Happy VaraLakshmi Vratam Wishes

 Second Friday in the SravanaMasam Month is the VaraLakshmi Vratam festival.

Varalakshmi Vratham is an important ritual for married women mainly in Maharashtra and South India. Varalakshmi Vratham falls on August 8, 2014. Devotees of Goddess Lakshmi, goddess of wealth and prosperity, observe the vratham. Varalakshmi refers to the goddess granting boons. On this day, worship of goddess Lakshmi is equivalent to worshipping the goddess of Wealth, Earth, Pleasure, Strength, Fame, Learning, Love and Peace –Ashtalaksmi.

Varalakshmi Vratham is based on Hindu mythology which says that the Goddess Parvati asked Shiva about a fast that would be beneficial to women. Shiva explained the importance of the Varalakshmi Vratha and this conversation takes place in the Skanda Purana.

The Varalakshmi Vratam puja is an important ritual performed during the vratam. Women start the auspicious day by taking a bath and wearing new clothes and jwellery. They clean and decorate their homes with rangolis. The women then prepare for the vratha by arranging the sacred pot called kalasha. The pot is filled with water and rice and symbolizes prosperity. Betel and mango leaves are used to cover the pot. A coconut smeared with vermillion and turmeric is placed on the kalasha which is then placed on a plate with rice.

The puja begins with the worship of the deity Ganesha followed by goddess Mahalakshmi. The next part of the puja involves toram worship which is a bunch of nine threads with a knot on each. The thread is tied on one end to the right wrist of the woman performing the ritual while the other is tied to the kalasha. Lakshmi Ashtottara Shatanamam is chanted during the ritual. The goddess is then offered nine varieties of savories and sweets during the puja. To conclude the vratam they sing hymns praising the goddess and offer sweets to another married woman considering her to be the goddess.

Every Woman would like to celebrate this festival with Love.Some of the married ladies perform the Varalakshmi Vratam today according to their tradition and offers pooja to the Goddess and celebrate with inviting  the family members,relatives,&Friends.

I too like this Festival and it is also a Happy day for me because I am  born on this festival day ,my parents ,family members  relatives showers me on this day with their wishes & blessings.

So friends I wish you all to celebrate a very Happy VaraLakshmi Vratam Wishes & attain the blessings of the Goddess.

Below are some of the Pictures& videos  of this festival from me ,Hope you all may like it .

The below song is a collection from my Mother-in-Law and I tuned in this way.

Semiya Saggubiyyam Payasam/Kheer

           ***Happy "VaraLakshmi Vratam"***

                                     To All My Friends & Readers.
Hi Friends,

            Today is the Second Friday called "Sravana Sukravaram" and also known as "VaraLakshmi Vratam".All the married Ladies will be very busy in doing Vratam and giving Tambulams to the Sumangalis.As I missed the Celebrations of this festival at India with my Mother_in_law and Mother;I followed the same procedure of doing  Pooja and celebrating the festival in my home early in the morning.Actually for me the day before (Thursday) made me being full busy for collecting the pooja Items.I started  my pooja early in the morning by doing "Gouramma" &"Vinayakudu"with Turmeric Paste and read the Sthotrams and Sang Songs to the Goddess and took Blessings from my Husband.I remebered the Sayings of my mother when I was in Childhood .She always wanted my help in doing pooja and I used to say If u done Pooja well You will be married with a Nice person.Anyhow I followed her all the time in doing Poojas and I am blessed with Happy & Good Husband.Today I prepared "Lemon Rice"&"Semiya /Saggubiyyam Payasam" and took it in a bowl and offered it to Goddess as  Naivedyam and partaked with my friends and gave Tambulam(Betel leaves with Betel Nut and Fruit) to the Married Ladies and had their blessings.But I really not expected how the Pooja will be done and worried about Flowers and Betel Leaves for the day.Anyhow I collected the Flowers from near by my friends houses and the Betel leaves from my Close Friend "Rohini". I  am remebering the memories of this Festival celebrated with my Mom before Married and  Mother_in_law after my marriage ,They both made me learn the Devotional songs and how to perform the Pooja.Without being with them, this is My First" VaraLakshmi Vratam" festival being Celebrating with my Friends at my home in Torrance. And I wish U All to have the Blessings and Grace of Goddess "VaraLakshmi".

                                                         So friends I share some of my snaps with all of U and I would also Like to know about the "Kheer" which was the Common Sweet item from Our Grandparents time to till our time offering to God for every Festival /Occasion in South Indian Families.

Ingredients:

• Semiya/Vermicelli-1/4 cup
• Sago/Saggubiyyam/Sabhudana-1/4 cup(Small or Large size depends of ur Choice)
• Ghee-1tsp
• Grated  Jaggery/Sugar-1/2cup
• Milk-5cups boiled
• Water-
• Elachi-2pods powdered
• Raisins-6
• Almonds-6
• Cashews-6
• Water-2cups

Cooking Directions:

• Take a pan and heat it in a low flame and add ghee.
• Add the nuts and raisins ,let it fry til they are brown color and remove it in to a bowl and keep it a side.
• Now add the vermicelli in the same pan ,fry it and keep it aside.
• Wash the Sago /Saggubiyyam and drain all the water.  If the Sago Size is Large ,soak it in the water for 1hr .(No need to soak if Sago is small)
• Take a Nonstick pan or Vessel or a Pressure Cooker ,add water and boil it.
• Pour Saggubiyyam in to it and cook it till it becomes  transparent or soft .Keep stirring with a spatula in the middle of cook ,so that the Sago do not stick to the pan or a cooking vessel.(Allow to cook for 2whistles in the pressure cooker)
• Add boiled milk to the Sabhudana and add Vermicelli and keep stirring it till it turns soft or it is done.
• Turn off the flame.
• Now add the Sugar/Jaggery and Elachi powder to the Payasam and mix well.
• Add al the fried Nuts and Raisins and Mix it.
• Take Payasam in to a bowl and Offer to GOD and then You can have it either Hot or Cold.

Semiya Saggubiyyam Kheer

Notes:

• Do not boil Sago directly in the milk,Sometimes have chances to break milk So I boiled in water as I trained for my mother made me easy.
• Boiled milk makes cooking recipe easy.
• Add Jaggery for Kids to taste Good.

                 

Chitti Garelu(Urad dal Vada)

Hi friends,Today is the First friday of Shravanamasam month.I did all my pooja well by reading all the Sthotrams of Goddess Lakshmi and offered "Naivedyam" (prasadam) and I partaked to all my friends.I prepared "Chittigarelu"& "Biyyam Paravannam" for my First friday of Shravanmasam.Both are  my favourite food from my childhood.This Garelu,is a Festive treat especially for Son-in-laws in India.Famous saying is also there for these Garelu in Telugu.("Tintey Garelu tinali,Vintey Bharatham Vinali") After my marriage I tried manytimes and doing good from my Mother_in_law.I am sharing my Pooja and Kolam (Muggu) photo also.

Ingredients:

• Minapappu(WholeUrad dal)-2cups
• Onions-2finelychopped
• Corianderleaves-1 small bunch finely chopped
• Curryleaves-4
• Jeera-tsps
• Greenchilies-5finelychopped
• Salt to taste
• Oil for deep frying.
• Thick Polythene sheet or Cover

Preparation:

• Soak Minapappu in water for wholenight or in the day also about 4-5 hrs.
• Drain all the water from the Urad dal and have it on a dry cloth for 5mins.(By having on a cloth,wetness will be gone and the batter will be thick)
• After that take a blender and grind the dal without adding water or salt.Observe that the paste should be in a thick form inorder that the vadas do not run out of shape.
• Remove the paste from blender in to a vessel or bowl and then add chopped onions,greenchillies,Jeera,salt and mix well with hand.
• Heat the oil in a deep pan.
• Take a Polythene cover and take a small ball of batter and pat it into round shape and make a hole in the center.(You can make vadas by pressing balls on your lefthand and In India,Plantainleaves(Arati akulu) are used to do )
• Drop gently in to hot  oil from the sides,fry them on both sides untill they turns golden brown in color.
• Take them in to plate with a paper napkin to squeeze the excess oil.
• Serve hot with Coconut Chutney or other Hot pickles and enjoy with WholeFamily!!

Rice Payasam

Ingredients:

• Rice-1/2 cup; soaked in water for 10 minutes
• Milk-2 cups
• Coconut milk-1/2 cup(optional)
• Jaggery-1 cup or added more to taste.
• Raisins-1tbsp
• Pistachios-10
• Cashewnuts-1tbsp
• Elachi -3pods powdered
• Ghee-1 tablespoon

Method:

• Bring the milk and coconut extract to boil.
• Add the soaked rice and cook it over low heat until rice is cooked very well and is mushy.
• Add the jaggery and mix it thoroughly.
• After the Jaggery dissolves,allow the payasam to simmer for 5minutes and remove from the heat.
• Fry the cashewnuts,raisins and pistachios separately in the ghee and add along these with elachi powder to the payasam.
• Serve Lukewarm or cold.Enjoy!

Semiya kesari

Ingredients:

• Roasted Semiya/Vermicelli-2cups
• Sugar-1cup
• Raisins-5
• Almonds-5
• Cashews-5
• Elachi powder-a pinch
• Food color/Rose water-pinch/-1drop
• Melted butter/Ghee-1tbsp
• Boiled water-2cups

Method:

• Take a pan and pour some ghee in it and roast the almonds,raisins,and cashews till they turn in to golden color and keep it a side.
• In the same pan add the roasted semiya/vermicellli and roast it for 2minutes.
• Add the boiled water in to it and stir well without having any lumps.
• Let it boil for 5minuts ,til the Vermicelli cooked and gets soft.
• Now pour the sugar in the Vermicelli by stirring with a spatula.
• Add Elachi powder and roasted nuts and rose water and stir well.
• Bring to a simmer or Low flame and stir in the middle and let it cook for 2-3 minutes and turn off the stove.
• Take it in to a bowl and serve hot.

Halwa poori

Ingredients:

• Sooji/Semolina-1/2 cup
• Maida-1 cup
• Rice flour-1/3 cup
• Sugar-1 1/2
• Oil for deep frying
• Cardamon -2powdered
• Ghee-1tsp
• Water-1cup

Preparation:

First we have to prepare Halwa.

• Take a pan add ghee to fry sooji and keep it aside.
• Take bowl and add 1cup of water,when the water is boiling add sooji .
• While adding sooji stir well .Allow the sooji to cook like we make Upma.
• Once the sooji was cooked pour the sugar.If you need too sweet you can have little more sugar.

Second we have to prepare the poori.

• Take Maida and Rice flour and mix with water in a bowl.
• After add little ghee to it.

Third we have to prepare the Halwa Poori.

• Take one round ball from poori and press the ball using hand on a smoth surface.
• Make one round ball from Halwa and stuff it in to the poori and round up the poori with Halwa.
• Now press this in to a poori with a palm on the foil or thick plastic paper.
• Put a bowl with oil on stove as for poori and heat the oil on medium flame.
• Now deep fry it in hot oil untill it turns golden in color and gets crispy.
• Take this in to a plate with a tissue paper,to remove excess oil.
• Have this poori for "Naivedyam" and have it.

Note:

• You can also have the poori with wheat flour and have as a snack item.