How to do Friday Pooja at home in Tamil
Preparations on Thursday 1. Clean the Puja room or Puja mandap with a clean cloth after taking bath.
2. Remove all the old flowers and offer them to the Tulsi plant preferably or to any other plant or tree
3. Clean all the lamps and wash them thoroughly and separately.
4. Purchase flowers from the vendor or if possible tie the flowers for God using the traditional
method of making a garland.
Puja Procedure on Friday
In the Puja room or mandapam draw Aishwarya kolam or Hridaya kamalam kolam with kaavi
border. The image shows both these kolam drawn with kaavi border. We can draw both kolam also in the Puja room.
Preparation of vilakku or lamps
- Prepare the kuthu vilaku ( five faces lamp ). The lamp can be made from silver or brass.
- Apply turmeric powder and kumkum on the lamp . Using cotton wicks , five numbers
- make the lamp ready , fill with oil , gingelly oil is preferable.
- Offer a small flower to the base of the lamp
- The lamp is kept in a plate so that oil does not spill over to the mandap or Puja room
- Lamps are usually kept in pairs except kuthuvilakku
Decoration of pictures of Gods and Goddesses
- Photos of Gods are wiped with a clean cloth .
- Prepare sandalwood paste with rose water
- Apply sandal paste as tilak on the Forehead . Then apply turmeric powder and kumkum on the sandal paste
- We can decorate with a single flower or with a garland
White and pink flowers are usually used for Vellikizhamai Pooja. We can purchase the garlands from our flower vendor. Occasionally we can also try our hand in garland making . Here the pictures below show the steps how I make a mullai garland. The advantage of using mullai is that it says fresh for four or five days if we store in a fridge. The fragrance is also divine.
I have tried a dense garland taking three flowers at a time
After decorating all the pictures , light all the lamps.
Some arrangement of lamps for Puja
This video shows how a kuthu vilakku is used in
Friday Puja | Varalakshmi Vratham | Navratri
Smaller lamps are usually lit in pairs and kept on a plate
Cotton wicks prepared at home for Puja
I usually include a payasam for naivedyam for Fridays . Many a time I include mor kuzhambu for the Friday menu.
After lighting the lamps , songs for Friday Puja should start with an invocation to Lord Ganesha
- Paalum thelithenum , pagum , paruppum
- Ivai nangum kalandhunakku naan tharuven
- Kolanchei thunga karimugathu thoomaniye
- Nee enakku sanga Tamil moonrum thaa !
- Milk, pure honey, jaggery dhal
- I mix these four and offer (to You )
- O Beautiful , huge , elephant faced , pure , precious stone ( Lord Ganesha )
- Please give me knowledge ( Sanga Tamil are Tamil literature, music and drama )
Friday Puja songs can include Abhirami Andhadi , Abhirami Thiru padigam
some are in the video 👉Goddess Abhirami songs
This song roughly translates into
first part is from Abhirami Andhadhi the popular Dhanam tharum , kalvi tharum
Which means
Gives wealth, gives education
Gives a mind that knows no fatigue
Gives a God like appearance
Gives kith and kith who know no deceit
Gives everything that is good
To Her devotees , She gives honour
A mere glance of Goddess Abhirami with tresses decorated with flowers can give all these
The second part is from Thirupadhigam of Goddess Abhirami
I have added the lyrics in Tamil, typed by me. I have not followed the meter that is followed in poetry , particularly for these lines to make it easy to learn and memorise
Education that does not have a break
A long life or longevity
Friends who are honest and without deceit
Prosperity that does not diminish
Youth that does not wane
A body that is free from diseases
A mind that knows no fatigue
Wife who is always affectionate
Children who do not falter ( in life )
Fame that does not fall
Promises that are kept
Charity that does not have obstacles
Wealth that is not lost
Ruler or King who righteous
A life without pain
At Your Pure Feet
I get the association of great devotees
In the ocean , He sleeps (Aware of Everything )
Lord Vishnu , You are His Sister
You like in Adhikadaiyur
You are always part of Lord Shiva
The third part is from Abhirami Thirupadigam
You are giver of all wealth , daughter of King Himalaya Mountains,
Great Goddess
Those who steadfastly worship you, you bestow
Perfect health, education, wealth , grains ( food ) , beauty , fame , greatness, youth , wisdom , progeny , strength, courage , longevity , success , good destiny , good experiences
You give these sixteen blessings
I am your child, You are the Mother,
Can't You bless me with all these
This famous popular song sung by Abhirami Bhattar taken from Abhirami Thirupadigam in Tamil
covers all that we humans can ask during a prayer after Puja. So we may include it at least on Fridays.
Song for Lord Vishnu in Tamil - one stanza
We can include this song also . There are many who do not have time for an elaborate puja even one one day of the week because nowadays everyone is busy commuting long distances to office.
So I thought some small songs can be part of the Friday Puja
Pachai maamali pol meni Pavalavai kamala senkkan
(Your Form is like a big green mountain , with coral red lips , lotus (red ) eyed
Achyuta Amararere Ayartham kozhundhe ennum
( Everlasting, Immortal , Darling of cowherd clan )
Ichuvai thavira yan poi Indira lokam alum
(Instead of attaining bliss by uttering His names , Why should I pine to rule Indira's kingdom )
Achuvai perinum venden Arangamangarulane
( I do not want that worldly pleasure , O Lord residing in the great city of Srirangam !)
Song for Lord Shiva in Tamil - one stanza
Maasil Veenaiyum ( Music of Veena with perfect swara )
Maalai madhiyamum ( cool moon of the evening )
Veesu thendralum ( The gentle cool breeze that flows from the southern direction
in the evening )
Vengu ilavenulum ( the spring season that has just started and full of life )
Moosu vandarai poigaiyum ( pond filled with lots of bees or insects of the bee family )
Ponradhe ( Like these )
Eesan endhai ( Lord Shiva , the Father of the Universe )
Inaiadi Neezhale ( His Feet or His Shade - is like all the above pleasant things )
- Next step in the Puja with dhoopam with sambrani powder .
- Then offer naivedyam that includes betel leaves , areca nuts , coconut and fruits. If we have time we can also include a payasam or sweet.
( Naivedyam reminds of an incident my mother-in-law told us ). She was fortunate to receive a photo of Goddess Bhavani from His Holiness Jagatguru Chandrasekara Saraswathi Swami the senior Pontiff of Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt when she was young. We are blessed to have that photo in our Pooja room . It seems she asked His Holiness what naivedyam could be offered to Her. He replied
does Goddess ask for anything specific for naivedyam , we can offer what ever we want , if we can offer only some raisins that is also enough ! )
So we can follow His Holiness advice and offer naivedyam according to our capacity .
- Next perform aarthi for the Gods
- Finally offer karpooram or camphor aarthi and complete the Puja
- After completing the Puja we can do pradakshinam and offer flowers to the Gods and pray.
The video for the arathi pattu to know the mettu . The link for the video is 👉 here
The lyrics below translation of the aarti song after Puja in our family
"Varangal kodu thaye varangal kodu ( Give me boons, my Mother )
Padhinaaru peru pettru peru vaazhvu vazha ( Bless me with sixteen blessings )
Varangal kodu thaye varangal kodu
Manjalum kumkumamum kazhuthil mangalyamum ( Let me wear turmeric, kumkum, mangalsutra
Eppodhum nilaithida varangal kodu ( for ever )
Varangal ....
Maaligai veeduthanil ( In a palatial house )
Jodi thothilgal katti ( with two cradles )
Thaalattu paadida varangal kodu ( let me sing lullabies )
Varangal.....
Vasalil kolamum vayilil thoranam ( Let my house be decorated with kolam and thoranam )
Epoodhum nilaithida varangal kodu ( for ever )
Varangal ....."