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