Kalki Jayanti Kalki Jayanti is the celebration of the appearance of the Kalki Avatar. Kalki Avatar is believed to be the last and the tenth avatar of Lord Vishnu. The exception of the Kalki Avatar celebration is that it is actually the celebration for the anticipated arrival of the Kalki Avatar in the Kali Yuga. It is a celebration which is observed for the Arrival of Lord Vishnu in future to bring an end to Adharma and establish the Satya Yuga once again. Etymologically the name Kalki originated from the Sanskrit word Kalka which means filth or dirt. Thus the name Kalki means the destroyer of dirt or filth. It is believed that the Kalki Avatar will appear to cleanse the world and the system, thereby annihilating the evil completely and establishing a cleansed establishment of Dharma. Kalki Jayanti is observed on the 6th day of the waxing phase of the moon in the month of Shravan according to traditional Hindu calendar and according to the Gregorian calendar it falls in the month of August. In 2019 the Kalki Jayanti will be celebrated on the 5th of August. Legend of Kalki Avatar The earliest mention of Kalki is found in the Vishnu Purana. The Garuda Purana talks about ten avatars of Lord Vishnu amongst which Kalki is the last. It is an interesting observation that all Lord Vishnu’s avatars had been in various sizes and forms. Thus Kalki Avatar who is to appear in the Sambhala Village, according to the Bhagvad Purana, can also be anything, even a small thing which may have the power to annihilate the whole world. The Kalki Avatar is seen riding a white horse which has wings, known as Devadutta or literally meant God given. He has an open sword in his left hand. The background has terrible thunderstorms, lightening, heavy rain and other detrimental natural conditions. The ancient sage shave symbolically hinted this as the destruction of nature leading to complete destruction of human race. The proverbial birth of Kalki Avatar According to Kalki Purana, Kalki will be born in a village called Sambhala to Vishnuyasha and his wife Sumati, whose name literally means pure of thought. According to the Purana, he will also have three brothers called – Sumanta, Prajna and Kavi. He will have Yajnabalkya as his mentor or Guru and Parashurama, who is believed to be living and counting the days for the return of the Kalki Avatar; as his martial arts instructor. Kalki Avatar wil establish the Satya Yuga or the age of the Dharma where the highest truth will be established. Celebration of Kalki Jayanti In the southern states of India, kalki Jayanti is celebrated in the month of Bhadra. It is observed with a lot of enthusiasm in the Vaishnavite temples. In the Lord Vishnu temples such as, Tirupati Shri Venkateshwara temple, Sri Rangam Ranganatha Swami temple, Guruvayur sri Krishna Temple, Sri Krishna Temple of Udupi and the Sita Ramachandraswamy temple in Bhadrachalam; this auspicious day is celebrated with great devotion. The mention of Kalki Avatar is found the Sikh scriptures and in the Buddhist religious scriptures too. Guru Gobind Singh in Sri Dasam Granth has mentioned that Kalki Avatar will come brandishing his sword and will blow the trumpet before annihilating all that is evil. According to the Buddhist Kalachakra , 25 rulers of Shambhala were the Kalki or had the title of being the Kalki King.
Hayagriva Jayanti Hayagriva Jayanti is an unique occasion where the appearance of Lord Hayagriva is celebrated. It is the birth anniversary of Lord Hayagriva who was an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The specific reason for donning and being reborn in this incarnation of Avatar was to restore the Vedas to Brahma, which was forcibly taken away and kept away by the demons or the Asuras. It is the supreme responsibility of Hayagriva to restore all the knowledge to the rightful place. Lord Hayagriva is considered to be the God of knowledge and wisdom. Hayagriva Jayanti is observed on the Purnima of the month of Shravan according to traditional Hindu calendar. As per the Gregorian calendar, it is observed on a full moon day of the month of August. In 2019, it will be observed on the 15th of August, Thursday. The appearance of Hayagriva is interesting. Lord Hayagriva has the head of a horse or a Haya in place of his head. Legend of Lord Hayagriva According to the Hindu scriptures, there are two legends regarding Lord Hayagriva and his appearance. The Shantiparva of the Mahabharata and the Puranas all talk about the incarnation of Hayagriva. According to one legend, long ago, Kashyapa Prajapati, had a son named Hayagriva who did severe penances and austerities and got a boon from Goddess Durga, that no man or God will be able to defeat him, and he can only be defeated by another Hayagriva. Hayagriva, then started misusing his power and soon there was panic all around in the world and the Devas has to fight Hayagriva. But in the battle HAya griva could not be killed, and the Gods took rest in between. Lord Vishnu rested his head on his bow. However, the Gods were worried at Lord Vishnu not waking up, and took the help of termites to eat at his bow. The termites ate at his bow, when the strings snapped and Lord Vishnu’s head was severed from his bead. The Gods trembled in fear, but only Goddess Durga understood the reason and asked Brahma to attach the head of a horse to Vishnu’s body. Thus another Hayagriva was created who went to battle and defeated the demonic Hayagriva. In another legend, Lord Hayagriva took the incarnation of a God and a horse to recover the Vedas. The Vedas were stolen by two demons called Madhu and Kaitabha . They stole the Vedas, while Lord Brahma was asleep. Lord Vishnu had then to adopt this incarnation to save the Vedas and thus this incarnation is associated with knowledge and wisdom. Rituals of Hayagriva Jayanti The Avani Avittam or the Rigveda Upakarma is celebrated on the day of the Hayagriva Jayanti. It is an occasion when the old yajnapavit; known as Jandhyam in Telegu is discarded along with the last one year’s sins and atonement is made to the Lord to guide the devotees and save them. Lord Brahma is also worshipped this day and students worship Lord Hayagriva for blessings to do well. There is an important temple of Lord Hayagriva in Hojo, Assam. This is called the Hayagriva Madhava Temple, where this day is celebrated with a lot of devotion. Significance of Hayagriva Jayanti In certain regions, Lord Hayagriva is the guardian deity standing guard to ward off evil. The horse head in this incarnation symbolizes higher learning. It is interesting to understand the blessings of Lord Hayagriva, which will help us in gaining greater heights.
Rigveda Upakarma Upakarma in Sanskrit means the beginning. It is a vedic ritual mostly practiced by the Brahmins in the southern part of India. The Kshatriyas and the Vaishyas also perform this ritual. Upakarma is observed once every year during the Shravana month. It is the auspicious day when the Brahmins change their Yajnapavit or their Upanayana thread accompanied by the chanting of the mantras or the Srauta rituals. This is followed by the entire Rig, Yajur and the Sama vedic Brahmins. The next day of this observance is noted as Gayatri Japa Sankalpam. The Upakarma is conducted as mentioned earlier in the Shravana month as per traditional Hindu calendar under the Dhanistha or the Avittam nakshatra. This is also known as Avani Avittam in Tamil Nadu. In 2019, the day for the Rigveda Upakarma is August 14th, a Wednesday. Rituals of Rigveda Upakarma or Avani Avittam On the day of the Rigveda Upakarma or the Avani Avittam, the old Yahnapavit or the sacred Upnayana thread is changed. This observance is mostly a community affair and conducted near a pond or a river. A Mahasankalpam or a great vow is taken to atone for the sins of the past year and wear a new Yajnapavit. The first step of this ritual is prayaschitta or an act of atoning for ones sin. After the Prayaschitta the Yajnapavit is worn and a mantra is recited for this meaning that one is putting this new thread on which is nearer to God and discarding the older one. Before the Mahasankalpam, the following acts are observed – Vigneswara Puja, Sankalpa Punyavachanam, the Agni Mukham, the Veda Vyasa puja, the Pradhana Ahya Hutaya, the Pradhana Charu Homa,the Veda Arambh and the Homa sesha or the end of the puja or the rituals. The old thread should be thrown away, mentally chanting the Lord to bless the devotee and the observer with a longer life and the brilliance of the Brahmanas. Procedure of Rigveda Upakarma or Avani Avittam At the outset the Rishi Tharpanam or prayers to the ancient sages is carried out. Then the Brahmans carry out Samitha Daanam, Kamo karshith Japam and Mahasankalpam. Then with the help of a priest or an elder the Kaanda Rishi Tharpanam is done. The Brahmans then take a holy bath and wear the new Yajnapavit. Next day they should rise early, have a cleansing bath and the Gayatri Mantra should be read out 1008 or 108 times. Significance of Rigveda Upakarma or Avani Avittam As Upakarma means the beginning, this is the beginning for the Brahman boys. On this day the Yajur vedi Brahmans begin reading the Yajur Veda for the next 6 months. Similarly the Rig Vedi Brahmans also start reading the Rig Veda from this day. The day is considered to be extremely auspicious because Lord Vishnu was incarnated on this day as Hayagriva to restore the Vedas to Lord Brahma.
Simha Sankranti Sankranti is the transit of the Sun from one astrological sign to the other. According to Hindu religious and astrological beliefs these transits or the sankrantis are extremely important. Simha Sankranti is the transition of Sun from Cancer or Karkat rashi to the Simha or Leo rashi. It is an extremely important festival which is celebrated in the southern states of India and also in some parts of Uttarakhand. This is the auspicious day which also marks the beginning of the Avni month as per the traditional Tamil calendar, Bhadra month as per the traditional Bengali calendar and Chinga as per the traditional Malayali calendar. This transit is also known as Sankraman and in 2019 it is on the August 17th, Saturday. Rituals of Simha Sankranti Simha Sankranti is a day when the Sun God, Lord Vishnu and Lord Narsimha Swami are worshipped. Nariyel Abhisheka is performed. Nariyel Abhisheka is a ritual which is particularly carried out on this day and only freshly squeezed clean coconut water is used for this occasion. Devotees conduct Appada Puja. This is when Lord Ganesha is worshipped at the outset of the puja to keep him satisfied. Hoovina puja is conducted. This pooja continues for a month, till the time the Sun transits to Kanya rashi. During the worshipping, flowers, fruits and various kinds of sweets are offered to Lord Vishnu and the Vishnu Sahsranam is chanted for blessings from the Lord. Significance of Simha Sankranti Devotees perform sankraman punya snanam or the religious baths on this auspicious day at different holy places. On this auspicious day, people also worship Lord Vishnu, Lord Vishnu and Surya or the Sun God. Religious Importance of the Simha Sankranti Despite the Simha Sankranti being an important religious celebration in the southern states of India, portions in Uttarakhand also celebrate this auspicious day. It is believed that when the dynasty of the Chand reigned, the srtisans used to display their wares and used to be suitably rewarded for their efforts on the day. The tradition of that continues. Rite of Olag is the tradition by which fruits and other types of offerings are made to the royal family members. There is also atradition which is widespread , which is the consumption of horse bean flour bread with ghee or purified butter. The huge usage oof ghee on the occasion of Simha Sankranti gave rise to the name of Ghrita Sankranti in the Bageswar district of Kumaon in Uttar Pradesh. Benefits of Simha Sankranti It is believed that the observance of the Simha Sankranti helps one to oust and eradicate darkness from their lives and usher in an era of peace and prosperity. Devotees who offer worship to all the 3 Gods – Lord Vishnu, Surya God and Lord Narasimha are assured and blessed with peaceful and content life.
Damodara Dwadashi There are numerous observances dedicated to Lord Vishnu in Hindu religion. This is mainly because Lord Vishnu is part of the triumvirate of Brahma Vishnu Maheswar and also he is the preserver of the Universe. Lord Vishnu has taken incarnations in various ages to destroy evil and preserve this universe in various names. He has always manifested himself to uphold the path of righteousness. Thus various observances are there to worship Lord Vishnu to seek his blessings in life. Damodar Dwadashi is also a ritual or vrat observed diligently by the devotees to seek the blessings of Lord Vishnu. Damodara Dwadashi is observed on the dwadashi of Shukla paksha of Shravan month as per traditional Hindu calendar or according to the Gregorian calendar it falls in the waxing phase of the moon in the month of August. In the year 2019, the Damodara Dwadashi will be observed on the August 11. The previous day of the Damodara Dwadashi is observed as the Pavitra Ekadashi Vrat or the Putrada Ekadashi. And is also dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Damodara is amongst the numerous names of Lord Vishnu. Devotees observing the Putrada Ekadashi or the Pavitra Ekadashi would often break their fast on this dwadashi day after worshipping Lord Vishnu and offering Naivedyam to him and then having it as Prasad. Importance of the Damodara Dwadashi fasting Observing the Damodara Dwadashi fasting and vrat can bring the devotee immense benefits. It is believed that worshipping Lord Vishnu on the Shravan month is equivalent to worshipping Lord Shiva on the Shravan Month. It is considered beneficial and auspicious to donate rice, grains, fruits and clothes to Brahmins on this day. Rituals of the Damodara Ekadashi Vrat The rituals of observing this vrat are multiple and are as following – Having a cleansing and ritual bath in the morning Observing a whole day fasting, and avoid grains and beans Offering Lord Vishnu incense, flowers, water, lamps and a fan Performing a panchamrit of Lord Vishnu Visiting Vishnu temples and listening to Vishnu sahasranama stotram and Bhagavatam Donating clothes and grains to Brahmins as alms and charity It is believed that devotees who observe this vrat gains moksha or the ultimate salvation. Observing this vrat brings unbelievable benefits to the devotees. Observing this vrat in the month of Sharavan is significant as, shravan is not only significant as they favored month by Lord Shiva, but also as the month when with the onset of monsoon all the agricultural work is started, and droughts are prevented by the rainfall and crops are harvested for grains and pulses.
Putrada Ekadashi Putrada Ekadashi which is also known as Pavitropana Ekadashi and Pavitra Ekadashi is an auspicious Hindu religious vrat or ritual which occurs on the Ekadashi of the Shukla paksha of the Shravan month according to traditional Hindu calendar, or according to the Gregorian calendar in the waxing moon fortnight of the month of August. This is known as the Shravan Putrada Ekadashi and the one which falls in the month of Paush as per traditional Hindu calendar or in December January is known as the Pausha Putrada Ekadashi. Thus this Ekadashi is observed twice during a year. The Pausha Putrada Ekadashi is observed is popular in the Northern parts of India, while the rest of India follows and observed the Shravana Putrada Ekadashi more keenly. In 2019 the Shrava Putrada Ekadashi is on the 11th of August. Legend of Putrada Ekadashi According to the legend recounted by Lord Krishna to Yudhistira, there was a Kind Suketumaan and his wife, the queen Shaibyaa. They were however extremely restless and had no peace as they had no son. It is extremely important asper the Hindu religious beliefs to have a son, as it is them who it is believed will take care of them and also perform their last rites. Thus they were worried. Their worry on this kept increasing so much, that finally the king started falling sick and went to a jungle to seek solitude. There thirsty and hungry he came upon a beautiful lake, on the shores of which he saw sages doing their prayers. The sages were the ten Vishvadevas, Vasu, Satya, Kratu, Daksha, Kaala, Kaama, Dhriti, Pururavaa, Maadrava and Kuru. The sage ssuggested that he observes the Putrada Ekadashi as the meaning of the word Putrada itself means one which gives Putra. Thus a complete fast on that auspicious day and worshipping Lord Vishnu on the Dwadashi is mandatory for Putrada Ekadashi. According to a different legend, Kind Mahijit, the ruler of Mahishmati was bereft of a child. He sought the advice of sage Lomesh, who ruled that the king’s misfortunes rose from his previous sins. The sage advised the king and his queen to observe the Putrada Ekadashi. They kept the fast and prayed to Lord Vishnu and finally were rewarded with a son who became the heir to the throne. Worshipping on Putrada Ekadashi On this day devotees should have a cleansing bath and keep a fast. The fast is for 24 hours. In the evening the devotees worship Lord Vishnu with flowers, lamp and incense. On this auspicious day the devotees sleep in the room where the Gods are kept. On this auspicious occasion it is suggested that the devotees give alms to Brahmins. Festivities around this observance include Jhulan Yatra where a beautiful swing is put up decorated with lovely flowers. On the last day of the Jhulan Yatra festival small idols of Lord Krishna and Radha are worshipped by the devotees. Benefits of observing Putrada Ekadashi The benefit of Putrada Ekadashi is multiple. It definitely gives the result of conceiving a boy child as boys are supposed to do the last rites for their parents, which is of utmost importance to Hindus.
Tulsidas Jayanti Tulsidas Jayanti celebrates and acknowledges the greatness of the saint, poet reformer and propagator of the Bhakti cult, Tulsidas or Goswami Tulsidas. He is best and till date most revered for his work on Ramayana called Ramacharitmanas, which is an extremely lucid and easy retelling of Valmiki’s Sanskrit Ramayana which was only limited to an extremely educated set of people. He retold the bhaktipurna or the story full of love and regards of Ramayana in Awadhi, which was the vernacular and easier for people to appreciate. Tulsidas Jayanti is celebrated on the saptami of Shukla paksha of the month of Shravan as per traditional Hindu calendar and as per Gregorian calendar, it falls in the waxing phase of the moon is the month of August. In 2019, Tulsidas Jayanti will be celebrated on the August 7th. Life of Tulsidas Tulsidas was bortn on the saptami of the Shukla paksha in Sharavan in Rajapur, some distance away from Ayodhya in the year 1497 or in a different view 1532 to Hulsi and Atmaram Dubey. He was born into a Brahmin family. According to legends, Tulsidas stayed in his mother’s womb for 12 months, and when he came out he had 32 teeth in his mouth , looked almost like a 5 year old and rather than crying the first thing that he uttered was Ram. He was thus christened Rambola, due to an inauspicious positioning of planets during the time of his birth, his parents sent him away and abandoned him in the care of a female servant called Muniya or Chuniya on the fourth day after he was born. Chuniya took him to her village, Haripur and took care of him for 5 and a half years after which she died. He was left to begging to feed himself. Rambola was then adopted by Narharidas, who was a Vaishnava ascetic. Rambola was given the mantra of Ram nam and taken into fold. He was given a new name and a new identity of Tulsidas. His Upanayana or the sacred thread ceremony was held in Ayodhya when he was 7 years old. Tulsidas later went to Varanasi and studies the Sanskrit language. After finishing his studies, he went to Rajapur to find out his parents, but they were no more. It is said that Tulsidas was married to Ratnavali , who chided him for not being as devoted to God as he should be , instead of showing his devotion to her. Tulsidas renounced family life and took to sanyas, or living the life of an ascetic and relocated to Prayag. After this Tulsidas spent most of his time in Varanasi, Prayag, Ayodhya etc. He also visited the Manassarovar Lake. It is said that a departed soul to whom Tulsidas everyday would give water to guided hi m to Hanuman who took the guise of a leper. Hanuman revealed himself and in that spot Tulsidas later built the Sankatmochan temple and then getting a boon from Hanuman went to Chitrakoot Mountains to see Lord Rama with his own eyes. In the year 1575 CE Tulsidas started his master piece composition Ramcharitmanas. He kept composing this epic for a period of 2 years 7 months and 26 days and completed this epic on the day when Rama and Sita are supposed to have got married. He passed away in the year 1623 CE, though there are contradictions to this in Varanasi. Significance of Ramcharitmanas and Tulsidas Tulsidas’ saintly life style and his devotion filled narration or bhakti uplifted morale much more than the stren teaching of lot of learned gurus. Till date the Ramcharitmanas is read and worshipped with a lot of reverence in mostly the northern part of India. Tulsidas incorporated the Bhakti movement in the staccato description of Ramayana in Sanskrit. The Lord Rama of Ramcharitmanas is easilt identifiable as the savior by millions of people. Common man could identify with the trials and tribulations of Lord Rama and found him to be a savior. Celebration of Tulsidas Jayanti On the auspicious day of Tulsidas Jayanti, devotees keep fast and engage in various charities. It is believed and suggested too, that Tulsidas was the incarnation of Valmiki, the original story teller of the epic Ramayana. Who was ordered by Hanuman to be reborn to tell the tale in other simple lucid language than lofty Sanskrit. On this day Lord Rama along with Sita Mata and his biggest disciple Hanuman are worshipped with great devotion. The alms and charities towards Brahmins is also organized. Seminars, discussions and other literary debates are organized on this day to commemorate Tulsidas’s works, the greatest being Ramacharitmanas, which is one of the most significant, books in the entire world. Devotees visit the Lord Rama, Hanuman and Tulsidas temples and shrines on this day. Symposiums and seminars on Tulsidas’s life and his teachings are held. The Ramcharitmanas and the sankatmmochan stotra, praising Hanuman which was also composed by Tulsidas are read on this auspicious occasion.
Tailang Swami Jayanti Tailang Swami was a Hindu mystic and Yogi who lived from 1607-1887 in Varanasi. He is famed for his Yogic powers and the tales about his long life, particularly in Bengal. There are some accounts which attribute him to have lived for 280 years or so. Tailang Swami was regarded by his devotees as the incarnation of Lord Shiva. The sage Ramakrishna used to refer to him as the Walking Shiva of Varanasi. As per Hindu calendar, his birth anniversary is celebrated on the Ekadashi tithi of the shukla paksha of the month of Pausha. It coincides with the Putrada Ekadashi observed in Pausha. In 2019, this will be observed on the 17th of January. Life and legend of Tailang Swami Tailang Swami was born in Kumbilapuram at Viziana gram in Andhra Pradesh. His earlier name was Shivarama. His parents Narashingha Rao and Vidyavati Devi, were devotees of Shiva. At the age of 40 he gave up all wordly responsibilities and his wealth too to his half brother Sridhar and became a recluse. Upon the guidance of his mother, who told him that he should do Kali Sadhana, he turned in that direction. His mother initiated him in the Kali mantra and he carried out deep meditation in a nearby kali temple. His mother passed away in 1669 and he saved her ashes for his meditation. He meditated near a crematorium and then after deep penance of 20 years, he met Bhagirathananda Saraswati. Sivarama then settled down in Varanasi leading the life of a monk and came to be known as Tailang Swami. It is said that he would often roam in the streets of Varanasi completely naked or lie in the water of Ganges without drowning. The elegend of his yogic power spread and devotees flocked to seehim. Luminaries and mystics like Loknath Brahmachari and Ramakrishna amongst others from Bengal had met him. In his last days, he would just sit at one place without moving even a little and devotees would pour water on him. He died on the 26th of December 1887. His yogic powers are legendary. For example, once a skeptic got a bucket of calcium-lime mixture, which is used to white wash walls for him to drink. Tailang Swami drank it without any ill effect, and on the contrary the skeptic fell on the floor gripped by pain. On a rare occasion then Tailang Swami spoke to explain about the law of Karma. There would be many a time when he would be seen floating on the Ganges and then going underwater for long time and coming out unharmed. There are many such thrilling tales about Tailang Swami. Teachings of Tailang Swami His philosophy can be found in the writings of his disciple Umacharan Mukhopadhyay. According to Umacharan Mukhopadhyay, Tailang Swami had described attachment to the world as bondage and liberation from the same as assimilation in God. According to him attaining the desireless state is nirvana and attaining salvation. He thought of men’s senses as his enemies and felt the greatest pilgrimage is a pure mind. Celebration of Tailang Swami Jayanti Tailing Swami Jayanti is celebrated on the ekadashi of the month of pousha. On that day, his disciples get together and read his teachings to have a better understanding of life. The devotees also make an offering in his name and worship his picture. People also practice charity on this day on order to share their wealth amongst the less fortunate as Tailang Swami had renounced all his wealth in the pursuit of moksha or salvation.
Safala Ekadasi The Safala Ekadasi is an extremely auspicious day for the Hindus which have been observed for achieving success. There are two Safala Ekadashis in the year. One is observed in January, the other is observed on the Krishna paksha of the month of Pausha as per the traditional Hindu calendar. As per the Gregorian calendar, it is observed in the month of December in the waning phase of the moon. In 2019, the dates of the Safala Ekadashis are January 1st, Tuesday and December 22nd, a Sunday. Legend of Safala Ekadashi Long ago in the kingdom of Champavati, there was a king called Maahishmata, who had four sons. Lumpaka or Lumbaka was his eldest son. He was always busy in various sinful and money consuming activities. Gradually his father’s wealth also started getting less. Lumbaka also became very anti=religion and was openly critical about Lord Vishnu. Due to his attitude he was exiled from their kingdom. However he started robbing people and made his home under a banyan tree. So set was he in his evil ways, that he started killing animals and eating raw meat too. While living under the Banyan tree he was not aware that Banyan trees are close to Lord Vishnu. Once on the day of the Safala Ekadashi he fell ill. He could not eat anything and managed to just go and get some fruits from the forest. He was so lonely and depressed, that finally he offered the fruits to Lord Vishnu and sought his forgiveness. He realized his own mistakes. Since it was the day of the Safala Ekadashi, he unknowingly observed the vrat by fasting and staying awake the whole night. He prayed to Lord Vishnu to restore him his kingdom and a normal life. Lord Vishnu accepted his apologies and forgave him for all his sins. He was forgiven and all his sins washed away as he observed the Safala Ekadashi. Thus the Prince got back his kingdom and people all over started following the Safala Ekadashi vrat. Thus he got back his kingdom and Lord Vishnu also blessed him with salvation or moksha. Observance of the Safala Ekadashi Since Ekadashi was blessed by Lord Vishnu that the day named after her will be auspicious and people will follow it and observe the rituals, the Ekadashi day is highly auspicious for keeping vratas. For observing the safala Ekadasi worship – Keep a picture or idol of Lord Vishnu Wake up earluy in the morning and take a ritual cleansing bath. Offer worship to Lord Vishnu. Offer the puja with Tulasi leaves and flowers. The tulasi leaves should not be plucked on this auspicious da, but should be plucked a day earlier. The devotees fast for 24 hours or a day. In case of the devotee being unwell, one can keep partial fasting. Abstain from all kinds of food made from rice on this da Also avoid eating honey, grains and other meat products Those following partial fasting can have fruits and milk. Fruits offered to Lord Vishnu are pomegranate, betel nuts, betel leaves, coconut, mangoes etc. At the evening Puja, devotees offer worship in the same manner, to Lord Vishnu. Read Vishnu Sahasranama or Vishnu Astotharama and visit nearby Vishnu temples. At the night devotees are not allowed to sleep. The staunch devotees keep up a whole night vigil and do not sleep. The fast is broken only on the next day by lighting a lamp in front of Lord Vishnu. Significance of Safala Ekadashi The tale and the significance of the Safala Ekadashi were conveyed to the eldest Pandava Yudhisthira by Lord Sri Krishna. This has found a mention in the Brahmananda Purana. Fasting on this auspicious day ensures the blessings of lord Vishnu, cleansing all the past sins and obtaining success in everything in life.
Dhanu Sankranti Sankrantis are days in the zodiac when the sun transits from one zodiac to the other. There are a total of 12 sankrantis in the year. Dhanu Sankranti or Dhanu Sankraman is the auspicious day when the sun moves in to the Sagittarius or the Dhanu rashi. The Dhanu Sankranti marks the start of the ninth month in the traditional Hindu calendar and also symbolizes the significant Dhanur Maas auspicious for the Vaishnava sect. the Dhanu Sankranti in 2019 is on the 16th of December, Monday. The Dhanu Sankranti is celebrated in an unique manner with much pomp and grandeur in Odisha. It is the beginning of Makar Sankranti. The auspicious day is started with a special puja offered to Lord Jagannath and it is also a day when the Sun God is worshipped. Devotees take an early morning ritual bath in sacred rivers like Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari etc. Because Pousha is a month of collecting harvest, a festival is organized and a special sweet made of sweetened rice flakes called Dhanu Muan in conical shape is prepared and offered to Lord Jagannath. Dhanu is a month is the Malayalam calendar as well which is mostly used by Keralites. Women celebrate Thiruvathira with lot of devotion on this month. It is considered to be the birthday of Lord shiva and married and unmarried women keep upavas or fast on this day. They also sing songs and dance in merriment. All this is done by the unmarried women to pray for a husband like Shiva and for the married ones for the welfare of their husbands and family. Celebration of Dhanu and Dhanu Sankranti in Odisha Dhanu Yatra is an event intrinsically connected to Lord Krishna. It relates to his journey from to Mathura to see the Dhanu or the Bow ceremony organized by Kansa. This is the event which is recreated in Odisha, specifically at a place called Bargarh. During this festival, Bargarh becomes the town of Mathura and the Jura River running through it becomes Yamuna, and the village Amapalli, situated on the other side of the Jura River becomes Gokul. The mango orchard in between becomes Vrindavan. Street plays are performed depiting various interesting episodes of Lord Krishna’s life in these days. They recreate episodes starting from Krishna’s birth till the killing of the demons by him. All the members of the village take part in these plays with great enthusiasm and the plays after being staged in specific place s moves along the town. It is an entire stretch of 5 kilometres which becomes the stage for these performing artists. This festivity continues from the Dhanu sankranti till the next ten to twelve days. Rituals of Dhanu Sankranti On this auspicious day Lord jagannath is worshipped in Odisha The Dhanu Yatra festival takes place in Bargarh in odisha from this day onwards The day is considered to be auspicious in doing Daan Dhyan or charity The devotees involve themselves in sankraman japa and Pitru Tarapana or ablations to the forefathers The sun God is worshipped by offering water, flowers, incense and lamps. Devotees, especially women fast on this day Thus Dhanu Sankranti is a great occasion to offer puja to Jagannath and seek his blessings.
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