrated during the Tamil month of Aavani (August - September). This is celebrated mainly by Tamil Iyers as well as Telugu and Kannada speaking folk. Every year, this auspicious day falls on the friday before full moon.

Coming from a hybrid family like I do, I did not have any such festivals to deal with while growing up. But as S is from the Telugu Vysya community that celebrates this vrata regularly, I end up being a part of the celeb whenever I go home to Chennai in August. This year too was no exception. This being my third year of doing it (albeit playing a very minor role), I think I have grasped the nous of this deal.

So here’s how it goes: well before D-day, the pooja vessels are given a rigourous spit and polish so they sit gleaming by the umachi side. On D-1 day, a perfectly oval coconut is given a shave so its sides are smooth like a baby’s bottom. Then the said coconut is given a thorough rub-down with turmeric paste. This forms the main part of the kalasa. The main pooja sombu (pot) is filled with water and this coconut sits on top of it. On a bed of new rice, this kalasa is fixed. Next, an imprint of the Goddess (made of silver) is tied on to the front of the kalasa and this becomes the moorti of the Goddess. Then it is time for one’s creativity to break out - you can deck the kalasa in grand silk skirts, decorate it and the pooja area with flowers and put gold jewellery around the neck of the kalasa.

The next morn, poojas are done to Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi by the women of the household. Offerings of sweet pongal, kheer, vada and a panchamirdam (roughly, fruit salad) made of nine fruits are given to Lakshmi. Pooja and aarati are done in the evening as well as the morning and evening of the following day, before the whole show is packed up till the following year. The water from the kalasa is poured into the nearby well; the rice is cleaned and used in the day’s cooking and the coconut is cleaned off its turmeric and made into any delicious item that doesn’t involve cooking.

One of the main part of the Varalakshmi vrata pooja is the telling of how the vrata came to be celebrated. Of course, with the whole proceedings generally being conducted in Telugu, much of it is OHT. So this year, I decided to read up on this so I knew what the deal was. And the story*, as I found out, is thus:

Long, long ago, there lived a devotee of Lord Vishnu called King Bathrasiravas, who lived with his Queen Surachandrika and daughter Shyamabala. One day, long after she was married and living in her sasural, Shyamabala landed on her parents’ doorstep to spend some quality time with them.

Then, the good Goddess Mahalakshmi, the giver of wealth, took the form of a poor, bedraggled old lady and entered the Queen’s palace. The old lady told the Queen, who was by herself, to perform the Varalaksmi vrata pooja. But the Queen flew into a rage for having been approached thus by a beggar, slapped the lady and threw her out.

Her daughter saw this and followed the old woman and inquired about the pooja. Then, she performed the pooja with due pomp and ceremony. Thanks to the power of this vrata, more and more gold and money was showered on her. But what of her unfortunate parent, who had chased the Goddess of Wealth away? Just as she threw the old lady away, the Goddess too took leave of Queen Surachandrika and the King and Queen were reduced to being penniless paupers.

A distraught Shyamabala sent over a pot of gold coins to her parents; but the pot turned into ashes the moment they touched it. Upon hearing of this, Shyamabala advised her mother to perform the powerful Varalakshmi Vrata pooja. A humbled Queen Surachandrika did so and lo and behold! all her riches were returned to her and the King and Queen lived happily ever after.

And it is said that whoever performs this pooja with utmost devotion and piety will be blessed with all the wishes one could ask for. If that isn’t incentive enough, I don’t know what is!

* - this has been translated from Tamil, so pardon the mistakes!