VIKUNTA EKADASI

Day/Month of Celebration: 
Usually Dec last week or Jan 1st week 
(check your Local Calenders)

God Worshipped  on this Occassion: 
 Lord Venkateshwara

Special Food Prepared:
 People fast on this day(Atleast avoid eating rice)



Practise on this Day:

We have a practise of going to  Venkateshwara temple on Vikunta Ekadashi, which is celebrated on Dhanurmasa of  Hindu Calender.. This day is celebrated mainly in South India. In all  Perumal temples, they set up a make-shift door kind of structure on this day, and devotees pass through that.


Should avoid eating rice on this day,(Complete fasting can be followed if feasible) and visit any  Lord Venkateshwara temple..


Significance:
 
 It is believed that that those who die any time between Vikunta ekadashi to makara Sankranti  (are believed to be freed from, the life/birth cycle; they  directly reach Vaikunta, the abode of Lord Vishnu. Also one who  has darshana of Lord coming out of the dwara(Door) called Vaikunta Dwara they reach Vaikunta as well.It is also believed fasting on Vaikunta Ekadashi is equivalent to fasting on the remaining 23  Ekadashi of the (Hindu) year. 





Story associated with Vikunta Ekadashi(Favourite part :))

In Satya yuga(Krita Yuga) a demon, named Muran, was troubling Devas . Terrified  Devas led by,  Indra Deva, the lord of Heaven(Swarga Adipathi) ran to Lord Shiva, who directed them to Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu agreed to help them and started a battle with Muran, which went for 1000 celestial years, When neither one was defeated, Vishnu decided that he(Muran) has to be won with yukti(Wisdom) and not Shakti(Physical strength) and decided to build a special weapon to defeat him. Vishnu went to a Cave near Himalayas, to build a weapon and was taking rest there. Muran thought this is right time to kill Vishnu as he is sleeping, and went into the cave. When Muran approached the cave , Vishnu made Shakti the female energy of vishnu, emerge out of his body and assume the form of a beautiful women who fought Muran and reduced him to ashes with one look. Vishnu was pleased by this female enery, named her Ekadashi and asked her for a boon. Ekadashi  asked a boon that,  people who observed a fast on this day should be forgiven of their sins. Lord thus declared that people who observed a fast on thist day and worshipped Ekadasi, would attain Vaikunta.



In mahabharatha  the conversation between Lord Krishna N Arjuna (Geetopadesham)  is said to have begun on this day.




It was  on this day, Amruta emerged out of the ocean during "Samudra Manthana" (Churning of ocean").


** Why should we not eat rice on Fasting days:

 It is believed that,  the sweat that fell down from the head of Brahma assumed the form of a demon and he asked the Lord to provide him an place to dwell. Brahma ordered the demon to go and dwell in the rice particles eaten by men on Ekadashi day and become worms in their stomach. For this reason rice is prohibited on Ekadashi.

108 names of Lord Vishnu.

Om Vishnave namaha
Om Jishnave namaha
Om Vashat-karaya namaha
Om Deva-devaya namaha
Om Vrusha-kapaye namaha
Om Damo-daraya namaha
Om Deena-bandhave namaha
Om Aadi-devaya namaha
Om Dite-stutaya namaha
Om Punda-reekaya namaha
Om Para-nandaya namaha
Om Paramatmane namaha
Om Paratparaya namaha
Om Parashu-dharine namaha
Om Vishwatwane namaha
Om Krishnaya namaha
Om Kalimala-paharine namaha
Om Koustu-bhodbasi-toraskaya namaha
Om Naraaya namaha
Om Narayanaya namaha
Om Haraye namaha
Om Haraya namaha
Om Hari-priyaya namaha
Om Swamine namaha
Om Vaikuntaya namaha
Om Vishwa-tomukhaya namaha
Om Hrushi-keshaya namaha
Om Aprame-yaya namaha
Om Aatmane namaha
Om Vara-haya namaha
Om Dharanee-saraya namaha
Om Dharme-shaya namaha
Om Dharanee-nadhaya namaha
Om Dyeyaya namaha
Om Dharma-bhrutamvaraya namaha
Om Sahasra-shirshaya namaha
Om Purushaya namaha
Om Sahasra-kshaya namaha
Om Sahasra-padave namaha
Om Sarwa-gaya namaha
Om Sarwa-vidyaya namaha
Om Sarwaya namaha
Om Sharanyaya namaha
Om Sadhu-vallabhaya namaha
Om Kousalya-nanda-naya namaha
Om Srimate namaha
Om Raksha-kaya namaha
Om Kula-vina-shakaya namaha
Om Jagat-kartaya namaha
Om Jagadar-taya namaha
Om Jagaje-taya namaha
Om Janarti-haraya namaha
Om Janakee-vallabhaya namaha
Om Devaya namaha
Om Jayaya namaha
Om Jaya-rupaya namaha
Om Jaleshwa-raya namaha
Om Ksherabdhi-vasine namaha
Om Kshirabdhi-tanaya-vallabhaya namaha
Om Shesha-shaeine namaha
Om Pannagaree-vahanaya namaha
Om Vishtara-shravaya namaha
Om Madhavaya namaha
Om Madhura-nadhaya namaha
Om Mukundaya namaha
Om Mohana-shanaya namaha
Om Daityarine namaha
Om Pundaree-kakshaya namaha
Om Achyutaya namaha
Om Madhu-sudanaya namaha
Om SOma-suryagni-nayanaya namaha
Om Nrusimhaya namaha
Om Bhaktha-vatsalaya namaha
Om Nityaya namaha
Om Niramayaya namaha
Om Nara-devaya namaha
Om Shudhaya namaha
Om Jagatprabhave namaha
Om Haya-grivaya namaha
Om Puji-taya namaha
Om Upendhraya namaha
Om Rukmineepataye namaha
Om Sarwadeva-mayaya namaha
Om Srishaya namaha
Om Sarwa-dharaya namaha
Om Sanatanaya namaha
Om Soumyaya namaha
Om Soumya-pradaya namaha
Om Srashtaya namaha
Om Vishva-ksenaya namaha
Om Janardhanaya namaha
Om Yashoda-tanayaya namaha
Om Yogaya namaha
Om Yoga-shastra-parayanaya namaha
Om Rudhrat-makaya namaha
Om Rudramurtaye namaha
Om Raghavaya namaha
Om Madhu-sudanaya namaha
Om Atula-tejase namaha
Om Parasmai-jyotine namaha
Om Sarwa-papa-haraya namaha
Om Punyaya namaha
Om Amita-tejase namaha
Om Dukha-nashanaya namaha
Om Daridrya-nashanaya namaha
Om Dourbhagya-nashanaya namaha
Om Sukha-vardha-naya namaha
Om Sarva-sampat-karaya namaha
Iti Shree Vishnu ashtottara shatanaamavali Samaptam


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