Varalakshmi Pooja or Vratham

Varamahalakshmi Pooja and Vratham (Varalakshmi nombu in Tamil) is one of the most
important festivals celebrated on a Friday of Sravan month. It is considered more auspicious if
there is a full moon also on that day. We have different customs traditions and dialects in India
and so naturally women in various parts of India ( Andhra Pradesh , Tamil Nadu or Karnataka )
may celebrate this festival in different methods or according to their family customs through
different languaages ( Tamil , Telugu or Kannada or Hindi ) . This is also important because this
is one of the few festivals where mother-in-law and daughter-in-law perform the pooja together.
Varamahalakshmi decoration ideas will be covered in this small article.
This post may have answers to - How to perform Varalakshmi Vratham or Puja, to make a
cotton garland, to make flower decorations, to make an aarti plate decoration, to draw some
rangoli designs, to perform punar pooja, how to make payasam and poli, to make a simple toran
or thoranam with mango leaves. For the mantras we may refer to any book of our choice.

Varalakshmi Vratham - Preparation and decoration of Mantap

1. Preparation of the Pooja

Mantap - We have an old mantap made from rose wood that has been used for Varalakshmi
Pooja and Ganesh Chathurthi for many decades in our family. The mantap is washed so that it
becomes clean. It is then decorated with rangoli borders on all four sides and at the centre we
draw an auspicious rangoli - Hridaya Kamalam or Aishwarya Kolam with a kaavi border. To the
front columns of the mantap are attached plantain plants and a maavilai(maavidaaku) thoranam.
If they are not easily available replicas made from brass are used.

Rangoli or kolam for Varlakshmi Vratham or Vratham muggulu

The following auspicious kolam are drawn for Varalakshmi Vratham mandapam

Aishwarya kolam

Hridaya kamala kolam and

rangoli
This rangoli or kolam is one the most favourite rangoli of our family for drawing in the Puja
mantap in which the khalasa is placed. It is similar to the padi(kadapa) kolam of Tamil Nadu.

Two steps of the above rangoli, to give an idea as to how the rangoli develops.

The rangoli is favourite rangoli. . This rangoli has been used by my mother for decades. She
believes it is one of the most auspicious ones for Fridays and is also Goddess Lakshmi's
favourites in addition to Hridaya kamalam . It is similar to the padi kolam of Tamil Nadu. The
central square is drawn with parallel lines and the four sides of the square are decorated
with petal like designs. The rangoli is now decorated on the periphery and finished with a kaavi
border. The other favourite rangoli of Goddess Lakshmi is the Hridaya kalam that is drawn with
dots.

A sample thoranam decoration for Varalakshmi vratham mantap, below. The mango leaves have
been cut so that all the elements of the thoranam (festoon) are of the same length.
How to make a mango leaf toran or maavilai thoranam for decorating Varamahalakshmi
Puja mantap
A simple and easy decoration using mango leaves to get the traditional thoranam in the photos
below. Select leaves that are almost of the same length. Cut the leaves as shown. Place each
leaf after folding it around a thread and staple it. Staple other leaves also so that we get a
thoranam or toran with elements of same length.

How to make a thoranam for decorating Varamahalakshmi Puja mantap

Take the cut portion of the frond on the left to the right from behind the mid rib as shown in the
image below. There should a reasonable distance between any two elements of the thoranam.
This is to be decided based on the size of the element that is formed.
After bringing it around from behind the mid rib insert it in the part of the frond on the right that
is folded on the left!. Pull both ends extending on both sides of the mid rib to get the completed
element of the thoranam.

Now press the thoranam gently to flatten the elements as much as possible. Repeat the process
till we get as many elements as we want. The length of the thoranam depends upon where we
want to use it. If is for a mantap for festivals like Varalakshmi Vratham or Ganpathi Puja
(Pillayar Chaturthi in Tamil Nadu, vinayaka chavithi in Andhra pradesh ) the number of elements
will be less. If we want to hang it on both sides of a Puja room or at the entrance it can be
longer. The thin long mid rib that is left at one end as discussed at the beginning is used to tie
two thoranams i.e two thoranams are taken and the long mid rib portions at one end ( at the top )
are tied to form a knot so that we can hang it from a nail. Two such thoranam are hung on either
side of the door way or mantap. Though it is a very simple craft idea for a decoration for Puja it
actually enhances the beauty of a mantap or entrance. I invariably use it on both sides of the Puja
mantap and also on both sides of the main entrance.

Varlakshmi Vratham - Performing the pooja

We place a plantain leaf inside the mantap with rice and few tur dal on it. Then we place the
khalasam on which the face of Goddess Lakshmi is carved facing east.kalasam should be
invariably of copper. Use of silver is forbidden. We fill it with,(sambha) wheat grains, silver,
gold, dry fruits, picholai and karugamani.but tamilnadu and Andhra pradhes with water. The
mouth of the khalasam is decorated with maavilai and thazhampoo(mogili) alternately. Then we
place a coconut on the top smeared with turmeric powder. Kumkum is also applied on the
coconut. This is then decorated with five types of flowers and gold ornaments
Yellow thread (or dhaaram ) one for each lady member is placed near the Goddess.

Pooja to Lord Ganesh (or Ganapathi ) is done to an image made from turmeric mixed with a
little water. Then the main Pooja is conducted according our family customs and traditions. For
those starting anew many books are available. We fast from the morning till the pooja is
completed.
After completion the yellow thread(navagrandhi thoram) is tied to our right hand by another
lady member of the family. Kumkum is applied to the knot and on the forehead. We have a
betel leaf , nut and fruit combination placed on the right palm. . We do not fast at night. We
remove
the
yellow
thread
only
after
Vijayadasami.

The yellow petals are of thazampoo ( I understand it is called

fragrant screw pine in English, kevada in Hindi, kedage or Tale Hoovu in Kannada mogili in
telugu ). As the name suggests the fragrance of the flower is divine. We place five petals of
thazampoo and five mango leaves alternately in the khalasam rim as shown in the photo. The
coconut
is
then
placed
in
these
leaves.

We use four types of flowers - marigold (saamandhi poo), jasmine (malli), mullai (also from
jasmine family), winter jasmine (jaadhi malli). We use roses and kadhambam (a combination of
flowers)
for
decoration
In the evening, aarthi is performed to Lakshmi , ladies nearby and relatives are invited and
thamboolam with coconut is given. A glass of milk is also offered to them. My mother used to
place green colour bangles for all members of the family at the feet of the Goddess (i.e
khalasam ) and that were distributed the very next day. Since we were a big joint family, then, it
was really a festive atmosphere.
Khalasam / ammavaru decoration

The khalasam shown above has the face of the Goddess etched on
it. I am told that this is uncommon.Goddess is adorned with gold jewels to show our gratitude
for
Her
blessings.

The images below give some ideas of the things required for performing this
Vratham or Puja i.e fruits, flowers, the yellow thread with a thazhampoo(mogili) petal.

Varalakshmi Vratham decoration ideas

We can also use artificial or imitation jewellery for Pooja. ( made for this purpose - if it made by
us - it gives us a lot of satisfaction) Some of the jewellery made by my mother and used in

various decorations are in the image below. Trinkets in various designs are available ready-made
They have to be assembled into a necklace. Our imagination is the key to get the final design.
Also, it is time-consuming and needs lots of patience. I hope to have a separate post for these
jewellery and that will be in the future. Navratri and Dasara festival season is also important for
use of artificial jewellery for decoration.

Artificial jewellery ideas

Apart

from

rangoli

and

few

other

craft

types

my

wife

try

to

create,

Artificial jewellery - necklaces, ear rings are quite easy to make.

What
we
need
is
time
and
patience.
All the parts of the jewellery are available separately. We have to purchase them and create
them.
For the necklace design in the image above - Take a metallic wire preferably gold or silver in
colour
(polyester
or
similar
threads
can
also
be
used
)
The yellow colour metallic beads at the top are inserted in the metallic wire. Yellow is preferred
for jewellery because it matches with the designs we have chosen for the other parts of the
necklace. It is available in different colours and we can chose it according to colour of the
remaining
part
of
the
jewel.
We can have two or three beads according to the gaps we require. After the space created using
the metallic beads one blue stone embedded in metal setting is inserted in the metal wire. At the
bottom of this trinket is a ring for holding a pendant. The pendants come in different types. one
is chosen one with a set of pearls. The pearls have to be inserted one by one in the pendant
through rings. We can have one more set as shown in the image. We can also add a locket or

something
similar
at
the
bottom
of
the
necklace.
two rows of similar set of trinkets and pendants with the necessary accessories prepared. We
can reduce the number of trinkets in each row , gradually reducing the arc of the necklace to get
a beautiful design. We can also have different colour combination in each row or in different
rows.
The
possibilities
are
infinite.

This is second necklace idea - an

artificial or costume jewellery, of course. It is simpler than the previous one. The procedure is
the same using a metallic or polyester wire create the design with green stones. Ear-rings are the
among the simplest we can do in artificial jewelry. The stone setting in blue and white is readily
available in the market (in India) with rings at the bottom. We have to insert the pearl pendants
one by rings that can be closed with pliers. Again there are different varieties of stones, pendants
and the combinations that can be got are many.
Some simple decoration ideas for lamps that can be lit on either side of the mandapam . The
decorations may be as simple as possible so that it can be done at home easily. The lamps are
painted using commercially available acrylic paints in small glass bottles. The lamps are
purchased ready-made and made from natural clay.

The deepam design, is done with a lamp (something similar to a kutthu vilakku ). The paint
Iused is pearl blue colour. Designs (some lines ) have been added with gold coloured glittering
colours, simple but cute.
We also use a poo jadai (puvvula jada) for the Goddess.

How to make the poo jadai or alankaram for decorating

Varamahalakshmi

Floral decorations can be done in innumerable ways and along with rangoli form an art form that
is creative in nature. Alankaram as we say in Tamil is an important art. Traditionally decoration
of the braid with flowers and hence floral decorations have been given importance particularly
for weddings. Poo jadai as it called is a simple yet beautiful floral decoration. Add to it the
fragrance of the flowers. These floral decorations are not only important in traditional functions
but also for some festivals like Varalakshmi Puja.
The following images show how a simple poo jadi is made. Usually we use three flowers of
different colours choosing at least two fragrant varieties. As shown in the first image, jasmine
flowers are Not tied following the traditional method of stringing ( There are videos in
YouTube Channel showing how to string the jasmine and rose and other floral
decorations ). They are tied on one side only so that all the stalks are on one side . The method
followed for stringing the flowers is the same as that we follow for tying flowers on both sides of
a string, only in this case all flowers will be one one side. The strung flowers are cut into three
equal parts, in the image shown. The number depends upon the length of the "jadai" The ends
are tied so that they form circles.
Similarly another flower like kanakambaram (it has bright orange colour and so it is chosen.
These flowers are also tied following the same method that is used for the jasmine to get a
circular floral arrangement.
A very thick paper or cardboard of suitable length is taken and cut to get a rectangular shape.
Place jasmine on the cardboard and tie using a needle and string so that it is firmly in place.
Next place the kanakambaram (firecracker flower ) flowers on the jasmine and tie them to the
cardboard through the jasmine . The result is as shown in the second image. The third flower
can be a rose or "maru(maruvaka or maruvam)" leaves ( that have been used in this poo jadai
(braid decoration) ). The circular floral arrangement should of decreasing diameter so that the
poo jadi tapers from the top to bottom ( it is wider at the top than at the bottom )
Then, the extra projections of cardboard are cut using a pair of scissors, carefully so that only
the floral decoration is visible.
A smaller version can be used for festivals like Varalakshmi Vratham (Amman/ammavaaari
Alankaram ). Using a needle and thread make provisions at two or three places, for tying this
decoration to the braid, taking into consideration the weight (!) of the flower jadai.
This is a simple combination of flowers, we can use different combinations to suit our taste and
availability of flowers.
We can also change the order of flowers, having jasmine at the top instead of the bottom.

Poo jadai was an important decoration for children few decades back for Navratri festival! A
simple poo - jadai for Varalakshmi Vratham - cut a thick board in the form of a "jadai " - place

already strung jasmine or similar flowers and sew to the board. On either side sew colourful
roses ( yellow, orange etc ) as shown. The result a beautiful decoration for Goddess Lakshmi.

Also, readily strung flowers are available in the market stringing the flowers ourselves and
using them for pooja gives a lot of satisfaction.
Another floral decoration that can be used to decorate for Varalakshmi Vratham or Krishna
Jayanthi with three flowers . One is the tube rose, the yellow one is the petal of carnation flower
and the green fern-likes taken from a bouquet

Stringing jasmine or similar flowers for Varalakshmi Vratham decoration

jasmine is a very easy and simple method of making jasmine garland using a needle and thread.
In fact what we get is a densely set floral garland. Stringing of roses is difficult due the fact that
the petals are very delicate and tend to fall when we try to string roses.

The roses should be fresh and used within a few hours. Hence it is better to string roses when
they are fresh. Of course for stringing of jasmine, roses and jasmine garland videos are there in
Rangolisansdots of youtube video Channel. If the explanation and images shared here are not
sufficient, the videos may help.
Coming to jasmine, stringing them is difficult because the stalk is thin and small ( initially it is
better to learn stringing leaves or flowers with long stalk ). The images show the steps in a series
of photos taken while stringing jasmine.
First place two flowers opposite to each other ( 180 degrees apart ) so that the stalks overlap.
Let the string go around the stalks of the flowers. The next make a knot using the index finger
and middle finger. First the string is rolled over the index finger and then the middle finger. The
loop formed is inserted on the flower at the top so that it gets seated on the overlapping stalks.
The string is pulled to form a knot. These steps are repeated again and again to form a garland.
This is the traditional method as compared to the method using needle and thread.
It is easier to string the jasmine flowers when they are buds. Once they bloom it is slightly
difficult as the petals interfere with stringing process. Usually, the jasmine buds are strung and
the garland is stored in a piece of clean cloth made slightly wet with water so that the flowers
bloom the next day. Too wet a cloth will result in the flowers getting damaged. There is a
variety of jasmine called mullai in Tamil for which the stringing process is also the same except
the cloth is made very wet for the flowers to bloom. Nature has its own way for different
flowers! Jasmine is white but is one of the most fragrant flowers and hence used for festivals. In
Tamil Nadu Madurai is famous for jasmine and Madurai malli as it is called is quite popular.
The flower shown in the image is
almost

kakada that is some what similar to jasmine but has

no

fragrance

To have a recap - the first image shows to flowers placed one above the other with stalks over
lapping and with the string at the bottom

The next image shows the flowers being held with the left thumb, with the string going around
the
stalks
so
as
to
hold
them.
The third image shows the beginning of the formation of the knot using the index finger and
middle finger and rolling them over the string first along the string then with the middle finger
supporting the string roll the wrist around the string to get the position shown in the fourth
image. This is the most difficult part in this process as it involves rotating the fingers and wrist in
different planes.

The fifth image shows the formation of the ring which is inserted on the top of the flower as
shown in the sixth image so that the the ring is over the overlapping stalks.

The final image shows the string being pulled so that a knot forms around the overlapping
portion of the stalks. We can see flower vendors doing this quite fast and mechanically
concentrating on some thing else while stringing flowers. That is practice and experience for
us !

Cotton garland an important part of Varalakshmi Vratham Puja vidhanam

Apart from stringing flowers and decorating Mahalakshmi, we use simple cotton garlands
(vastram and koda dandhyam in telugu) made from cotton available in shops that sell pooja
items . It is useful in places where it is difficult to get strung flowers. Take a suitable length of
cotton and gently pull it and twist. Repeat the same process a little below so that we get a small
ball. We make a garland with 25 cotton ball for Varalakshmi Vratham and Navaratri and Tulasi
Pooja with kumkum mixed in water as shown in the image. For Ganesh Chathurthi, Naga
Chaturthi and Panchami it is with 21 nos with turmeric powder mixed in water instead of
kumkum.

Cottongarlandiscommonlyusedinfestivalsfordecoratingthedeities.Thisisasimple,hand
madecraftthatcanbeusedfordecoration.Unlikesomeartificialgarlandsthatareavailablethe

cottongarlandisecofriendlysoweremanyofthetraditionalmethodsofdecorationthatwere
followed(andthatarebeingfollowed)liketherangoliwithriceflour.
Tradition has it that a garland of 25 cotton spheres for the festivals Varalakshmi Puja,
NavaratriandTulasiPoojawithkumkummixedinwater.ForGaneshFestival,festivalscalled
NagaChaturthiandPanchamiitiswith21noswithturmericpaste.Sothegarlandusedinthe
firstcasehasalternatecottonballandacottonstrandredincolourwhilethelatterhascotton
strandsyellowincolourduetotheturmericpaste.(IwritewhatIfolloworpractice).Tradition
andcustomscanvaryevenamongfamilies.
Thethreeimagesgiveanideaofhowthissimplecottongarland(panjumalaiinTamilitis
alsocalledgejjevastraorvastramintelugu)ismadeforsomefestivalslistedabove.Firstthe
seedsareremovedfromthecottonpurchasedfromthemarket.Thecottonisthenmadeintoa
long(near!)cylinderinshape.Thisisheldatthetopandgentlypulledtillitnearlycomesapart.
Stopatthestageandusingthefingersrolltheareaofreduceddiametergentlytogettwosmall
spheres ofcottonwithathinbutstrongstrand. Whenthis processis repeatedtheresultis
alternatespheresofcottonasshowninthethirdimage.Kumkumorturmericpowderisapplied
betweenthespheres.
Nowthatthemalaorgarlandisready,howtowefixit. Thetwoendsofthegarlandare
stretchedsothatwegetthin,strongcottonstrandsatbothends.Totheseaffixtwopiecesof
cottondippedinturmericpowderorkumkummixedinwater.Theybecomewetandsoitiseasy
tostickthecottongarlandontothemasalsoonthephotoordeity.Wecanalsohavetwoor
threesuchcottongarlandintertwinedtoformasimpleyetmorebeautifulgarland.Incaseyou
wouldliketoseehowthisismadepleaseviewtherelevantvideoonYouTubeChannel

While rolling the cotton vibuthi or sacred ash is used to make rolling easy.

The two big pieces of cotton dipped in kumkum solution are at the top. They are used to fix the
garland on the picture of khalasam of the deity. The video for this decoration is below the image.
It is called panju thiri malai in Tamil.
kolam at entrance for welcoming Godess Lakshmi on Varalakshmi Puja Day

A simple rangoli is also drawn at the doorway

The image on the left gives an idea how Goddess

Lakshmi is welcomed into the house. From the entrance to the mantap two small feet are drawn
to depict entry of Goddess into our house. (As we draw for Krishna Jayanthi or Janmashtami )
The actual welcome to Godess Lakshmi khalasam with aarti on the left

Padi kolam for welcoming Goddess Lakshmi inside house

This kolam that may be categorised as a padi kolam because it has a square pattern ( there are no
further extensions). The main features of this kolam is that there are five lines drawn
horizontally and vertically instead of the usual four. Neli or curved lines - single or double are
drawn along the perimeter of the square pattern and also inside as shown in the images that take
us through the steps. Finally the kolam is decorated with a kaavi border.

Aarthi plate for Varlakshmi Vratham decoration - a part of Puja vidhanam

A simple puja plate decoration method

This is a home made aarti plate decoration. Use a clean plate. Draw the rangoli designs with
cotton bud dipped in honey. Sprinkle rangoli powder on the plate. Tap it to remove excess
powder to get the aarti decoration. A simple easy yet beautiful way of performing a pooja and
aarti. A simple aarti plate decoration like the one above can also be used for Navaratri or Diwali
thali
decoration.
kolam

around

plate

for

festivals

and

weddings

For important festivals like Varalakshmi Vratham, Ganesh Chathurti, Navratri there is also a
tradition of decorating the banana leaf or plate on which the naivedyam is served to the family
members with a kolam made from a mixture of rice flour and turmeric powder. Turmeric
powder is mixed till the colour turns yellowish. Simple decorations are drawn around the leaf.
Some of the designs are shown in the photos below. This type of kolam can also be used for
decorating banana leaves used in marriage. While the leaves of the bride groom and the bride
are decorated with elaborate colourful kolam designs the leaves of others who sit can be
decorated and are usually decorated with the kolapodi and turmeric powder mixture.

This is a double or rettai ezhai kolam - the two ezhai or lines drawn simultaneously. Ezhai
literally means very thin ( in Tamil nool ezhai is a single strand of the number of strands that
twine to form a string or thread ! )- so we should try to draw lines as thin as possible in ezhai
kolam.

Neivedhiyam for this pooja includes, five types of fruits, idli, kozhukattai(modakam), amavadai
(pappu vada) and payasam etc.
Kheer or payasam is also important in celebrating this festival.

Poori payasam or kheer recipe for Varalakshmi Vratham

Required ingredients
1. Chiroti rava or sooji (else use standard rava ) - 200 gram
2. Milk - 3/4 litre
3. Sugar -as desired
4. Cardamom
5. Cashew nuts
6. Raisins
7. Optional (almonds and saffron)
Take required quantity of chirroti rava in a vessel and mix water to obtain a dough similar to
poori dough.
Let the dough settle for at least two hours. Knead the dough and using a rolling pin flatten as we
do for poori or roti. Cut the dough with a suitable cutter in two directions to obtain square or
rhombus shaped pieces and fry them in ghee (if you dont have objection to calories ) else use
cooking oil. Boil milk and use flame in "sim" position. Add cardomom powder, saffron to it.

Now add the fried dough pieces to the milk and stir for a few minutes. Add required quantity of
sugar. Fry cashewnuts, raisins and add them to the kheer. Your special kheer as shown in the
photo below is ready to serve (and eat!). If standard rava is used grind it in a mixer for a few
seconds to make it fine
Rice and gram dhall kheer ( arisi kadalai paruppu payasam ) for Varalakshmi Vratham

Fry rice and gram dhall in little ghee separately. For one cup rice take quarter cup gram dhal.
Mix
them
and
cook
in
a
pressure
cooker.
Add half cup jaggery and cardamom powder to little water in a vessel and heat it.
When the jaggery melts add the rice and gram dhal mixture and continue cooking for two to
three
minutes.
Once cooking is complete add grated coconut ( optional ). Remove the vessel from the stove and
add fried cashew nuts. One more neivedhiyam or offering is ready for Puja.

Hyagreeva

sweet

dish

for

Varamahalakshmi

festival

This is a sweet dish that is used as an offering or neivedhiyam for Puja particularly on
Thursdays.
for
Lord
Hyagreeva
(for
children's
education).
It can also be prepared and offered for auspicious occasions and festivals like Varalakshmi
Vratha
Pooja
instead
of
kheer
or
payasam..
Method

of

preparation

Gram dhall ( kadalai(senaga) paruppu ) is cooked with little water in a cooker. Using a ladle
break the dhall so that some are whole and some are broken. Add powdered jaggery and mix
well. In a vessel add ghee and heat it. Now add cashew nuts, raisins and the mixture of gram
dhall and jaggery to the heated ghee. Stir well till jaggery melts completely. Add cardamom
powder to it. The neivedhiyam is ready. Usually it is prepared in small quantity since it is for
offering. Adding grated coconut is optional.
Varamahalakshmi vratham naivedyam recipes Ambode/pappu vada

Ambode ( amaivadai in Tamil/pappu vada ) in an important recipe for Ugadi festival. The
following pics show the steps in making this traditional dish for this festival. Soak gram dhall
and red chillies in water for 45 minutes. Drain the water,. Grind it coarsely as shown in the
second photo. Add salt to taste while grinding. Then add asofoetida, finely chopped coriander
leaves and curry leaves. I have used grated coconut. It is optional. Make a medium sized ball ,
flatten it with your palm and fry to get the ambode shown in the third photo. On auspicious days
and festivals some do not add onion. ( If onion is added it becomes masal vadai ! and we don't
add onion or garlic for festivals )

Varalakshmi Vratham sweet recipe - Puran Poli

PuranpoliisanimportantrecipeforVaralakshmivratham.Puranispreparedusing
gramdhal,jaggeryintheratio1:0.3(approximately,accordingtoone'staste),very
little nutmeg (powder). Gram dhal is cooked well and ground in a mixer after
drainingtheexcesswater.Placeakadaionastove,addateaspoon ghee,addthe
mashedgramdhalandpowderedjaggeryandcookonalow/mediumflame. Add
nutmegpowder.Stirwelltillitreachesastagewhereitdoesnotsticktothekadai.
Removeitfromthestoveandkeepaside.

Add 2.5 measure wheat flour to 1 measure maida, turmeric powder and a pinch of salt,
mix water to prepare dough. It should be semi-solid and should not have the same
consistency as that of chappathi dough. Immerse it in oil for three hours. Take a
rolling pin and board, cover the rolling board with a thin white cloth. Roll the dough
as you do for roti. Add some pooran on the dough, close the dough on all sides and
again roll after dipping in rice flour, making the poli as thin as possible. Heat on a
tava with ghee. Pooran poli is ready.

What to do the next day after Varalakshmi Pooja or Vratham Punar Puja
The next day a brief pooja is performed (called Punar Pooja), the khalasam is moved a little
from its original position. We pray that Goddess should bless us to perform the Pooja every year.

We place the khalasam inside a rice container (any container where we usually store rice). The
coconut is removed the kernel is used to make a sweet - coconut burfi on any other sweet and is
distributed to the family along with the dry fruits that we place inside the khalasam. The jewels
that adorn the Goddess are removed and worn by the lady members of the family
Sweet - coconut burfi

The coconut kernel is grated and ground fine in a mixer in a few seconds. One measure of grated
kernel needs one measure of sugar. Take some water (50ml approx) in a vanali ( a flat vessel)
and add sugar. Wait till the sugar dissolves and then add the grated coconut. Keep stirring. Add
two teaspoons ghee and cardamom (elakkai) powder. Cashew nuts are optional. Almonds have
been shown above only for plating. They are not needed. Continue stirring upto the stage the
burfi does not stick to the vessel. Medium flame is recommended. Take a plate and grease it
with ghee, pour the semi-solid burfi on the plate and tap gently. Cut when it is hot to get the
rhombus
shaped
(or
any
other
shape)
burfi.

Paal Poli or Milk Poli Fridays

How to prepare ?
For one measure of maida ( refined wheat flour ) add one table spoon fine sooji ( or rava ). Mix
thoroughly to get dough.After 30 minutes, make small balls of dough as we do with poori.
Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into circular or triangle shapes. Boil the milk well , stir
continuously to prevent milk from boling over. Add required quantity of sugar according to
individual's taste, cardamom powder, saffron while stirring the milk. Remove from the stove ,
to reduce the heat - however the milk should not become cool.
Fry the pooris in oil. Using a fork prick the dough in one or two places so that air is not trapped
inside ( so pooris will not puff ). It is important in this recipe that puris do not get inflated (!).
After frying , soak the pooris in the boiled milk for a few seconds ( till the next poori is fried )
and remove it. Place it on a plate. If you soak it for a long time, the pooris will become soggy
and may tear into pieces.
Optional - Almonds, cashews and pistachios are made into a coarse powder using a mixer and
added to the paal poli or milk poli when served to the guests, for members of our family