Haribodhani Ekadashi celebrated with devotion and joy across Nepal

Dhangadhi: Haribodhani Ekadashi, also known as the awakening festival of Lord Vishnu, is being celebrated with devotion, religious fervor, and joy throughout the country today. Observed on Kartik Shukla Ekadashi, the festival is also referred to as Devuthaune Ekadashi, Prabodhini Ekadashi, or Tulsi Vivah Ekadashi.

According to mythological beliefs, Lord Vishnu enters yoga nidra in Kshirsagar on Asar Shukla Ekadashi and awakens after four months on Haribodhani Ekadashi. This day is considered highly sacred, as auspicious activities such as marriages, yajnas, fasting, and house entries, which were prohibited during the Chaturmas period, can resume.

Devotees have gathered at Vishnu temples across the country, including Chagunarayan, Budhanilkantha, Machhindranath, Radhakrishna, Thakurdwara, and Lakshminarayan temples, from early morning. Devotees take holy baths, observe fasts, and participate in worship, offering lamps and chanting Harinam Kirtan in praise of Lord Vishnu.

A symbolic marriage of Tulsi and Shaligram, known as Tulsi Vivah, is performed in homes or temple premises as part of the celebration. Women wear new clothes and perform bhajans and kirtans to mark the occasion. The Tulsi-Shaligram wedding signifies the end of the Chaturmas fast, allowing auspicious activities to resume.

Bhajans and recitations of Vishnu Sahasranama have been ongoing in temples nationwide since morning. Local committees have also organized Tulsi Vivah fairs in Bhaktapur, Patan, and Dhangadhi.

According to scriptures, those who fast and make donations on Haribodhani Ekadashi attain salvation, and their sins are believed to be absolved. The Padma Purana states, “Kartik Shuklaikadashyam Vishnu: Prabudhyate Puna,” meaning that on Kartik Shukla Ekadashi, Lord Vishnu awakens, marking the resumption of religious activities.

Haribodhani Ekadashi, celebrated with religious faith, is regarded as a festival that promotes auspicious deeds and reinforces devotion in society.