Festivals
Varamahalakshmi Festival 2023
Vara Mahalakshmi Festival is the auspicious festival in Hindu culture, celebrated to ask goddesses to bless their husbands with longevity and health. The entire festival is dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi. The deity is worshipped during Vara Mahalakshmi Festival, and people observe a fast, known as Vara Mahalakshmi Vratham, in honour of the Goddess. The festival has massive significance in India in states like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and more.
Vara Mahalakshmi Festival is celebrated in the Hindu month of Shravana on the second Friday, which falls between July and August.
Married women usually offer the Varamahalakshmi Puja to protect the family’s prosperity and well-being. Worshipping Goddess VaraMahalakshmi on this day and observing fast is believed to be equivalent to worshipping Ashtalakshmi.
Do you also celebrate the Varalakshami festival? If yes, connecting with an expert Vedic pandit is a pre-requisite for the Vara Mahalakshmi Puja. Pandit or purohit is knowledgeable in customs and rituals, ensuring correct and effective ceremony completion. Moreover, they have expertise in correctly performing all the necessary steps, with the right mantras and shlokas chants and offerings.
But Where to get expert Vedic pandits for Varalakshami Puja? If you plan to organize Varalakshami Puja at your house, then SmartPuja will help you with pandit bookings, Mandla setup, and samagris.
SmartPuja offers a special package for Vara Mahalakshmi Puja, where the pandits will carry all the essential puja items and perform the detailed steps, including Ganpati puja, Mahalakshmi Avahana and other steps.
SmartPuja is a religious portal that provides pandits for 400+ pujas and homas, astrology and e-puja services in eight different cities, including:
| Ahmedabad | Chennai | Hyderabad | Mumbai |
| Bangalore | Delhi | Kolkata | Pune |
Connect with our experts at 080-61160400 to know about the pandit booking process and other details and enjoy a hassle-free religious experience.
When Is The Vara Mahalakshmi Festival Celebrated?
The Vara Mahalakshmi festival is widely observed in various parts of India. Apart from the Southern region, the festival is hugely celebrated in parts of India, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, and more.
- In South India, it is observed on a Friday in the month of Shravana, where women perform the puja in groups and seek the blessings of goddess Mahalakshmi for wealth and prosperity.
- In Uttar Pradesh, it is celebrated as Rakhi Purnima, where sisters tie rakhi on their brother’s wrists and seek the blessings of the goddess for their well-being.
- In Orissa, the festival is known as Bol Bom, where devotees offer prayers to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati and seek the blessings of goddess Mahalakshmi for a happy and prosperous life.
The festival is mostly celebrated or observed in the months of Shravan (or monsoon), on any date from July to August. The festival is usually observed on the 2nd Friday of Shukla Paksha of the Shravan month.
This year in 2023, according to the tithi, the festival will be celebrated on August 25, 2023. The second Friday of Shukla Paksha is mostly the Friday before the Full moon or Poornima.
Varamahalakshmi Puja Timing 2023
As of 2023, Vara Mahalakshmi Puja will be held on August 25, 2023. Usually, the fast is observed a few days before the Shravan Poornima. Every individual can take an active part in the vratha. The most appropriate time to offer the Vara Mahalakshmi Puja is during the fixed Lagna. If done within the Lagna, it is believed that Goddess Vara Mahalakshmi will bestow the worshipper with long-term prosperity. Therefore, offering the Puja within the Lagna is advisable to show your appreciation and worship towards Goddess Vara Mahalakshmi.
The Lagna timings are as follows:
- Sikha Lagna Puja Muhurat (morning): 5:55 AM to 7:42 AM
- Vrischika Lagna Puja Muhurat (afternoon): 12:17 AM to 2:36 PM
- Kumbha Lagna Puja Muhurat (evening): 6:22 PM to 7:50 PM
- Vrishabha Lagna Puja Muhurat (midnight): 10:50 PM to 12:45 AM (August 26)
Rituals For Varamahalakshmi Puja
Goddess Vara Mahalakshmi is the Goddess of wealth and prosperity, the consort of Lord Vishnu. She is hailed to be one of the forms of Goddess Lakshmi. She was incarnated from Kshir Sagar or the milky ocean. Hence, she is described as having a milky complexion and wearing similar clothes. Praying to Goddess VaraMahalakshmi will bestow boons on you.
Ingredients Needed for Varalakshami Puja
Since you’re offering Puja to Goddess Vara Mahalakshmi, it is incredibly crucial that you follow the rituals correctly so that nothing goes wrong. Gather all the essential ingredients or samagris for the Pujas. These include:
| Kumkum | Haridra | Chandan |
| Dora Granthi | Akshatha | Sri Varamahalakshmi idol |
| Vastra | Fresh fruits and flowers | Sweets |
| Sindoor | Garlands | Betel leaves |
| Peetha | Kalash | Udharana |
| Incense Stick | Camphor |
Vara Lakshami Puja Process
The procedure to follow for the Goddess VaraMahalakshmi for Pujas include:
- The devotee must wake up early on the Day of Puja and adorn clean clothes. Wearing new clothes symbolises new beginnings, and brings good luck and prosperity. Moreover, it also adds festive spirit and enhances the overall experience of the occasion.
- Place the idol of Goddess Lakshmi on a wooden plank towards the east.
- On the wooden plank, place a bowl and fill it with rice.
- Put Chandan and kumkum on the sides of the wooden plank.
- Keep the fruits, silver coin, and betel leaves on the plank. Offering various food items during Varamahalakshmi puja symbolizes different aspects of life and expresses gratitude and devotion to the goddess for blessings.
- Place a Kalash and decorate it with mango leaves. On the opening of the Kalash, keep a coconut. Coconut represents purity, strength, and divine consciousness and breaking it during Varamahalakshmi puja signifies surrendering oneself to the goddess.
- Apply a tilak made of chandan, kumkum and haldi on the coconut.
- Decorate the idol of Goddess Vara Mahalakshmi with bindi or kumkum. Place the idol in front of the coconut and tie them together using a thread.
- Put on vermillion and adorn the Goddess statue with new clothes. Offering vermillion during Varamahalakshmi puja symbolizes the goddess’s energy and brings good fortune to the household.
- Light the diya. Before starting the Puja to Goddess VaraMahalakshmi, offer your prayers to Pratham pujya, Lord Ganesha. Lighting lamps during Varamahalakshmi puja symbolize the victory of light over darkness and bring positivity and prosperity.
- Offer prayers Vara Mahalakshmi goddess and recite the Vratham Katha. The Varamahalakshmi Vratham involves fasting and puja to seek blessings of wealth, prosperity, and happiness.
- On the wooden plank, place the Prasad, offer your prayers and seek forgiveness for your mistakes and blessings from Goddess.
- After the Puja, untie and break the coconut. Drain the coconut water on any plant nearby and distribute the coconut as Prasad to everyone.
- On the next day, offer a small prayer to conclude the Vratha. Since Puja is conducted on Friday, ensure you’re not moving the idol from its destined place until Sunday.
Significance of Vara Mahalakshmi Vratha
Worshipping Goddess Varamahalakshmi on a Friday of the Shravan month is very auspicious. It is believed that people who observe a fast on the day of the festival with full devotion are blessed with endless prosperity, longevity, happiness, and wealth.
To dig more into the details, let’s find out the different makes of Vara Mahalakshmi-
- Aadi Lakshmi (Force)
- Dhan Lakshmi (Wealth)
- Dhairya Lakshmi (Courage)
- Santaan Lakshmi (Children)
- Vidhya Lakshmi (Wisdom)
- Vijaya Lakshmi (Success)
- Dhaanya Lakshmi (Food)
- Gaja Lakshmi (Strength)
People who offer their prayers and seek fast on the Vara Mahalakshmi Puja are said to be offering their prayers to all the above eight forms. Therefore, they will be blessed by all of the deities if they observe the fast with complete dedication.
Story of Vara Mahalakshmi Vratha
The Vratha Katha is recited to show the religious significance of the festival. A Brahmin woman, Padmavati was dutiful to her husband and also helped those in need around her in the Kingdom of Kosala. Goddess Lakshmi observed her holy deeds and was delighted with her. Goddess Lakshmi then asked Padmavati to perform the Vrata on a specific date of the Shravan month to achieve salvation.
Another story is about an honest woman, Charumati, who was dutiful to her husband and her family. One night she received a dream of Lord Vishnu, who asked her to worship Goddess Lakshmi every year in the month of Shravan. By doing so, she will get the blessings of Goddess Varamahalakshmi and all forms of wealth.
Vara Mahalakshmi Mantra
Om sarvopadrava vaarinyai namah |Om navadurgaayai namah ||Om mahaakaalyai namah |Om brahmaavishhnushivaatmikaayai namah ||
Varalakshmi Prasadam or Prasad
Special prasadam or Prasad is offered to Goddess Lakshmi during the Varamahalakshmi festival, specifically prepared with ghee, milk, dal, coconut, rice, and jaggery. About three, five, seven, or nine types of prasadam or Varamahalakshmi naivedyam offered are majorly made with these ingredients.
Sundal, nombu kozhukattai, panakam, vada, Kesari, curd rice, lemon rice, tamarind rice, payasam, and sweet pongal are some of the special prasadam made in Tamilnadu to offer Goddess during vara mahalakshmi festival. People also offer ghee, cooked dal (paruppu), white rice (cooked raw rice), or raw rice idli.
Besides, perugu vada, sundal, daddojanam, pappu unta, panakam, guggillu, chakkara pongali, garelu, pulihora, bellam paramannam, and boorelu are offered to Godded Lakshmi in Andhra Pradesh. Kodebele, chakli, sihi pongal, panaka, shavige payasa, kosambari, vada, bele holige, and chitranna are offered to Goddess Lakshmi in Karnataka.Similar prasadam is prepared in the rest of the Indian states, including the delicacies prepared for the varamahalakshmi festival in Karnataka, yet the ingredients and preparation process may differ from one state to another.
Varalakshmi Vrat festival dates between 2023 & 2030
| 25 August 2023 | Friday |
| 16 August 2023 | Friday |
| 08 August 2023 | Friday |
| 28 August 2023 | Friday |
| 13 August 2023 | Friday |
| 04 August 2023 | Friday |
| 24 August 2023 | Friday |
| 09 August 2023 | Friday |
How Hiring A Pandit Will Help With Smooth Vara Mahalakshmi Vratha Completions?
Hiring a Pandit ensures that the entire Puja is done smoothly if you’re planning to organize Vara Mahalakshmi Puja at your own house.
Since the Varlakshmi Puja is slightly complex and requires chanting the mantras accurately, hiring a Pandit will significantly help. You can hire professionally trained pandits from SmartPuja, who will assist you in conducting the entire Puja smoothly within the Lagna.
Our expert Vedic pandits will take care of all the samagris and provide a checklist for household items. All you need to do is book the desired puja from our platform and proceed with advance payment while confirming the date, time, and place.
Drop us a mail with your queries at namaste@smartpuja.com or connect with us at 080-61160400 to know more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Varamahalakshmi festival 2023 is on Friday, August 25, 2023.
Decorating the home during the Vara Mahalakshmi festival welcomes good wealth and prosperity into the home.
Vara Mahalakshmi festival typically lasts one day, celebrated on the second Friday in Shravana month.
Vara Mahalakshmi festival is primarily celebrated by married women, unlike all the other Lakshmi puja or festivals, which any individual can perform.
Several types of alankarams (decorations) can be done for Varamahalakshmi, including floral decorations, rangoli designs, and decorations made with fruits, vegetables, and other materials. Some people decorate the goddess statue or image with jewellery and traditional clothing.
Vara Mahalakshmi Puja lasts around 2-3 hours, depending on the series of rituals and offerings.
Although sumangali or married women primarily perform Varalakshmi pooja as they seek longevity and health of their husbands, people also seek their good health
As per Hindu culture, Varalakshmi pooja can be observed by anyone, yet married women specifically do it.
Anyone, including widows, can perform Varalakshmi puja since devotees seek wealth and health from Goddess Laksmi during this pooja.
Green and red colors are primarily considered auspicious to wear during Varalakshmi vratham.
Shravana month’s Shukla Paksha’s Friday will observe the Varamakalakshmi festival in Karnataka in 2023.
The main rituals of Varalakshmi vratham are tying yellow threads on women’s hands and exchanging gifts. Devotees also distribute jaggery-made sweets, Pongal, and boiled legumes. Dismantling the Kalasha after bathing the next day completes the rituals of varalakshmi vratham.
