Namaskaram, my dear ones! Come, come, sit down with a cup of filter coffee while I tell
you all about our beautiful Varalakshmi Vratham. Living here in the UK, I know how much
we miss our festivals, no? But let me tell you, distance cannot diminish devotion!

 

What Magic This Varalakshmi Vratham Brings to Our Homes!

You know, when I first came to Birmingham thirty years ago, I thought, "Aiyo, how will I do
Varalakshmi puja without my mother to guide me?" But Goddess Lakshmi herself showed
the way, I tell you! Just like how she blessed that devoted lady Charumathi in ancient
times with this Vratham, she blesses all of us who observe it with pure hearts, wherever
we are.

Mark Your Calendar, Kanna – When Lakshmi Amma Visits Our Homes

Mark your calendars, kannas! This year, 2025, Varalakshmi Vratham falls before Shravana
Purnima. My grandmother used to say, "Vara means boon, kanna. When you pray to
Varalakshmi with devotion, she sits in your home and showers blessings like rain!"
This Vratham is especially dear to us married women. We pray for our husband's long life,
our children's well-being, and prosperity for the whole family. But nowadays, even
unmarried girls observe it – after all, Lakshmi's blessings know no boundaries, isn't it?

Seri, Seri! Let's Make Our Shopping List (Everything You Need for the Perfect Puja)

Now let me tell you what all you need. Don't worry if you can't find everything – Goddess
understands our limitations here. But if you want authentic items, Aha Bazaar has everything ready for us UK devotees!

For the Kalasam (the most important part):

Silver or copper pot (even steel is fine, kanna)
Rice to fill 3/4 of the pot
Handful of thoor dhal
Small piece of jaggery
Gold coin (even one sovereign will do)
7 turmeric sticks
2 or 4 betel leaves
7 betel nuts
One lemon
Fresh coconut (coat it with turmeric)
Mango leaves

For Decoration: Your creativity is the limit! But essentials include:

Kolam powder (rice flour works beautifully)
New saree and blouse piece for Amman
Banana plants (the Asian grocery usually has them)
Flowers – jasmine, lotus if you can find, otherwise roses work too
Decorative items like jadai, crown, jewelry for the goddess

Come, I'll Show You Step-by-Step (Just Like My Paati Taught Me)

Thursday Night Preparation: After dinner, clean all your puja vessels. I always tell my
daughter-in-law, "Cleanliness invites godliness!" Prepare your kolam, decorate the
kalasam as Amman, and keep her ready outside the puja room.

Friday Morning Rituals:

Wake up early (I know, I know, teenagers will grumble!)
Take bath and wear fresh clothes – preferably new
Prepare all prasadam before starting puja
Here's my favorite part – invite Amman from your doorstep singing "Varalakshmi Ra Ve Ma
Intiki" (Come Varalakshmi, come to our home)
Install the kalasam in your puja area
Follow the puja vidhanam – Aha Bazaar has excellent puja books if you need guidance
Tie the sacred yellow thread (nombu charadu) on everyone's right wrist

Evening Traditions: Make sundal for evening neivedyam and warm milk with sugar at
night. Saturday morning before 9 AM, do punarpuja and turn the kalasam towards north.

Aha! The Kitchen Magic – What Prasadam Will Make Lakshmi Amma Smile

Aha! This is my favorite part! The divine feast we prepare:

Must-Have Items:

Kozhukattai (pooranam, ellu, and paal varieties) – the star of the show!
Fresh idlis (the fluffier, the better)
Crispy medu vadas
Chitrannam (lemon rice) and puliyodarai
Sundal (I make three types minimum!)
Payasam (paruppu payasam is traditional)
Each region has its specialties – we Tamil folks love our kozhukattai, Andhra sisters make
divine boorelu, and Karnataka friends bring holige. In my UK home, we make everything –
unity in diversity, no?

Call Your Friends, Sing Those Songs! (Making Memories the Traditional Way)

The best part? Invite your friends! I always have at least 10-15 ladies over. We sing
bhajans, share stories, and I give return gifts with thamboolam. Aha Bazaar has lovely
return gift options – much easier than my early days of wrapping individual kumkum
packets!

Teach the young ones our traditional songs. My granddaughter now knows five Lakshmi
songs by heart – makes this paati’s heart so full!

Time to Say "See You Next Year, Amma!"

Saturday morning, with a grateful heart, perform punarpuja. Turn the kalasam northward
and pray: "Lakshmi Amma, you graced our home with your presence. Please come again
next year and bless us to perform this puja even more grandly."

Listen, I’ll Tell You a Secret – Where to Find Everything Without Running Around!

Listen, I know finding puja items in the UK can be like searching for a needle in a
haystack. But Aha Bazaar has made our lives so much easier! From authentic kalasams to
fresh flowers, puja books to return gifts – everything under one roof.

Remember kannas, what matters is devotion, not perfection. Goddess Varalakshmi sees
our hearts, not our elaborate preparations. Even if you can only manage a simple kalasam
with a coconut and a small prayer, she will bless you abundantly.

May Varalakshmi shower her choicest blessings on all your homes! Next year, we’ll do
even grander puja, won’t we?

Sarve Jana Sukhino Bhavantu!
Your UK Paati, Kamala Mami

P.S. – Don’t forget to take photos and share with family back home. WhatsApp has
become such a blessing for us NRIs to stay connected with our traditions, hasn’t it?