VaraLakshmi Vratam-2010

This year i have to do VaraLakshmi puja on my own in contrast with last year mom helped. A day before I purchased all Pooja items.

On friday morning i woke up early at 5'o clock. After taking bath and preparing all food items for naivedyam we started the pooja early as the Rahukalam is at 10:30 AM. Sri helped me in decorating and arranging the kalsam and puja stuff.

Eight forces or energies are recognised and they are known as Sri (Wealth), Bhu (Earth), Sarasvati (learning), Priti (love), Kirti (Fame), Santi (Peace), Tushti(Pleasure) and Pushti(Strength). Each one of these forces is called a Lakshmi and all the eight forces are called the Ashta Lakshmis or the eight Lakshmis of the Hindus. This is the reason why an AstaLakshmi Kalsam is preferred for this pooja. As health, wealth and prosperity depend upon the rythmic play of these forces, the worship of Lakshmi is said to be to obtain these three. This festival is observed largely by women, invoking the blessings of Lakshmi on them, their husbands and their children.As the legend goes, this is a pooja that was pronounced by no other than Lord Parameswara to be performed by his consort Parvathi to seek prosperity and happiness for the family. Thus it came to be emulated by married women who sought boons (varam) for the health, wealth and knowledge for the entire family.The prescribed day for the pooja is the Friday of the month of Sravanam in the fortnight known as Sukla paksha, preceding the full moon day.Evening by giving tambulam to 5 or 9 married woman the vratam ends.

I wish u all prosperity and happiness for ur families.

Srivari Kalyanotsavam

Though we went for Lord Venkateswara's Darshan immediately after our marriage its mom's wish to perform Kalyanotsavam in Tirumala by Sri and me. Almost every year we plan to Tpt (nearly 20 times i went) but till now i have not participated in any special puja. Going to tirupati is a very great and sweet feeling for me as i remember my college days of studying in SVU campus and climbing the hills by foot with friends in every semester.

Tickets were booked for August 6th. Since booking of tickets is made online we have to collect the tickets in TTD Administrative office in Tirumala a day in advance. But since we could not go a day before from Hyderabad i called the customer care and narrated my problem. They advised us to go early ie before 8 AM on the same day and to request by telling the problem. We should collect before 8'o clock because the temple authorities should finalize the number of piligrims attending Kalyanotsavam.

Finally we collected the tickets and went to Vaikuntam Q complex to join the queue. we should be there by 11 Am. But there was a long queue already and who goes first will be seated very nearer to god. We got our seat very distant from the stage where God is kept. Ofcourse LCD's were arranged in between. 

Srivari Kalyanotsavam is performed to the utsava murti - Lord Sri Malayappa swami (instead of the main deity) and his consorts Sridevi and Bhudevi. A purohit conducts the marriage and an archaka is consecrated to perform other rituals on behalf of the bridegroom. The wedding ceremony is held according to Vaikhanasa Agama rituals and starts with the Panchamurthi Puja. This is followed by recitation of Vedic mantras and pronouncing the family pedigree of the brides and bridegroom. The idols of the Lord and his brides face each other with a thera (screen) in between them. After the priests perform appropriate homas, the bridegroom and the brides are allowed to see each other at the appropriate auspicious moment as the screen is removed. This is followed by Mangala sutra dharana, Thalambralu and then Lord and his consorts are garlanded.

The duration of the seva is about one hour. Each ticket entitles 2 people to attend this arjita seva and they are awarded one silver Pendant (2 grams), two big laddu, five small laddus, one vastra bahumanam (Cloth Gift consisting of one silk Uttariyam for gents and one cotton blouse for ladies), two vada along with Lord's akshantalu ('sacred rice' used for blessing). At the conclusion of the seva, the ticket holders are also sent for the darshan of the main deity in the sanctum sanctorum.This seva starts exactly at 11:30am and ends up at 1:00pm followed by darshan. More than 500 couples will take part in this seva.

One important thing is TTD is strictly following the dress code for special pujas. Ladies have to wear saree and gents with Dhoti and an upper cloth called uttariyam . People who did not obeyed this rule were been sent out.