Hyderabad Celebrates Varalakshmi Vratam With Devotion

 Hyderabad: Women performed the ‘Varalakshmi Vratam’ with great devotion on Friday. The festival, which falls on Friday ahead of Sravana Purnima, holds great significance among people in south states and some areas of Maharashtra and Odisha. It is performed by married women for the well-being of their family.

On Friday, most married women in the city woke up in the early hours and started off the Vratam with great devotion. They fasted for their families, especially their husbands, till evening and shared prasadam with one another in the evening. While this festival is mostly performed at one’s home, people also visit their favourite temples to take the blessings of the goddess of prosperity.

Elaborate arrangements were made at several temples, especially those dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi, across the city.

At the Bhagyalakshmi temple at Charminar, the festivities began at 4 am and continued until late in the night. This temple alone saw a sea of over 20,000 devotees. “It took six and a half hours to decorate the goddess Lakshmi,” said Surya Prakash, a trustee of Bhagyalakshmi Temple.

Women followed their traditional rituals by offering saris, bangles, fruits, along with betel leaves, to the goddess. They also exchanged tilak with other women and wished them a healthy life, wealth, and family well-being.

“There was a massive crowd at the temple. People, along with their families, waited peacefully and respectfully in long queues outside the temple,” Surya Prakash added.

“Each devotee comes with their wishes, fully surrendering themselves to the goddess for her abundant blessings. Especially this time, the festival falls on a Friday, making it even more special for women,” said a devotee at Bhagyalakshmi Temple.

The police, including female officers, cooperated with the devotees at the barricades to ensure protection and maintain order near the temple.