Pradeep Vennelakanti Tirupati

Womenacross the district observed Varalakshmi Vratham with religious fervour and traditional gaiety on Friday, as homes and temples came alive with elaborate decorations and special prayers. The festival, celebrated during the auspicious Sravana Masam, witnessed a large participation of women who performed the rituals seeking the blessings of Goddess Varalakshmi for prosperity and well-being.

Sravana Masam holds a special place in the Hindu calendar, particularly among women, who consider the month highly auspicious for performing traditional pujas and religious observances. Though Varalakshmi Vratham can be performed on any Friday during the month, the majority of women observe it on the Friday immediately preceding the full moon.

A popular belief associated with the festival is that worshipping Goddess Varalakshmi on this day is equivalent to offering prayers to Ashta Lakshmi, the eight forms of Goddess Lakshmi. Following the tradition, women prepared a Kalasam at home and decorated it with turmeric, kumkum and flowers. A coconut,considered a representation of the goddess, was placed on top after being carefully decorated. Several women further adorned the Kalasam with silver-plated eyes, nose and lips, while others used ready-made faces resembling the deity.

The puja was performed amid devotional chants and traditional rituals. Women dressed in colourful traditional attire listened to the Vratha Katha, or the story associated with the observance, which is considered an important part of the ceremony. The rituals were completed with the offering of Naivedyam to the goddess.

Women who could not conduct the puja at home due to various reasons visited temples where special arrangements were made for conducting the Vratham in batches. Prominent temples, including the Sri Padmavathi Ammavari Devasthanam at Tiruchanur, Sri Vasavi Kanyakaparameswari temple, Sakthi Chamundeswari temple, Annapurnamma temple among others, were decorated for the occasion and witnessed a steady flow of devotees.

Women began arriving at several temples early in the morning and continued to visit the shrines throughout the day. Sri Kalahasteeswara Devasthanam too witnessed a heavy rush, with hundreds of women waiting in queues to participate in the special Varalakshmi Vratham rituals.

The festive atmosphere was not confined to places of worship. Markets across the city had turned busy from Thursday evening as women made purchases for the puja. Flowers, fruits, coconuts and other ritual materials were in high demand.