Mangalore : Women celebrate Vara Mahalaxmi Vrita, which comes on the Friday before the full moon day of Shravan, in order to appease Goddess Mahalaxmi with devotion.

This festival was celebrated in almost all the temples in the districts on Aug 12 Friday.

Women who practice the vrita clean their homes and decorate their yards with rangolis, take head bath, and worship Vara Mahalaxmi. Devotees believe that the goddess is in a very good mood on this day and blesses devotees with health, wealth, harvest, long life, and so on. They also believe that goddess of luck and wealth, will bestow long life on the husbands if worship her.

The women place a kalasha, which is decorated with betel leaves and ornaments and worship, as it represents of Goddess Mahalaxmi. They also visit temples and offer prayers.