AADI FESTIVAL VARALAKSHMI VRUTHAM

adi is ashada which comes in the month of july-august. it is rainy season. mother nature is in full form with abundance of fruits and different kinds of flowers . this festive is the tribute to water- life sustaining force. in all the rivers and temple wells and tanks ,water level raises because of the rain. nature with full of comapasion is celebrated as adi Thiruvizha in Tamil Nadu. once adi festival starts it is festive season..

with adi dakshinayanam starts i.e. july-jan. when the sun transits from the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere . The transition from the southern to the northern hemisphere in the month of January is known as uthrayanam. Both the periods are considered very auspicious .

this festival brings joy to the newly married. .it is the festival for the bride. both bride and the groom are invited for grand feast in the bride’s place. Elders prepare for the feast from thengay paal payasam , 2 pachidi, aviyal , poriyal, vadai , a sweet. Ofcourse new dress for the newly maried. A new silver tumbler with payasam will be given to the groom. there is a tradition that bride will get a saree from the groom’s side also . bride will stay in her mother’s place for ashada.

Adi month has other festivals also like, adi 18.this festival coincides with annual freshes of the rivers and to pay tribute to river, our life sustaining properties. we prepare different kinds of rice ,thengai ,lemon, sweet, curd and appalam vadam and kootu and enjoy with the family

adi pooram is for the goddess, we offer bangles and other mangala items:

adi krithigai is important to lord murugan:like this adi holds a very important place in the calendar.

VARALAKSHMI VRUTHAM

glorious varalaxmi vrutham is observed in south india maharashtra and orrisa. married women observe this vruth for longevity of their husband's life, children, prosperity, happiness and good health of the family .vara means boon, mahalaxmi will bless the home of the devotee with her boon.this is the day malalakshmi was born from the ocean and maha vishnu married her. to seek mahavishnu's blessings in shravan( adi) month shuklapakha last friday before poornima this is celebrated.
as the story goes. this was pronounced by lord shiva himself to parvathi to observe this vruth and do pooja for the prosperity and happiness of the family. in the kingdom of maghada, there lived a girl named charumathi.she devotedly served her husband and in laws. pleased , mahalaxmi came in her dream and told her to perform vara mahalaxmi pooja to fulfill her wishes. she thought her the method and charumathi did the pooja in her dream. morning she told everybody about the dream. this day was sharad (adi) month last friday before the poornima, she performed the pooja along with her neighbours, and relatives . different kinds of sweets were made and offered to god. devotional worship is always answered. all their wishes were fulfilled. prosperity and happiness was there everywhere.since then this pooja is performed on this day.
elaborate arrangement are made for this pooja. previous day cleaning the house. new clothes and jewellery are purchased. next day women get up very early and start with the rangoli in front of the house .prepare the naivedyam of different kinds of modakas, raw rice idli, appam , payasam, vadai.
mahalaxmi is decorated in the kalasa filled with rice ,dal,few coins, gold, manjal and kumkum, bangles, comb, mirror. then mango leaves are kept and turmeric is applied on the coconut and it is kept on the mango leaves. silver face of laxmi's is kept on it decorated with jewellery , flower garland. she is ready for the pooja.
to invite mahalaxmi for the pooja . kolam is drawn foot prints of laxmi is drawn from the entrance to the mandapa. kalasam is kept at the entrance.harathi is taken and two ladies singing ,LAXMI RAVE MAA INDIKE,(laxmi come to my home) brings kalasa to the pooja mandap. very elaborate pooja is done starting with ganesha's pooja . yellow thin thread is tied on the right hand of the lady who performs pooja. other members of the family and neigbours also tie the thread. and kumkum is given to them. songs are sung on laxmi .
in the evening neighbours and relatives visit each other's house and seek the blessings of laxmi. next day punarpooja is done and kalasa is kept inside the rice drum. on the third day it is taken out and the mangala items is used at home. rice is put back in the drum, it is believed that there will not be shortage of food. sweet is made out of the coconut.
varamahalaxmi vrutham brings the blessings of eight laxmi's & mahavishnu to the devotees home. bountiful of happiness and prosperity in every body's house .