Other · Vishnu, Tulsi
Dev Uthani Ekadashi
The day Lord Vishnu is believed to wake from his four-month sleep, and the wedding season opens.
Also known as: Prabodhini Ekadashi, Devotthana Ekadashi, Haribodhini Ekadashi
Date and muhurat
✓ 28.6519°N, 77.2315°E · Asia/Kolkata
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When is it observed?
On the eleventh day (Ekadashi) of the bright fortnight of Kartik, about eleven days after Diwali. The day is fixed by the Ekadashi tithi at sunrise, and the fast is broken the next morning on Dwadashi.
About Dev Uthani Ekadashi
Dev Uthani Ekadashi marks the end of Chaturmas, the four rainy months that begin with Devshayani Ekadashi in Ashadha, when Vishnu is believed to rest on the cosmic serpent Shesha. On this day he is said to awaken, and the devout greet him with songs, conch shells and bells.
Many people keep a fast from sunrise and worship Vishnu in the evening. Households draw footprints of the deity in rice paste, light lamps, and in some places sing a short lullaby-like verse to wake the god. The next day, called Dwadashi, the fast is broken.
Significance
In Vaishnava belief, Ekadashi is the day most dear to Vishnu, and the Kartik one is regarded as especially meritorious. Fasting, prayer and charity on this day are traditionally believed to bring spiritual benefit and lessen the weight of past wrongs.
Socially, the awakening of the deity marks the return of auspicious work. Weddings, house-warmings and other celebrations that were avoided during Chaturmas are taken up again, and Tulsi Vivah is often held the next day (or any day up to Kartik Purnima), so this Ekadashi opens the wedding season in much of India.
Fast and worship
- 1Rise early on Ekadashi, bathe, and take the sankalp to keep the fast for Vishnu.
- 2Observe the fast by avoiding grains, rice and pulses; many take only fruit, milk and water, and some keep a strict waterless fast.
- 3In the evening, draw a rangoli with Vishnu's footprints in the courtyard or at the shrine, and place a lamp.
- 4Place an image of Vishnu or Shaligram, bathe it with water or panchamrit, and offer tulsi leaves, yellow flowers, fruit and sweets.
- 5Wake the god by ringing a bell or beating a plate, and sing the traditional verse that asks the deity to rise.
- 6Recite the Vishnu Sahasranama or the Ekadashi katha, and sing the aarti.
- 7Keep a night vigil with devotional singing, if possible.
- 8On Dwadashi morning, after the sunrise and the specified time, break the fast with a simple meal, after feeding a Brahmin or the needy.
The story
According to the Puranas, Vishnu goes into yoga-nidra, divine sleep, on Devshayani Ekadashi and rises four months later. During this period many auspicious rites are avoided, and the awakening on Kartik Shukla Ekadashi restores them.
Another tradition links the day to the marriage of Tulsi, remembered as Vrinda, with Vishnu in the form of Shaligram. Accounts of her penance to wed the Lord are found in Puranic literature, including the Padma Purana, and the wedding is celebrated soon after this Ekadashi.
What to do
- ✓Keep the fast with devotion, in line with your health.
- ✓Offer fresh tulsi leaves to Vishnu.
- ✓Give food, clothes or money to the needy.
- ✓Wake the deity with bells, song and lamps.
- ✓Break the fast within the stated Dwadashi time.
What to avoid
- ✕Do not eat rice, grains or pulses during the fast.
- ✕In many families tulsi leaves are not plucked on Ekadashi (a common custom, not a universal rule); use those gathered the day before.
- ✕Avoid onion, garlic, meat and alcohol.
- ✕Do not sleep during the day or speak harshly.
- ✕Do not break the fast before the proper Dwadashi time.
Around the country
- Maharashtra: Pandharpur holds a great gathering, as the Kartiki Ekadashi is dear to the Warkari devotees of Vithoba.
- Uttar Pradesh and Bihar: women draw rice-paste footprints and sing wake-up songs, and sugarcane stalks are used in the puja.
- Gujarat and Rajasthan: Vishnu and Krishna temples hold special worship, and the day is taken as the start of the wedding season.
- Odisha: the five days of Panchuka, the last days of Kartik, are generally counted from this Ekadashi to Kartik Purnima, and devotees at Puri's Jagannath temple see the deities in special attire.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called Dev Uthani?
"Dev uthani" means the rising of the gods. It refers to Vishnu waking from his four-month sleep on this Ekadashi.
Are weddings held from this day?
Traditionally the auspicious season resumes after this Ekadashi, often with Tulsi Vivah, but the exact wedding dates are still chosen from the panchang for each family.
What is the Dwadashi parana?
Parana is the breaking of the fast the next morning, within the time given in the panchang, after sunrise and before the Dwadashi tithi ends.
Can children, elders and the unwell keep this fast?
They may follow a lighter version with fruit and milk, or simply offer prayers and charity. Health comes first, and a doctor's advice should be followed.