Varalakshmi Vratham Special Recipe; Milk Pongal; Maha Devas Bhaga sashtra Recipe;
Ingredients: 1 padi = 1500 gms approx 1 palam = 35 gms approx
Good Quality Rice - ½ padi Ghee - 4 palam Milk - 1 padi Pure Water - ½ padi Grated Coconut - 5 palam Brown Sugar - 15 palam Cardamom Powder - ½ r.e
Method:
Clean rice, wash it with water and spread it in a white cloth. Let it dry well. Heat ghee in a 4 padi water holding capacity pot and fry the rice until golden brown. Pour milk and water into the rice and mix. After the rice is almost done, add grated coconut to the rice. Add brown sugar and stir it and keep it in fire for 10 minutes.
After it is done, add cardamom powder to the Pongal. Almonds can be soaked in hot water. Remove the skin and cut it into pieces. Fry it in ghee and add it to the Pongal. Cashew nuts can be fried in ghee and added. Edible green camphor can be powdered and mixed with the Pongal. If ghee is added, the milk smell will reduce.
Lord Shiva narrated the importance or significance of the Varalakshmi Vrata to Goddess Parvathi in Skanda Purana. Those who perform this Vratam will be blessed with Dhana (food), Dhanya (food), Aayu (Long life), Aarogya (health), Aishwarya (wealth), Santanana (progeny) and Soubhagya (long life of husband).
History In the Magadha of yore, a woman called Charumathi lived in a town named Kundinyapura (now in Amravati district in Maharashtra). The prosperous town was the home of Charumathi and her husband. Impressed by her devotion to her family, the Goddess Mahalakshmi appeared in her dream and asked her to worship Varalakshmi (Vara = boon, Lakshmi = goddess of wealth) and seek to fulfill her wishes. Varalakshmi is yet another form of Lord Vishnu's consort, Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. The prayer/worship was prescribed to be offered on the Friday of Shravana month preceding the night of the full moon.
When Charumathi explained her dream to her family, they encouraged her to perform the pooja. Many other women of the village joined her in performing the pooja in a traditional way and offered many sweets to the Goddess Varalakshmi, along with sacred chants.
VaraMahaLakshmi Vrata is performed by a married woman (sumangalis) for the well-being of all their family members, especially the husband, to get progeny etc.
Worshipping the Goddess Varalakshmi on this day is equivalent to worshipping Ashtalakshmi - the eight goddesses of Wealth, Earth, Wisdom, Love, Fame, Peace, Contentment, and Strength.