Kathmandu, 27 Kartik(12 Nov): Devotees of Vishnu have been fasting for Tulsi for four months from Harishayani Ekadashi to Haribodhini Ekadashi, and this festival is being celebrated today by marrying Damodar.
Every year on the day of Kartik Shukla Ekadashi, the Haribodhini Ekadashi festival is celebrated today with special worship and marriage of Tulsi to Damodar as a symbol of Lord Vishnu. Today’s Ekadashi is also called Haribodhini or Pravodhini Ekadashi because Vishnu who is sleeping in Kshir Sagar wakes up on the day of Ashad Shukla Ekadashi i.e. Harishayani Ekadashi. On the day of Harishayani Ekadashi, Tulsi is planted at home and worshiped at the Tulsi Math, covered with cow dung and red soil and decorated with Singari flower garlands. Since Tulsi is Vishnupriya, there is a tradition of marrying Tulsi with Damodar on this day. Nigala’s linga is buried near Tulsi Math as a symbol of Vishnu and ritually worshiped. It is a religious belief that all the gods and goddesses reside in Tulsi throughout the month of Kartik.
The glory of Tulsi, which has been worshiped since ancient times, has also been scientifically proven to be beneficial. Therefore, the house where Tulsi’s monastery is is considered as a pilgrimage. The fragrance of Tulsi is said to purify the directions. Due to the belief that even Yamadoots do not enter the house where Tulsi is worshipped, Hindus build a Tulsi monastery at home. Tulsi leaf, stem or flower juice is a medicine for colds and malaria. Mosquitoes will not bite if you sleep with this juice on your body. Even poisonous snakes do not come around the place where Tulsi’s monastery is located. The wind blowing around the monastery destroys the poisonous germs. Tulsi is considered a great medicine for all animals throughout autumn.
Tea made from Tulsi is considered to be suitable for increasing disease resistance in the human body. Dr. Vanshdeep Sharma Kharel, a doctor of Ayurveda, said that regular consumption of Tulsi tea is beneficial to prevent diseases like corona and dengue. It is religiously believed that in the month of Kattik, one’s wish will be fulfilled by wearing a tulsi garland and offering one lakh tulsi leaves to Vishnu. As mentioned in the Garuda Purana, offering one Tulsi leaf to Lord Vishnu in this month will yield the equivalent of donating 10,000 cows. Nowadays, there is also a tradition of taking the idol of Lord Vishnu on a chariot. At night, Vishnu is woken up by playing conch shells, bells and drums saying ‘Govinda wake up, you sleep, the world sleeps, you wake up, the world wakes up’. As a symbol of this, there is a classical belief that it is used to conquer 11 of human’s five sense organs, five action organs and mind.
Farmers bury the sugarcane plant in the monastery. Since no food is eaten on this day, fruits are eaten with sugarcane, pindalu and forest yam. There is a religious belief that if you fast in this way, sins will be destroyed and virtue will increase and salvation will be attained. It is believed that today’s Ekadashi fast, also known as Big Ekadashi, is equivalent to performing a thousand Ashwamedha Yagnas and Rajasuya Yagnas. Prof. Dr. Devmani Bhattarai, a theologian, said that during the month of Kattik, worshiping Lord Vishnu with devotion, giving, chanting and homa will yield fruits and get rid of the sins of a hundred births.
पोखरा, २७ कात्तिकः
हरिबोधिनी एकादशीको अवसरमा धार्मिक पूजा अर्चनाको तोरण तार्न फूलको झाँकी लिएर पोखराको रामघाटतर्फ जादै भक्तजनहरू ।
तस्बिरः जमुना वर्षा शर्मा÷रासस
As Vishnu sleeps in the Kshir Sagar, there is a tradition that auspicious acts such as marriage vows are not performed during these four months. During this time, it is considered auspicious not to travel due to the fear of floods, landslides and creatures like snakes. Today, special fairs are held at Char Narayan in Kathmandu valley, Changunarayan in Bhaktapur, Vishangkhunarayan in Lalitpur, Sheshnarayan and Ichangunarayan in Kathmandu. For those who cannot go here, it is believed that visiting Budhanilkanth Narayansthan, which is located in the north of Kathmandu, will give the same results as seeing and worshiping the four Narayans. Today, this festival is celebrated with special worship in Narayan temples across the country.
A special arrangement has been made at the Sesha Narayan temple in Dakshinkali as many pilgrims come to worship on one day a year, according to the temple management committee. Similarly, the temple management committee said that all the preparations for the fair, which is scheduled to be held from today till the day of Kartik full moon, have been completed at Budhanilkanth Narayansthan.
