Saraswati Puja at home Pooja decoration
A plank called manai is cleaned well and a traditional kolam with lines and with kaavi border is drawn on both sides
At the centre we can draw a free hand rangoli or Puja room rangoli like Hridaya kamalam or Aishwarya kolam.
A simple method of offering Puja at home to Goddess Saraswathi which is celebrated during Navarathri festival . It is usually performed on the 9th day of the 9 day long festival.
The next day on Vijayadasami day which is considered auspicious for beginning any new venture , children are asked to take the books from Puja and study for some time.
Prepare sandalwood paste, apply on the forehead of the Goddess followed by turmeric powder and kumkum, a traditional method of applying tilak or tilagam for decoration.
Offer white flower garland to the Goddess, I make the garland at home , we can also buy it from a flower vendor. When we do it ourselves we get lot of mental satisfaction.
White lotus flowers are offered, I did not get white lotus so I offered pink lotus
We can add more decorations like different flowers and cotton vastra also.
Clean another plank and draw a kolam , these simple and traditional rangoli are called manai kolam in Tamil.
Place the books on this plank, books of school or college going children, any books we use. I place my kolam book in which I practice and create designs !
Offer two to four betel leaves of good quality, areca nut and plantains.
A coconut is also offered
Aarthi is prepared with ghee and cotton wicks and is offered to the Goddess
Of course a pair of lamps are to be lit before Goddess Saraswathi Ma
We can do our prarthana , sing slokas and songs we know - they can be in any language, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi or Tamil. Camphor is offered to the Goddess to complete the Puja