Varamahalakshmi Pooja

Last Friday, August 4th, we celebrated Varama Lakshmi Pooja at home. Shravana month is going on right now. In Karnataka, we celebrate the second Friday of this month as Vara Lakshmi or Varamahalakshmi Pooja. On that day, Goddess Mahalakshmi blesses the devotees with many boons.

We decorate the main door of our home with torans and mango leaves. We also draw a big colourful rangoli in front of the main door. We also decorate the rangoli with coins and flowers. If there are children at home, they get the job of safeguarding the coin. There is a myth that money plant pieces robbed from someone else’s home helps the thief to flourish. But, this coin if robbed, really helps the thief to flourish financially.
Here there was a big hullabaloo about this very coin that we had decorated on a rangoli. None of the people living here know about the significance of the coin placed on the rangoli. So we had peacefully stayed inside after closing the door without any person looking after it. But, one gossipmongering woman made another woman say that we had placed this coin after doing black magic. The first woman had already begun performing black magic on us much before this.
We draw small feet on Lakshmi entering our home. Then, we place the kumbha, that we are supposed to place for pooja, on the rangoli in front of the door and also keep some rice in a silver, copper or brass tumbler on the threshold. We also perform aarti to the kumbha. Pure suhasini ladies pick up the kumbha and kick the rice tumbler with the right leg and enter the house. The rice should spread all over the house.

The kumbha is placed on the decorated kumbha place for pooja. The entire shodashopachara pooja is performed and curd, milk, sheera and fruits are offered to the Goddess. For archana currency coins are used with Kum Kum. Those people, who can afford plenty of flowers can use flowers for this as well. This kum kum can be used by men as well as ladies. Whoever applies this kum kum on their forehead before leaving for any work, comes back successful. Rich people distribute this coin for free. Some people sell these coins for Rs. 101-1001. The amount collected is used for the next year’s pooja. The people, who buy these coins, keep them at their pooja place and energize it with incense stocks and lamps, to flourish in life. People, who buy the coins, can collect it in silver, copper, brass or glass vessels and perform pooja to it for prosperity. In olden times, people, who had performed these poojas have received treasures. These days lottery-wins are predicted in crores. We have heard that this has happened in foreign countries as well. People have received money from unexpected sources. Similarly, the kum kum is sold at Rs. 51-5001/spoon. This pooja is so powerful.

Pooja is performed in the morning and evening. Some people perform pooja 3 times, some 5 times and some 9 times. The kumbha is kept at the pooja place for so many days accordingly. On the udhyapana day, good and pure suhasinis and good and pure girls are given gifts including turmeric, kum kum and prasad to conclude the pooja.