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Monday, August 8, 2011

Varalakshmi Pooja Details

  வரலக்ஷ்மி  வருவாயம்மா , ................
வரலக்ஷ்மி, ராவேமா இன்டிக்கி ......................
பாக்யாத லக்ஷ்மி பாரம்மா ......................




This year Varalakshmi pooja falls on Friday  the 12 th of August , 2011

We keep doing this pooja every year, and it’s nothing new to us.
In spite of that, I would like to share a few points to make the work easy. By Tuesday or Wednesday, start keeping things ready for the pooja.

First take out the Amman mugam, kalasa sombhu, vilakku and other pooja saamaangal for washing and keep them in one place.

Take zip lock plastic covers and put manjal kombhu/ powder Kumkuma chimizh, Dakshinai, coconut and keep ready to be given along with vethilai and blouse piece on the pooja day to sumangalis.

On Thursday for izhai maak kolam:இழைமாக்கோலம்

Option 1. Grind rice after soaking for 2 hrs- custom method.
Opt 2. Mix rice flour with water
Opt 3. Mix rice, maida flour and water.

For semman: செம்மண்

If real semman is not available add kumkuma powder /mix haldi with lime [sunnambhu]

For the maavilaith thoranam,

The regular method is to pierce the maavilai after folding into the thread. Instead, use stapler to make a thoranam by just folding the maavilai into the thread. It will look decently nice.

It’s better to have the same Ornaments for the Amman mugam, and for the pattu pavadai stitch one using a silk blouse piece with zari borders available and keep them ready the previous day itself.

For the jadai:ஜடை

Take a news paper and fold it to a foot length and flatten it to look like a plank. Cut the Tahzhamboo into small pieces and staple them across by keeping them on the newspaper.

For the kunjalam:குஞ்சலம்

Either bundle the wool or attach with a ribbon made into a flower.
If you want the Amman to look nice in the pattu pavadai, increase the height by placing a sambadam with rice, on top of it place the Sombhu [kalasam]

If you are using the jewelries which you have worn, wash the before offering / decorating the kalasam.

The things like kadolai, maraseepu, karugumani, [காதோலை, மரசீப்பு, கருகுமணி] Dakshinai, lemon, manjal podi etc to be put into the kalasam rice, better to collect all into a Ziploc cover and mix it with the kalasam rice. If you have any silver coins, locket dollar, can be put into the kalasam.

For giving Vethilai pakku, one can choose apart from the regular blouse pieces [this always goes for circulation] sticker bindis, small baskets, bangles, hair clips, pooja plates, mini trays, plastic fruit bowls, small dabbas with lids, agarbathi stands, aarathi thattus, sloka books etc.

I would suggest being from the ILites family the best idea would be to Xerox some of the important slokas posted in the forum and distribute to the ladies. This would make them happy as readymade slokas are on their hands and we as members would be increasing the readership.

Ore kallile irandu maangaai.ஒரேகல்லில்இரண்டுமாங்காய்

Coming to the ENTER THE DRAGON, I mean Kitchen, decide on the menu the previous day itself and list them and post them on the fridge.
Morkuzhambhu is easy to make, so also brinjal sabji, easy to vadakkify.
Soak for the sundal, by adding a pinch of soda.

 Finely powder the jaggery.Mix a small quantity of rice with peeled elaichi and grind it in the mixer, keep aside.

Make Pooranam ready. If possible grate coconut and store it in the fridge.

In the night, once the kitchen work for that day is over, after cleaning the platform keep the things ready for soaking, roasting in their respective vessels duly covered.

For vadai: with the dals, red chillies/ gr chillies. Roasting for Sakkara pongal. Keep the idli stand and cookers ready.

After bath, first finish off the boiling business to be kept in the cookers like for sundal, dal and rice and for payasam /pongal.

In the mean time prepare kozhukattai mavu [கொழுக்கட்டைமாவு] and place in a wet cloth covered.

Finish off all the neivediyam [நெய்வேதியம்] items first and then you can do the regular items. Try to make 7, 9 or 11of kozhukattai, idli, vadai first for neivediyam. Rest can be taken up after the pooja.

Make choppu [சொப்பு] first with the kozhukattai mavu, for the nice smooth mavu, you have to knead them with enough oil and then prepare a laddu , press them into a flat circle and then keep giving shape to the edges like a cup and your choppu is ready. Divide the mavu and the pooranam into equal portions to make them.

Extra pooranam can be used as a side dish for roti, puri or can be mixed with payasam sarkarai pongal. Extra mavu can be used for undai uruli [உண்டைஉருளி ] payasam.
Do not forget to keep rice with kalathu paruppu [களத்துபருப்பு ] as Mahaneivediyam.

For distributing the sundals and vadais, either buy plastic disposable cups/ glasses, or get Ziploc plastic covers. 
If you follow the vratha pooja vidaanam book, then read the previous day to jot down the things needed for the pooja otherwise listen to the pooja cassette and make ready for the pooja. Alternatively better to keep the book in case of power failure.
ammanai azhaikkiradhu




before the pooja



Keep the cassette on in the background; it could be your favorite singers, slokas or bhajans in a low volume helping you to enjoy the festive mood.
When you invite ladies, engage them in conversation and as far as possible avoid talking about negative things like death or accident, you can do so on some other day over phone. See off ladies till the main door.

PS .Try out your nine yards sari and the blouse for good fittings. Keep the camera ready to take the Amman before and after pooja. This photo will come to your help next time to recall how you decorated it so that it makes your day a GOOD DAY!

3 comments:

  1. Padhmu
    Hi Mathangi,

    Your Amman look so divine with nice decoratings. you have given useful information for the pooja. thanks for sharing. helpful to all.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nandshyam's
    Varalakshmi Vratham Preparations in Detail

    Very informative with neat tips and tricks!!! Thanks a bunch!!
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    shashiv

    Dear mam,

    Ambal looks so beautiful and divine. Thanks for the tips on preparation which is very useful to all ladies.
    ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
    padmamukhi
    hey tats a nice article helped me to pen down 'things to buy'
    padma
    ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

    nandinimithun
    hi mathangi
    that was a lovely post about varalakshmi festival and regardring the preprations and celebrations :) We howeva dont keep the kalasam so i would be just keepin the lakshmi photo and decorate it with flowere and jewellery.
    Yep even i decide wat has to be cooked previous day itself so makes my work easy......
    ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

    ReplyDelete
  3. I loved your last statement, do not talk about ill health, accidents, death etc on this day.... so very true ladies sometimes are so overwhelmed that they can just go on and on....

    ReplyDelete