Varalakshmi Virdham (Month of Aavani)

This month is called ad Avani in tamil. The grand and God faith funcation happens in this month on the last Friday of Aadi or first week of Aani. This year Varalakshmi Virdham occurs on 20 August 2010 and is also called as Lakshmi Pooja.

Now let me tell a few things about Varalakshmi Virdham. The recipes we offer God on this day is Kolkukattai made with rice flour and poornam which is made of coconut with jaggery. We neatly clean the pooja place and will draw a big kolam, decorate the mandapam. On Friday we will take oil bath and make the idly, kolukattai, two kinds of sweet and one with salt, vada and some fried rice depending on the necessity we can also make many items.

We will take a kalasam and cover it with a cloth which resembles a skirt. Inside the kalasam we will put rice, betal, coins, lemon and put a bunch of mango tree leaf which will be kept at the mouth of the kalasam. Above all we will place a coconut on top of the kalasam and decorate it with chandan and kum kum. In the front of the coconut we will draw Lord Lakshmi’s face and decorate it with flower and garland. You can also decorate it with some gold necklace and chain and put one comb, mirror and bangles in one silver plate and place a banana leaf and fill with the kolukattai, idly and all the recipes in front of the kalasam. Do not forget to decorate the mandapam with garland and flowers and lights as per your wish. Then ask two ladies to take the kalasam and place it in the mandapam.

Arrange for a progidar to chant mantras for pooja and according to his instructions do the necessary pooja. After the pooja tie the holy thread in the right hand and distribute the prasadam which was devoted to the God to the people who attend the pooja. The full moon day following this pooja would be Aavani Avittam which is a function for gents of family. On this day the poonal would be changed. People wake up early in the morning and take bath and wait for the sastrigal to arrive home and recite mantras sitting together with the family members (gents) and change the poonal – the holy thread worn by Brahmin gents. This month is also good to have marriage functions, house warming functions.

In my next blog I will talk about some Hindu traditions about Marriages etc.