Anant Chaturdashi 2024: Know It’s Rich History And Celebrations!

Are you ready to celebrate the divine cycle of life? Anant Chaturdashi 2024, also called Anant Chaturthi, is a vibrant festival that marks the end of Ganesh Chaturthi and Paryushan. It is a day to bid goodbye to Lord Ganesha after the ten day celebration of Ganeshotsav or Ganesha Chaturthi. 

Moreover,  devotees celebrate it with devotion, joy, prayers, and community spirit. Devotees all across India come together to seek the blessings of the deities. You can perform various rituals on this festival to reap its benefits and get Lord Anant’s blessings. Join in the festivities and discover the significance of this celebration!  

Dates and Timings For Anant Chaturdashi 2024 

What is Anant Chaturdashi?

Anant Chaturdashi or Anant Chaudas is a very significant festival for all the devotess across the world. Both Hindus, as well as Jains celebrate it with great enthusiasm. It takes place on the 14th day of the Shukla Paksha (waxing moon) during the month of Bhadrapada. Devotees across the country pray to Lord vishnu in his Anant (Infinite) form on this day. 

Moreover, praying to him gives several blessings to the devotees and their families. On this day, devotees also bid farewell to Lord Ganesha, who returns to his heavenly abode after residing on earth. It is a special day to ask for forgiveness and to get rid of all the sufferings and sorrows. 

Importance of Anant Chaturdashi in Hinduism

The day of Anant Chaturdashi holds great importance in the Hindu as well as Jain communities. It falls on the 14th day of the Hindu lunar calendar’s fortnight of Bhadrapad month. It also marks the end of the ten-day long Ganesh Chaturthi festival. 

The festival of Anant Chaturdashi originates from the epic Mahabharata. People celebrate it as the day of lord Vishnu. According to mythology, Lord Vishnu created 14 Lokas. He then came down to the mortal world in the form of 14 different avatars to protect them. 

Additionally, this auspicious festival gives us an opportunity to please the Lord and receive his blessings. Fasting and reciting the Vishnu Sahasranama stotra on this day fulfils one’s wishes. It also brings wealth, abundance, and prosperity into your life. People in many states of India celebrate Anant Chaturdashi by hearing folk tales of Lord Vishnu with their family members during this day.

Importance of Anant Chaturdashi in Jainism

For all the Jainism community, the celebration of Anant Chaturdashi holds immense spiritual and religious significance. Well, one of the most significant teachings of Anant Chaturdashi is devotion and kindness in Jainism. Paryushan is a very important festival for the Jain community. It is a festival that celebrates forgiveness as well as good deeds. Anant Chaturdashi falls on the last day of Paryushan, which goes on for 10 days.

Additionally, the 12th Tirthankara, Lord Vasupujya who is considered as head of the Jains, gained Nirvana on the day of Anant Chaudas. Also, the end of Paryushan also marks the beginning of Samvatsari. Samvatsari is another very important Jain festival which represents kindness and compassion for all. Therefore, Anant Chaturdashi falls at the beginning of the Samvatsari festival.

Also Read: Dev Uthani Ekadashi: An Ideal Time To Seek God’s Blessings

Rituals to perform on Anant Chaturdashi

Devotees perform many rituals to celebrate Anant Chaturdashi across the country. These rituals undoubtedly bring the blessings of Lord Vishnu. To receive divine blessings, follow these rituals on Anant Chaturdashi 2024. 

1. Preparations for Puja 

• People wake up early in the morning, take a bath and dress in clean clothes. Then, they remember their beloved God to start the day.
• In a wooden plank, 14 long tilak are put made of sindoor (Vermillion). After that, on all the 14 tilak, 14 Puri and Maal Puas are kept as an offering to God on his last day.
• Panchamrit is also offered to dieties made of Curd, Ghee, jaggery and honey. 
• They keep these offerings on fourteen tilaks made of kumkum. This represents the fourteen divine qualities of Lord Vishnu. These wooden altars are the seats for the god. 
• After that, devotees light lamps and incense sticks. They also offer fruits and flowers to please the deity.
• At the end, devotees take a silk thread, tie it into fourteen knots, dip the thread in Panchamrit five times, and then tie it on their arms. They see this thread as a Raksha Sutra (Protective Thread).

2. Anant Sutra

• The Anant Sutra is the most significant part of the rituals performed during Anant Chaturdashi.
• It is an auspicious red thread made of Mauli. People tie fourteen knots on the thread, and afterwards, they tie it to a cucumber. 
• Then, they twist it five times in the panchamrit. This is an especially auspicious threat which gives the devotees protection and prosperity. People also call it the Raksha Sutra.
• Afterwards, devotees tie this on their arms to receive the divine blessings of God. Men wear it on their right sleeve, whereas women wear it on their left sleeve. 
• They wear it for fourteen days for this purpose, and then they immerse it in a holy river or lake. 

3. Anant Puja and Vrat

• People perform Anant Puja by offering coconut, banana and betel leaves. They also sing Anant Chaturdashi Stotram, which praises the infinite qualities of the Lord.
• Panchamrit represents the divine ocean of milk made of milk, honey, jaggery, curd, Ganga jal. This is a special offering made to dieties and devotess sip it after they break the fast. 
• Devotees also keep a fast to seek the blessings of Lord Vishnu. Anant Vrat is the name of the fast, which means the infinite.
• People believe that keeping this fast shows your love and devotion towards the deity, and Lord Vishnu blesses you with infinite fortune and prosperity. 

Anant Chaturthi 2024 Vrat Katha

The Anant Chaudas Katha is a story about the Anant vow. People who keep the Vrat hear this story. Devotees read or listen to the Katha on the day of Anant Chaturthi because it gives great benefits.

Sushila Married Kaundinya, and they left their house. Afterwards, they stopped next to a river while travelling. Kaundinya wanted to take a bath, and that’s when Sushila saw a group of female devotees worshipping lord “Anant.” This made her curious, and she asked about the worship.

Also Read: Durga Ashtami 2023: The Festival Of Strength And Femininity!

Lord Anant’s vow

The women explained the rituals and significance of the Anant vow to her. People tie a silk ribbon to the wrist and keep it in front of God. The ribbon is called “Anant”. It has 14 knots, and people cover it in Kumkum. Men tie the “Anant” on their right hand, while women tie it on their left. The vow also involves offering fried “Gharga” (made of flour) and “Anarasa” (a special meal). It is then distributed to the Brahmins.  

Upon seeing his wife following these rituals, Kaundinya got extremely angry. Sushila tied the string on her left arm, which was removed by Kaundinya and thrown into the fire. Following this, they experienced several tragedies. This also led to them losing their wealth and prosperity. Kaundinya realised it was a punishment for disrespecting Lord Anany. Therefore, he decided to perform extreme penance to impress the god. 

Kaundinya’s search for Lord Anant 

Furthermore, Kaundinya went to look for the deity. As a result, he entered a forest where he saw a lot of things he could not understand. These things were a tree, a bull, a cow and her calf, a donkey, two lakes as well as an elephant. The tree was in bad condition, the two lakes were merging, and the cow and her calf were in a field. Therefore, he asked all of them about lord Anant, but none of them told him where the deity was.

Then, an experienced Brahmin appeared before him. The Brahmin then saved his life and took him to a place. It was a place where many devotees were gathered. The Brahmin then revealed himself to be none other than Lord Anant. Kaundinya was in great awe of the divine power and hence asked for forgiveness from lord Vishnu.

Lord Anant’s Explanation

Lord Vishnu then explained the significance of everything Kundinya had witnessed in the forest. The mango tree represented a Brahmin who had acquired great knowledge. However, he chose to keep it to himself. The bull was trapped in a lush field, unable to access food. The cow symbolised the earth, which had consumed all the plant seeds. The donkey was a symbol of cruelty and fury. The elephant represents Kaundinya’s pride. Finally, The two lakes were devoted sisters who spent all their money on each other.  

In summary, Anant Chaturdashi is a significant festival for Hindus and Jains. The festival represents the temporary nature of life and the eternal bond with the divine. Overall, the festival reminds us to be grateful, let go of attachments, and seek divine guidance for a prosperous life. To make Anant Chaturdashi a meaningful celebration, InstaAstro has our dedicated pandits to help you. Visit our website and download the app!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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