BENGALURU: The festive feel is already in the air as the Varamahalakshmi festival is upon us. People are gearing up with preparations as they look forward to praying for wealth and prosperity. Our Sandalwood celebrities are also no different than us. For example, actor-turned-producer Sharmiela Mandre recently returned from a European holiday with her family and is looking forward to savouring some festive food.
“Varmahalakshmi has been one of the more important festivals celebrated in my house since childhood. The day usually starts with a special puja with prayers and devotional songs – usually performed by the women. Of course, this is one such day where I also look forward to wearing a traditional outfit, gifted by either my dad or my brother. The puja is then followed by a hearty lunch, not to mention the amazing sweets made at home. Obbattu, lemon rice, murukku, masala vada, and payasam are just some of the dishes on the menu,” says Mandre.
Actor Kushi Ravi made sure to finish her shoot a few days in advance so that she could be a part of the festival preparations. “We recently moved to a new house, so I haven’t been able to set up the place. Now I am busy deep cleaning the house,” says Ravi. The ritual she follows every year is almost the same. “We have an idol of goddess Lakshmi installed at home and will be draping a special saree to the idol. Food is definitely there, and obbattu and sajjige are a must-have on the menu. After the food is prepared, we do the naivedya, which is food offered to the God, and then family members feast,” she explains. For her, evenings are also special. After resting from a massive meal, she and her daughter deck out to meet extended family and friends.
It is going to be a working festival for actor Manvita Kamath, who is currently in Goa for a shoot. “This year we are not celebrating anything at home since my mum passed away five months ago. When mama used to be there, we used to have elaborate celebrations which also included the chanting of the Lalitha Sahasranama. However, I am currently in Goa, and my family goddess is also in Goa – Shanta Durga Mahamaya, another avatar of Lakshmi. So I am planning to visit the temple. She was my mother’s favourite goddess, and whenever I visit the temple, I feel my mother’s presence,” says Kamath.
Actor Brinda Acharya, who was in a residential school growing up, is making up for the times she missed out on being part of any celebrations at home. “After school, I have always made sure I was home for all the festivals. I usually wake up to my mother chanting goddess Lakshmi nama, and to the beautiful decorations. The Lakshmi idol we have is a DIY one with a small bindige (pot). The face is a mask that’s added to make the idol. For the saree, my mum makes small saree pleats. It looks beautiful,” says Acharya, who was last seen in Kousalya Supraja Rama opposite Darling Krishna.