Ashadhi Ekadashi 2023: History, significance and all you need to know about the festival

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Shayani Ekadashi, also known as Ashadhi Ekadashi, is an important Hindu festival celebrated with great enthusiasm in India. It holds historical, religious, and cultural significance for devotees. Here's all you need to know about this auspicious festival.

Shayani Ekadashi falls in the month of Ashadha (June-July) and marks the beginning of the four-month period known as Chaturmas. According to Hindu mythology, on this day Lord Vishnu goes into a deep slumber on the cosmic serpent Shesha in the Kshirsagar (ocean of milk) and rests for four months until Devshayani Ekadashi.

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The festival has a rich history associated with it. Legend has it that King Mandata, a righteous ruler, faced a severe drought in his kingdom. He turned to the sage Angiras for guidance, who advised him to observe Ekadashi, the eleventh day of the lunar cycle, to please Lord Vishnu. The king followed the sage's advice, and soon his kingdom was blessed with rain, ending the drought. This incident gave birth to the tradition of observing Shayani Ekadashi.

Shayani Ekadashi is considered highly auspicious and holds immense religious significance. Devotees believe that observing a fast on this day and engaging in prayers and devotional activities will bring them closer to Lord Vishnu and seek His blessings. It is believed that by worshipping Lord Vishnu and seeking His protection, one can attain spiritual upliftment and liberation.

The celebration of Shayani Ekadashi involves various rituals and customs. Devotees wake up early and take a ritual bath, then perform puja (worship) of Lord Vishnu with flowers, incense, and lamps. They offer fruits, sweets, and other vegetarian delicacies to the deity as part of the prayer. Many devotees also participate in reciting Vishnu Sahasranama (the thousand names of Lord Vishnu) and sing devotional songs.

Observing a fast is an essential aspect of Shayani Ekadashi. Devotees abstain from consuming grains, non-vegetarian food, and certain spices on this day. They spend their time in meditation, reading sacred texts, and chanting hymns dedicated to Lord Vishnu.

Shayani Ekadashi is celebrated with great fervor across India. In Maharashtra, the festival is known as Ashadhi Ekadashi and is associated with the famous Pandharpur Wari, a pilgrimage to the town of Pandharpur dedicated to Lord Vithoba (a form of Lord Vishnu).