Vaikunta Ekadasi

Vaikunta Ekadasi

           

              Vaikunta Ekadasi is a festival, widely celebrated in all Lord Vishnu Temples on 11th day of Shukla Paksha (waxing phase of the moon) during Dhanu / Margazhi month, it is also called as 'Mukkoti Ekadasi'. People observe fasting and enters into the 'Vaikunta Dwar/ SwargaVaasal', meaning Vaikunta / Vishnuloka gate, in the Vishnu temple, to lessen their sins and to get liberation from birth and death. Vaikunta - Celestial Abode of Lord Vishnu, Ekadasi - 11th day of waxing phase of moon. Dhanu / Margazhi month is Mid December - Mid January, when the sun enters into Sagittarius.

Vaikunta Dwar / Swarga Vaasal

            Hindus consider this as very auspicious day and observe fasting on this day and pass through the 'Swarga Vaasal / Vaikunta Dwar' , the northern gate of the temple will be opened only on 'Vaikunta Ekadasi' around 4 A.M morning and it will remain closed for rest of the year. 
         Also, on this special day, Lord Krishna gave 'Bhagawad Gita' discourse to Arjuna, at the beginning of Mahabharata War. 
This festival is popularly celebrated in Sri Ranganathaswamy temple, Srirangam,Tamil Nadu and gloriously celebrated for 20 days. In this year 2017, Vaikunta Ekadasi falls on 29th December / Margazhi 14th, Friday.

Parama padha Vaasal at Srirangam

                     

Significance of Dhanu / Margazhi month

• Lord Vishnu is prominently worshiped in this month.
• Daily early morning before 5 A.M unmarried women go to Lord Vishnu temple, sings 'Thiruppavai' , recite glories of Lord Vishnu , perform Vrat (fasting) and worship gods, to get good husband. 
• In this month Vaikunta Ekadasi is celebrated by all the Hindus, fervor devotees stands in crowded queue to pass through the 'Vaikunta Dwar / Swarga Vaasal', to get salvation.
• Also, there is another festival called 'Thiruvathira / Arudhra Darshan', celebrated on this month for Lord Shiva, when 'Thiruvathirai / Arudra' nakshthra appears in the sky during full moon day. This festival is widely celebrated in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
• Though there are many festivals celebrated in this month, it is considered as an inauspicious month for good events / functions at home. Because, the big destructive Mahabharat War happened on this month, also respected Bhisma Pithamaha was on his death bed during this month, until sun enters into Makar / Capricorn. So, marriages, Griha pravesh like good events will not be performed in this month.

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam

            It is famous Hindu temple situated between Kaveri and Kollidam river, mentioned in many history and puranas. In this temple, Lord Vishnu will be in a sleeping position over the Vasuki serpent facing south.

           In Ramayana, Vibhishana, brother of Ravana fled to India, to attend Rama's Pattabhishekam (coronation ceremony) and received golden idol of Lord Vishnu as a return gift, he was told that once the idol placed on the ground, it can not be moved. So, he wants to place the idol at his land, Sri Lanka and to build a temple for Lord Vishnu, worshiping Vishnu will remove their sins, and brings prosperity to his people. So, he took the idol and flying back to Sri lanka, on the way he saw beautiful Kaveri river from the top and wanted to do 'Sandhyavandanam' (religious practice performed thrice a day) there, as it was near sunset. So, he stopped near Kaveri river and worried as nobody was around, to hold the idol. On seeing this, Lord Ganesha tricked him by appearing as small village boy. Vibhishana requested the boy to hold the idol till he finishes Sandhyavandanam. But, the boy said that he has to hurry to home and asked him to finish it fast, also the boy said that he will wait only for 3 counts. Agreed Vibhishana went into the river and performed the ritual, while he was about to complete, the boy started his first count, Vibhishana asked him to hold on for few minutes, but the boy didn't accept, he continued  his second count, in a hurry vibhishana completed the ritual and returned, before he reaches the shore side, the boy counted for the third time, kept the idol on the ground and left the place. 

                 Offended Vibhishana shouted, for spoiling his plan of bringing bright future to his people. Lord Ganesha revealed his original form and pacified Vibhishana that it is happened as per dharma, yet Lord Vishnu's idol lies facing south direction, Sri Lanka, his holiness vision will bring righteousness and prosperity to your people. Only in this temple, Lord Vishnu will be facing south, his head resting in the west and legs towards east direction.

Sri Ranganathar at Sri rangam

            Sri Rangam temple also called as 'Thiruvarangam', it is the largest functioning Hindu temple in the world, with 50 shrines and 21 towers. It is also called as 'Boolaka Vaikuntam', meaning Earth's heaven.

Gopurams of Sri Rangam temple

Fasting
              On Dasami day (one day before Ekadasi) people fast on the whole day, takes one meal without rice and doesn't sleep in the night. They spend the whole night in meditation and chanting Vishnu's name, singing bhajans and saying stories of Lord Vishnu, visiting temples etc. The next day early morning around 3 A.M, people takes bath and goes to Lord Vishnu's temple to get his darshan and pass through the 'Vaikunta Dwar / Swarga Vaasal'. It is believed that fasting on this Ekadasi day is equivalent to fasting on rest of 23 Ekadasi's of the year.

Vaikunta Dwar / Swarga Vaasal

              The northern direction gate is called 'Paramapadha Vaasal / Swarga Vaasal' (Heavens gate), which will be opened only on this day.  In Sri rangam, it is celebrated for 20 days as 'Pagal pathu' (10 days, day festival), 'Ira pathu' (10 days, night festival), in all these 20 days, Lord Sri Ranganathar, 'Moolavar' (God in the sanctum, who is fixed) will bless devotees in 'Muthangi Sevai', means he will be covered completely in pearls.

Moolavar decorated in pearls (Muthangi Sevai)

                     On Vaikunta Ekadasi day, Namperumal, lord Sri Ranganathar cladded in a gem studded armour called 'Ratnagi Sevai', will be brought from sanctum in a palanquin followed by thousands of devotees to 'Vradha Nadi Mandapam' (hall), which is few meters before Paramapadha Vaasal. Krishna Yajur vedas will be hymned by pandits in that mandapam (Hall) for 30 minutes before proceeding towards the 'Swarga Vaasal'.

                  Opening of 'Vaikunta Dwar / Swarga Vaasal' is the most important ritual of this 20 days festival. In South India, as per vedic astrology, all religious festivals and functions will be carried out in accordance with the 'lagna' (Sunrise time at that place). Around 4 A.M - 4.30 A.M, on Vrischika lagnam (Scorpio), Swarga Vaasal will be opened with the crowded devotees chanting together in a loud voice as 'Govinda Govinda' and 'Renga' rushing behind the 'Namperumal' deity and passing through the 'Vaikunta Dwar / Swarga Vaasal'.

Namperumal passing through Swarga Vaasal, Sri Rangam

           After that the deity will be placed in thousand pillared hall for the whole day. Thousands of devotees from all over India, will stand in a big queue for several hours to worship Lord Vishnu and get his blessings. On this day, this temple attracts millions of visitors, so thousands of police will be deployed every year around the temple complex and its vicinity. Announcements will be constantly given by the police and regulates vehicular movements in the Sri Rangam town, special buses will be operated during this season. 

        From Tiruchirapalli (Trichy) city, Sri Rangam is 10 kilometers on road. Nearest railway station is Sri Rangam railway station, which is 1 kilometer away from Sri Ranganathaswamy temple.

- Aarthi Thiyagarajan