Varalakshmi Vratham

Every ‘Shravan’ season (which usually occurs in July or August) I look forward towards the occasion of Varalakshmi Vratham puja. This is one puja which I diligently perform.

Varalakshmi Vratham is a festival wherein married women perform the Varalakshmi (Goddess who bestows boons = Lakshmi devi) puja.

Varalakshmi puja at my house.

This ritual is celebrated in most parts of South India, including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. And was observed, on August 8, this year.

It usually occurs on the second Friday or the Friday before the full moon in the Shravan season. 

This puja is performed  to seek Varalakashmi devi’s blessings for the well being of the family and prosperity.

I love to decorate the Goddess on this day. 

The decorated Goddess!

And am amazed at the creativity of many talented women , who take great efforts to decorate the Devi, beautifully!

Here are some of the Varalakshmi devi’s, decorated, as part of the Vratham celebration at various households. 

Varalakshmi devi in her grandeur, at my mother's place.

The Goddess of Wealth! Puja at my sister, Parimala's house.

The Devi in resplendent glory! At my dear friend, Gayathri's house.

Decorated Devi at Deepthi's place (my neighbor and pal) 

Jai Varalakshmi Devi !!

Asia’s second longest road and rail bridge

One of the symbolic structures of Rajamundry, besides its famous temples, are the three bridges connecting Kovvur and Rajahmundry, built across the river Godavari, the largest river in South India.
This July, whilst, travelling from Kakinada (my husband’s native place) to Guntur, we crossed this river via the Godavari bridge and luckily took a picture of one of the bridges.

The earliest bridge, Havelock bridge, was built in 1897 and after a decade has been decommissioned.

The second bridge, the Godavari bridge is a railroad bridge, 2.7 kilometres long, built in 1960's to facilitate travel via the rail and was commissioned by the Indian Railways. This is a truss bridge, with the superstructure made of steel. It carries a single railway track in the lower level, and two-way road, pedestrian pathways on the upper level. It is Asia’s second longest road and rail bridge.



Godavari Arch Bridge

 This was followed by the construction of the Godavari Arch Bridge, a bowstring-girder bridge which is probabaly one of the longest span of prestressed concrete arch bridge in Asia.
The bridge was built by the Hindustan Construction Company, for the Indian Railways.

  "The wise man travels to discover himself." - James Russell Lowell