Varalakshmi Puja is just around the corner, and with it comes the excitement and a little bit of stress about the preparations. To ensure a smooth and stress-free festival, I’ve started puja planning well in advance. Here’s a breakdown of my organizational strategy:

Check my IG post for a summarised version

Creating a Comprehensive Checklist

The first step in my planning process was to create a detailed checklist. This helped me visualize all the tasks involved and prioritize them accordingly.

• Pooja Essentials List: I started by listing down all the essential items required for the puja, such as gold, silver, and other puja-specific items. Next, I determined their location to streamline the collection process.
• Perishable Items List: Another crucial list included perishable items like flowers, banana leaves, and mango leaves. This helped me plan shopping trips efficiently.
• Prasadam and Main Meal Planning: I meticulously listed all the prasadam items and the main meal menu. Subsequently, I created a detailed grocery list based on these items.
• Decoration Planning: Based on my desired decoration theme, I listed the necessary materials and supplies.

Setting Deadlines and Prioritizing Tasks

Once I had a clear picture of what needed to be done, I assigned deadlines to each step of my puja planning. This helped me break down the workload and ensure timely completion.

• Scheduling Shopping Trips: Considering factors like item availability and my husband’s schedule, I planned multiple shopping trips. I avoided last-minute rushes by scheduling these trips well in advance, especially since this time Independence Day falls the day before the puja.
• Video Research: To get inspiration for decorations, I set aside time to watch relevant videos and book marked the ones that I liked.
• Trial Runs for Prasadam: Since I was doing some of these prasadams for the first time, I wanted to try them before. This way I could understand how long it would take, and also any potential issues I might face.
• Checking Inventory. Apart from major items, there are always smaller essentials like chandan, kumkum, camphor, and oil. I made sure to check the availability of these items at home and added them to my shopping list if needed.

Checklists for your puja planning

Idol and Decoration

• Varalakshmi idol or Kalasam
• Mandapam of some sort
• Colorful cloth/ pavadai for dressing the idol
• Jewelry and accessories for the idol
• Mirror to place behind the idol
• Coconut for kalasam
• Flowers
• Sharadu (sacred yellow thread)
• Garland
• Betal nut leaves, supari, fruits, mango leaves
• Haldi, chandan, kumkum, akshatham (rice)
• Rangoli powder/ kolam maavu
• Oil lamp, incense sticks, camphor, match box
• Silver/ brass plate or tray

Links to some idea of how to decorate for Varalakshmi Vratham

Decoration of kalasam

Another option to decorate the kalasam

Background decoration ideas (if you have the time for it)

Prasadams with links for recipes

• Sweet kozhukottai
• Uppu kozhukottai
• urad dal vada
• Lemon rice
• payasam
• Raw rice idli
• Fruits (apple, banana, pomegranate, orange, Guava)
• Panchamritham
• Sundal

Main menu ideas (these are just ideas. You can have what you want and eliminate the unnecessary stuff)

• Payasam
• Sweet pachadi
• Curd pachadi
• potato curry
• beans curry
• sambar
• rasam
• lemon rice
• vada

Puja items

• Cotton wicks (batti)
• Vibhuti (sacred ash)
• Aarti plate
• Coconut
• Betel leaves and nuts
• Turmeric powder
• Kumkum
• Chandanam (sandalwood paste)
• Akshatham (rice)
• Flowers and garland if needed
• Camphor
• Incense sticks / dhoop sticks
• Match box
• Oil
• Lamps

Useful things to keep on hand

• Extra garbage bags
• Newpaper
• cloths for wiping spills

Setting timelines

Puja planning 7-10 days before

• Get the lists ready to go
• Start to assemble all the necessary gold, silver and other puja items
• Go to the bank locker if you have to
• Start practising recipes if you have never tried these before

Puja planning 3-4 days before

• Take stock of groceries
• Shop for the ones that will last like rice, dal, jaggery etc.

Puja planning 1 day

• Soak for sundal
• Grind idli batter, vada batter, the filling for kozhukottai can be made and stored in the fridge
• Put the rangoli
• Decorate the mandapam
• Decorate the kalasam
• Keep the flowers ready in separate covers
• Wash fruits and arrange in a tray
• Chop vegetables for the main meal
• Keep all items out and accessibles so are not searching for anything last minute like ghee or honey
• Prep some extra curd
• Get the saradu (yellow thread) prepped and ready
• Keep your outfit and accessories ready to go.
• Get a good night sleep

My overall take on Varalakshmi Puja

Festivals are stressful because we choose to try and live up to other’s standards. I want to make to make it perfect like my mother or my mother in law. I definitely feel some stress because of that. However every time that feeling rises in my gut, I take a deep breath and remind myself that I am doing my best.

You are doing your best as well. Whatever is best for you and your family.

Here is wishing you a wonderful Varalakshmi Puja and welcome to the start of the festive season!!

miss kays 🙂