Varalakshmi Vratam

Varalakshmi Vratam is observed on the Friday preceding the full moon of Shravana and is dedicated to Varalakshmi, the boon-giving form of Goddess Lakshmi, believed to grant the combined blessings of the eight forms of Lakshmi to those who worship her with devotion. The festival is particularly significant in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka, where married women perform an elaborate puja at home, decorating a kalasham, or sacred pot, representing the goddess with a face, jewelry, and a silk saree, and offering fruits, flowers, and traditional sweets. The vrat is believed to bring prosperity, marital happiness, and the wellbeing of one's family, and is often accompanied by the exchange of thamboolam, a traditional gift set of betel leaves, areca nut, turmeric, and small gifts shared among women who gather for the puja.