Hyderabad: Women in the city joyfully celebrated Varalakshmi Vratam on the second Friday of Shravana masam. This tradition is more than a ritual; it represents a special connection between women and Goddess Lakshmi, who is believed to give blessings or ‘Varam’ to those who perform the vratam with genuine devotion and heartfelt prayers.
The markets were busy with women buying flowers, banana leaves, and other items needed for the pooja. They recited slokas and offered fresh fruits, coconuts, sweets like jaggery laddoos and payasam, along with betel leaves and nuts. Women tied a sacred yellow thread, known as Pasupu Thadu, around their wrists, seeking protection, prosperity, and happiness.
Legend has it that in ancient Kundinapura, a devoted woman named Charumathi had a dream where Goddess Lakshmi, radiant in golden light, appeared. The goddess told her to observe the vratam on the second Friday of Shravan Masam, promising blessings to those who worship her. Charumathi woke up inspired and performed the vratam, inviting married women from her town. This tradition spread widely, with married women praying for their families’ well-being and unmarried girls wishing for a good husband and future.
On this special Friday, homes were thoroughly cleaned and adorned with fresh mango leaves and marigold flowers. A sacred kalasam was placed in the center, filled with rice, coins, turmeric, and topped with a coconut wrapped in red cloth. The face of Varalakshmi Devi was either placed or drawn and decorated with jewelry, flowers, and devotion.
After the pooja, laughter and devotion filled the air as women visited each other’s homes to exchange haldi and kumkum, symbols of marital bliss and womanhood. They also gifted fruits, bangles, and flowers, sharing good wishes.
Young girls and unmarried women participated too, hoping for the goddess’s blessings for a bright future. The event was filled with a sense of shared devotion and feminine energy. It is believed that those who sincerely perform this vratam and invoke Varalakshmi’s name receive health, wealth, peace, a good family life, and lasting prosperity.
