Questions: Performing Vaibhava Lakshmi Puja

[MikeMalaysia]

I was looking at the book for the Vaibhava Lakshmi Puja the other day in a bookstore, and I was looking at the list of materials needed. I'd previously had this puja recommended to me as a way of obtaining money. I was daunted by the list of materials that were needed. However, I found an asana (seat) today in a Hindu shop in Rawang, so that's one of the items I could get. It also uses something called a "Mahalakshmi Coin", which the bookstore didn't have.

 

You also need one of those metal pots with the string tied around them that you place the coconut on top of. I've never seen them for sale like that and I'm assuming that you have to tie the string yourself. Does anyone know what this pot is called or know how to tie it (and can explain it to me?)

 

Also, I read that you have to clean the house. Since I live with my wife's family, I cannot go into their rooms and clean them. Would it be acceptable for the puja to clean my room and the public areas of the house?

 

The thing that has daunted me the most is that the puja requires a kolam or rangoli to be drawn around the pot with the string (containing a coconut and leaves). I've never drawn a kolam before. I looked up several sites for doing it, and I got some designs, but they don't say anything about the actual technique. Do you place the powder in your hand and shake it out between your thumb and forefinger, or do you snip a corner off the bag and do it that way?

 

Does anyone know if the Vaibhava Lakshmi Puja booklet is available online in PDF format (in English, I've seen a Tamil version)? Or would that call down bad karma on me?