Once a year, on a Friday in the month of Aadi or Avani, married women in Tamil homes invite Goddess Lakshmi in as a guest. A decorated kalasam becomes her seat, the house fills with flowers and the smell of sweets, and neighbours drop in for thamboolam in the evening. This is Varalakshmi Vratham.
This guide explains what the vratham means, when it falls in 2027, and the Varalakshmi Vratham pooja steps, from preparing the kalasam on Thursday to taking it down on Saturday. Families follow their own customs, so use it alongside the elders’ guidance. Varnangal is a Chennai seller of handloom silk sarees woven in Thirubuvanam.
Quick Answer: What Is Varalakshmi Vratham?
Varalakshmi Vratham is a pooja to Goddess Varalakshmi, the form of Lakshmi who grants boons (varam). It is kept mainly by married women in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka for the health and well-being of their family. It falls on the Friday before the full moon (Pournami) of the Shravana month. Women set up a decorated kalasam as the goddess, worship her, tie a yellow thread on the wrist, and offer thamboolam to other women in the evening.
When Is Varalakshmi Vratham in 2027?
Varalakshmi Vratham 2027 falls on Friday, 13 August 2027, according to Dekho Panchang. The pooja is usually done in the morning, in an auspicious time slot; check the muhurtham with your local panchangam or family priest.
The Meaning Behind Varalakshmi Vratham
The vratham is tied to the story of Charumathi, a devoted wife who, the story goes, was told by the goddess in a dream to worship her on this Friday. She and the women of her town did, and their homes were filled with prosperity. Whether or not a family tells the story, the idea is the same: Lakshmi is welcomed into the home as a guest, and the women of the house pray for their family’s health, wealth and long married life.
Varalakshmi Vratham Pooja Steps
Thursday: Preparing the Home and the Kalasam
The day before, the house is cleaned, the pooja room is washed, and a kolam is drawn. Many families decorate the entrance with mango leaves. The kalasam (a brass, silver or copper pot) is prepared:
- Fill it with rice or water, depending on family custom.
- Add coins, a lime, betel nut and a few leaves (often five kinds, such as mango leaves).
- Cover the mouth with mango leaves and a cloth.
- Place a coconut smeared with turmeric on top.
- Fix the face of the goddess (a silver or brass mask, or a drawn face) on the coconut, and dress it with a small saree or blouse piece, jewellery and flowers.
In some homes, the decorated goddess is placed outside the pooja room on Thursday evening and welcomed in on Friday morning (a step-by-step note on performing the puja).
Friday Morning: The Pooja
- Ganesha pooja: worship Lord Ganesha first, so that the pooja goes ahead without obstacles.
- Welcome the goddess: bring the kalasam into the pooja room and place it on a plate of rice on a raised seat.
- Lakshmi pooja: chant Lakshmi slokas or the Ashtothram (108 names), offering flowers, turmeric and kumkum.
- Tie the nombu charadu: a yellow thread, blessed during the pooja, is tied on the right wrist of the women.
- Naivedyam: offer sweets such as sweet pongal, payasam, kozhukattai and fruit.
- Aarti: close with camphor aarti and prayers.
Friday Evening: Thamboolam for Women
In the evening, married women from the neighbourhood and family are invited home. After a short aarti, each guest is given thamboolam: betel leaves and areca nut, turmeric and kumkum, fruit, flowers, a blouse piece and sometimes a small gift. Giving thamboolam is seen as sharing the goddess’s blessings.
Saturday: Taking Down the Kalasam
On Saturday, after a short pooja, in many families the kalasam is moved slightly to show the goddess’s departure, and then taken apart. If it held water, the water is sprinkled around the house. If it held rice, the rice is mixed into the household’s rice store, so the blessing stays with the family through the year.
Varalakshmi Vratham Pooja Items List
| Item | Use |
|---|---|
|
Kalasam (brass, silver or copper pot) |
The seat of the goddess |
|
Rice or water, coins, lime, betel nut |
Filled inside the kalasam |
|
Mango leaves and a cloth |
Cover the mouth of the kalasam |
|
Coconut with turmeric |
Placed on top of the kalasam |
|
Goddess face, small saree, jewellery |
To dress the kalasam as Lakshmi |
|
Flowers, turmeric, kumkum |
For the pooja |
|
Yellow thread (nombu charadu) |
Tied on the wrist after the pooja |
|
Sweets and fruit |
Naivedyam |
|
Betel leaves, areca nut, blouse pieces |
Thamboolam for women |
Varalakshmi Vratham Decoration and What to Wear
Decoration is part of the joy of the day. Families dress the goddess in a small silk saree or a blouse piece, add jewellery, and arrange flower garlands, banana stems or mango leaf torans around the mandapam. Many women wear a silk saree for the pooja, often in yellow, red, green or another auspicious colour. Since the same silk sarees come out for each festival, our guide on how to store and protect silk sarees helps keep them in good shape.
For newly married women, the first Varalakshmi Vratham can come with seer from the bride’s family, much like the other first-year festivals; see our seer varisai thattu items list.
Conclusion
Varalakshmi Vratham is a pooja of welcome: the goddess is invited in, dressed and fed like a beloved guest, and her blessings are shared with every woman who comes home for thamboolam. With the kalasam ready on Thursday, the pooja on Friday and the farewell on Saturday, the steps are simple to follow.
If you are choosing a silk saree for the pooja, browse our handloom pure silk sarees, or call 9965121353 and we will help you choose.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
When is Varalakshmi Vratham in 2027?
Varalakshmi Vratham 2027 falls on Friday, 13 August 2027, the Friday before Shravana Pournami.
Who can do Varalakshmi Vratham?
It is kept mainly by married women for their family’s well-being. In many families, unmarried girls also join the pooja.
What is put inside the Varalakshmi kalasam?
The kalasam is filled with rice or water, along with coins, a lime, betel nut and leaves, then covered with mango leaves and topped with a turmeric-smeared coconut.
What is the yellow thread in Varalakshmi Vratham?
It is the nombu charadu, a yellow thread blessed during the pooja and tied on the right wrist of the women as a sign of the vratham.
What do you do with the kalasam after Varalakshmi Vratham?
On Saturday, after a short pooja, the kalasam is taken apart. Its water is sprinkled around the house, or its rice is mixed into the household rice store.
Abirami R – I grew up watching the women in my family drape themselves in vibrant colors, which made me realize that a saree carries both grace and history. With my husband Rajarajan’s encouragement, I turned this fascination into a mission to help you find truly authentic Tamil Nadu weaves. I’ve spent years learning the technical side, like zari weight and thread strength, to protect you from misinformation and help you find pieces worth passing down. My goal is to teach you the soul of the heavy Thirubuvanam silk saree so you can identify a real masterpiece for yourself.
