Religious fervour and devotion marked the ‘Varalakshmi vratam’ celebrations at a number of households in the city on Friday. Women installed temporary ‘kalasam’ with an image of the face of the goddess at home and performed pujas to the deity to seek Her blessings on their family members.
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Though the ‘vratam’ can be performed on any Friday during the auspicious month of Sravana, the second Friday (August 5) is considered to be the most auspicious and the maximum number of women perform the puja at their homes on this day.
Traditional sweets and savories are prepared and offered to the deity.
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Later, women thronged temples and performed special pujas.
The temple of Sri Kanyaka Parameswari, near Kurupam Market, was abuzz with women devotees on Friday. The rituals began at 5 a.m. with special pujas with water, milk, curd, honey and other materials. The deity was worshipped with 108 golden flowers decorated with golden vastrams. The idol was decorated with golden vastrams.
The women devotees participated in mass singing of ‘Sri Lalitha Sahasra Nama Parayanam’ at the temple. Later, around 250 women participated in the mass ‘kumkuma’ pujas, organised in the temple, under the supervision of the temple priest R.B.B. Kumar Sarma.
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Several devotees performed ‘kumkuma’ pujas at Sri Kanaka Mahalakshmi temple at Burujupeta. Special pujas were performed by the priests at Simhavalli Tayar Sannidhi at Sri Varahalakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple atop Simhachalam on Friday.
Laksha Kumkumarchana was performed under the auspices of the Chief Priest in-charge Iragavarapu Ramanacharyulu and Godavarathi Srinivasacharyulu.
Devotees, who participated in the puja, were given ‘sesha vastram’ of the deity, kumkuma and theertha prasadam.