Dev Uthani Ekadashi: An Ideal Time to Seek God’s Blessings

Have you ever wondered why so many people in the Hindu community fast after Diwali? To get an answer to this question, we will dive deep into the story behind Dev Uthani Ekadashi and learn how it teaches the importance of fasting and honest prayer. Falling after Diwali, Dev Uthani Ekadashi is a period of auspicious time which begins the worship of lord Vishnu after his cosmic rest. Dev Uthani Ekadashi is known by many names, including Kartik Ekadashi, Prabodhini Ekadashi, Devuthav Ekadashi, Devothhani Gyaras, and Devutthana Ekadashi.

Knowing the history and significance of a festival before celebrating it is essential to truly connect with the deities and tap into your inner spirituality. We at InstaAstro aim to tell you about the importance, story and ways to celebrate this fascinating festival of Dev Uthani Ekadashi! Let’s find out Dev Uthani Ekadashi Date And Time:

Dev Uthani Ekadashi 2023 Date: November 23rd, Thursday

Tithi begins: 11:03 PM on Nov 22, 2023

Tithi Ends: 09:01 PM on Nov 23, 2023

What is Dev Uthani Ekadashi?

Devutthana Ekadashi is one of the most significant fasts that Hindus follow, especially those who are devouts of Lord Vishnu. ‘Dev’ ‘Uthani’ means ‘Waking up of God’. As the name indicates, this is the auspicious time when Lord Vishnu wakes up from his four-month-long slumber. It is called Chaturmas, which is the monsoon season. This falls on the Shukla Paksha (the waxing phase of the moon) Ekadashi tithi. The 11th day after the full moon in the auspicious month of ‘Kartik’ of the traditional Hindu calendar.

On this day, Hindus across India begin with occasions such as marriages and Graha Pravesh. These are on break for the previous four months of Chaturmas. This time is the most auspicious time during the year, and people celebrate it across India.

Dev Uthani Ekadashi Significance 

The reason behind celebrating Dev Uthani Ekadashi is as fascinating and enjoyable as the festival itself. According to hindu mythology, Lord Vishnu has been occupied with fulfilling his duty to get rid of the demons and ensure that balance is maintained in the world. Because of this, he could not find enough time to sleep. Therefore, he slept at uneven durations of time, which caused havoc in the world and left all the other gods distressed.

Goddess Laxmi, his wife, advises him to sleep at fixed periods to maintain peace and harmony. Lord Vishnu realises that this has caused great chaos in the universe. Therefore, he accepts and decides to sleep yearly for four months of monsoon. This time gives rest to Goddess Laxmi and other Gods and allows the world to rejuvenate. 

He further announces that his devotees, who will commence celebrations towards the end of his sleep and serve him during this rest period, will gain significant benefits and blessings.

Therefore, devotees perform various rituals in order to wake the beloved God up. People follow fasts dedicated to Lord Vishnu, and according to the belief, whoever fasts during Devutthana Ekadashi will get rid of their past, present and future sins and receive divine blessings.

Devouts listen to the Bhagwat Katha and the Puranas and sing hymns and Bhajans praising Lord Vishnu. People also decorate their houses with mango leaves and offer fruits, sweets and flowers as holy offerings to show their love and devotion to their God.

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Dev Uthani Ekadashi Rituals 

To receive the maximum benefits of the divine blessings of Lord Vishnu, people follow several rituals during this auspicious time of Dev Uthani Ekadashi.

• People wake up early in the morning and recall Lord Vishnu to start their day on a blessed note. 
• They take baths and get dressed in new clothes, representing purity and eliminating the sins or darkness surrounding them. Taking baths in holy rivers like the Ganga maximises the benefits of performing Dev Uthani Ekadashi rituals.
• They fast for the entire day without food and water.
• They build a Pavilion or chowki made of sugarcane because it is holy and has auspicious significance.
• People draw pictures of Lord Vishnu near their prayer altars. Some draw pictures of the god in a mortar or okhli and cover it with offerings such as sweets, water chestnuts, jujube and flowers.
• In the evening, people light diya, which represents illumination, children make merry, and devouts sing bhajans to wake lord vishnu. 
• People read Vrat katha and pray to Lord Vishnu with their families.

Dev Uthani Ekadashi : Vrat Katha

Listening to Dev Uthani Ekadashi story or vrat katha will grant the native the wish he wishes for. According to the story, a man once came to a kingdom and asked its King for a job. Upon his arrival, the King agreed to give him work but on a certain condition.

This condition was that the man would not get any food or water to consume and had to fast for an entire day. The man agreed, knowing that the King would give him fruits, and after a few days, Ekadashi arrived. The man, however, felt hungry and went to the King to ask for food and water. Hearing this, the King reminded the man of his condition, but the man persisted in asking for food. The King agreed and gave him lentils, flour and rice. He took the food and went to the river bank, where he bathed and began preparing it. Then, he invited Lord Vishnu to come and dine with him, to which Lord vishnu accepted and shared a meal with him. 

On the day of the next Ekadashi, the man asked the King for more food. When the King asked the reason for the same, the man replied that Lord Vishnu himself came and ate with him. The King was devout to Lord Vishnu and was uncertain. The man offered the King to come and see for himself, to which he agreed. The man followed the same procedure of preparing food and inviting God, but to his surprise, Lord Vishnu did not show up.

Some time passed, and the man was now in absolute distress. He said that if Lord Vishnu did not show up, he would jump into the river and take his own life. His persistence and dedication impressed Lord Vishnu, and he decided to answer his prayers and grace the man with his presence. 

This incident made the King realise that to connect with his god; he does not have to make grand gestures or boastful things. Instead, what he honestly should do is make sincere efforts and be true to himself.

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Tulsi Vivah Story

Tulsi Vivah is one of the most critical and widespread Dev Uthani Ekadashi rituals performed. The emergence of this ritual has an interesting backstory! According to Hindu mythology, Vrinda, a demon princess, was married to a demon Jalandhar. He was a great devout of Lord Vishnu. Jalandhar was pious and arrogant and waged war against God. He was immortal until his wife, Vrinda, remained chaste. This deeply worried the gods, and they resorted to asking Lord Vishnu for a solution.

Lord Vishnu took the form of Jalandhar and united with Vrinda. Vrinda recognised this, and therefore, she gave the deity a curse to turn into a black stone which is known as Shaligram. She then burnt alongside her husband.

Lord Vishnu admired her purity and devotion towards her husband and blessed her to reincarnate as a Tulsi plant. The plant grew from Vrinda’s ashes. Lord Vishnu vowed to marry her every year in the form of Shaligram on the 11th day of the Kartik month.

In this Dev Uthani Ekadashi ritual, the Tulsi plant and Shaligram are wedded with the same traditions as a typical hindu wedding. Tulsi is dressed as a bride, and a mandap is created for the wedding. To celebrate, people dress Tulsi in a red saree and also offer jewellery, sugarcane, and fruits and flowers.  

Conclusion

If you are looking for the perfect time to begin a significant thing, Devutthana Ekadashi is the ideal time to ensure the gods’ blessings. We encourage our readers to dive deeper into our culture and rituals to connect with their spirituality fully. To make this experience even more fulfilling, we at InstaAstro have our dedicated Pandits who can ensure a meaningful celebration. To read more about such interesting festivals and rituals, visit the InstaAstro website and download the app! 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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