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Timings — select your city

Muhurta Guidance

Varalakshmi Vratam 2026 is on Friday August 28. The puja muhurtham is from sunrise (~6:10 AM IST in Hyderabad) through noon — Friday morning is the most auspicious window. Rahu Kalam on Fridays falls approximately 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM IST — complete the main puja before 10:30 AM or after noon. Raksha Bandhan also falls on this day. Evening Pradosha Kalam (after 6:30 PM) is a secondary window for those who cannot complete the puja in the morning.

Wake before sunrise, complete a ritual bath, and wear new or freshly washed clothes

Set up the puja kalasha (pot) filled with water, decorated with mango leaves and a coconut, representing Goddess Lakshmi

Dress the kalasha with a saree, blouse piece, and bangles — adorning the goddess

Draw lotus patterns (padmam) in front of the kalasha using red kumkum

Perform shodasopachara puja (16-step worship) with flowers, incense and naivedyam

Recite the Varalakshmi Katha (vratam story) — either from a book or by memory

Tie a sacred thread (sacred thread diksha) on the right wrist after the puja

Distribute prasadam — Hayagreeva (chana dal kheer) or Pulihora — to neighbours and family

Muggu (rangoli) with lotus and footstep patterns drawn from the door to the puja room — symbolising Lakshmi entering the home

The puja kalasha is dressed in a saree donated from household wealth — an act of dana to the goddess herself

Invitation (patrika) printed and sent to neighbourhood women — attending a Varalakshmi puja at another's home is considered meritorious

Women exchange kalasha prasadam — banana, blouse piece, bangles, turmeric and kumkum — as blessings between households

In some families, the vrat has been observed for generations — daughters-in-law learn the ritual from mothers-in-law as a living tradition

Gold or silver Varalakshmi idol (pasupu Gowri) is installed in some households in place of the kalasha

Hayagreeva (Chana Dal Kheer)

sweet chana dal pudding with coconut and cardamom, the primary prasadam

Pulihora

tamarind rice as naivedyam

Chakkara Pongali

sweet rice kheer offered to the goddess

Vada Pappu (raw lentil snack)

offered as naivedyam

Banana and coconut

placed before the kalasha and distributed as prasadam

When is Varalakshmi Vratam in 2026?

Varalakshmi Vratam 2026 is on Friday, August 28, 2026 — the Friday immediately before Shravana Pournami (the Shravana month full moon).

What is the date of Varalakshmi Vratam 2026?

The date of Varalakshmi Vratam 2026 is August 28, 2026 (Friday). In the Telugu calendar, this falls in Shravana Masam, Shukla Paksha.

When is Varalakshmi festival in August 2026?

Varalakshmi Vratam in August 2026 falls on Friday, August 28 — it is always observed on the last Friday before the Shravana full moon.

What is the muhurtham for Varalakshmi Vratam 2026?

The best muhurtham for Varalakshmi Vratam puja on August 28, 2026 is sunrise to approximately 10:30 AM (before Rahu Kalam begins on Fridays). The next window is after noon until 6:30 PM. Evening Pradosha Kalam (after 6:30 PM IST) is also auspicious. Exact times vary by city.

Can Varalakshmi Vratam puja be done after Rahu Kalam?

Yes — Varalakshmi Vratam puja can be done after Rahu Kalam ends. On Fridays, Rahu Kalam is approximately 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM IST (for Hyderabad). The afternoon window from 12:00 PM onward is fine, as is the evening Pradosha Kalam window after 6:30 PM.

Is Varalakshmi Vratam and Raksha Bandhan on the same day in 2026?

Yes — in 2026, both Varalakshmi Vratam and Raksha Bandhan fall on Friday, August 28, 2026. Both festivals coincide with the Shravana Pournami lunar cycle. South Indian families may observe both on the same day.