The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Dawn of prosperity

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 02, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Dawn of prosperity

AROUND July-August, during the Hindu month of Shravanam, on a Friday in the fortnight called Sukla Paksham, the Varalakshmi Vratham is performed. This year, it falls on the 4th of August.

Lots of colour, festivity and food go into the celebration of Varalakshmi Vratham. Literally translated, Varalakshmi means boon granting goddess of wealth. Married women, called Sumangalis visit each other's homes and gathering together, they sing bhajans while little girls may dance with their friends, or simply chat.

The puja, performed annually is for the well being of the entire family. Married women in the household pray for their family's health, wealth, happiness and knowledge.

No festive is without an interesting story that involves its origins. This one too begins with Lord Shiva and Parvathi. It all started with a game of chess that the divine couple was playing. As luck would have it, Parvathi, on a winning streak, triumphed in every single game. Shiva kept teasing an increasingly irritated Parvathi of cheating, and they decided they would have a referee. That, they thought would help keep the game `fair'. Looking around, they decided on Chitranemi. He gladly agreed, glad to be of help to his lord. His devotion proved to be his undoing. Chitranemi announced the winner. It was his Lord. In Parvathi's opinion, that was totally unfair of him and in her anger she decided to make Chintranemi pay for it. She turned him into a leper. A mortified Chitranemi begged to be forgiven, and Lord Shiva had to intervene. Naturally, Paravthi relented, and agreed to revoke her curse - on one condition. He would be cured if he observed the Varalakshmi Vratha. Ever since it has become an annual celebration coming down from one generation to the next, being followed with devotion and faith.

Another legend goes like this. In Kundina, a town in Magadha, a Brahmin woman called Charumathi lived with her husband and her in laws. Like most Indian women, she was the ideal daughter-in-law and wife. One night, as Charumathi slept, Goddess mahalakshmi appeared in her dreams and asked her to perform a puja to Varalakshmi, the goddess who granted boons. She promised her fulfullment of all her wishes.

Soon, the entire family, friends and neighbours became involved in planning a huge puja. They dressed up in all their finery, prayed and they offered the Goddess many kinds of sweets, all lovingly made by them. As they went around the Varalakshmi diety their bodies became decked with beautiful jewellery, and their homes filled with riches.

Ever since, this puja has taken on a lot of significance, and Varalakshmi is looked on as the goddess who grants boons.

Buying gold and jewellery on this day is considered to be auspicious, as the metal is not only an investment, but is also a very significant purchase. The women in Charumathi's story were all bedecked in gold jewellery, its mellow, sophisticated glow adding to the beauty of every single women gathered for the puja.

As time progressed, at the time of her daughter's marriage, every mother gave her daughter a likeness of the goddess for her to bring out and worship every year.

Lovingly, women deck out the diety during the Varalakshmi Vratham. Preparations begin the evening before with cleaning the puja area. Utmost care is taken, and beautiful kolams are drawn on the floor where the deity will be place.

A special bronze or silver kalasham is smeared with fresh sandal wood paste. It is then filled with uncooked rice, coins, a single whole lime, five different kinds of leaves, including the beetle leaf and beetle nut. A new cloth is used to cover the kalasham up to the neck. Mango leaves surround the mouth of the kalasham, and the coconut smeared with turmeric is placed on top of the leaves.

To this coconut, the image of Varalakshmi is fixed. Now, the kalasham, the coconut and the image are considered to be the goddess herself. Early the next morning, before Rahu kalam, the readied Kalasham is placed on a bed of rice, signifying Varalakshmi's entrance into the house. All female members in the family tie a yellow thread around their wrists and in some families, a pujari is invited to perform special poojas. Decked out in all their finery, women - silks and gold, friends and neighbours visit each other, adding grace and colour to the festival. Once Varalakshmi Vratham ends the next day dawns, the rice in the kalasham mix with the normal, stored rice and everybody looks forward to a year filled with good fortune, wealth, knowledge and happiness.

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