Dev uthani Ekadashi is popularly known as Prabodhini Ekadashi. It is one of the most important Ekadashis celebrated in India among all 24 of them. It always falls on the 11th day (Ekadashi) of the bright half of the Kartik month of the Shukla Paksha which usually occurs in October or November and is prominently celebrated in some of the north Indian states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Dev Uthani Ekadashi represents the beginning of an auspicious phase for Hindus in which they hold events like marriage ceremonies, Naam Karan, etc. The day is devoted to the worship of Lord Vishnu and is considered to be an excellent day for beginning any new venture.
Dev Uthani Ekadashi falls after the four months of Devshayani Ekadashi (when the Lord Vishnu went to Yoga Nidra) according to the Hindu calendar. In the year 2023, Dev Uthani Ekadashi will be celebrated on:
Dev Uthani Ekadashi Date: 23 November 2023, Thursday
Ekadashi Tithi starts: November 03, 2023, at 07:30 p.m
Ekadashi Tithi ends: November 04, 2023, at 06:08 p.m
Ekadashi Parana Timing (breaking of fast) – November 24, 2023, 06:51 a.m to 08:57 a.m
On this day, Hindus offer special puja to Lord Vishnu and perform various rituals related to the festival with a lot of joy and gaiety.
– On this day, the devotees should wake up early in the morning, have a bath, wear fresh clothes and take a vow of fasting with full dedication in front of the idol of Lord Vishnu and Maa Lakshmi.
– Rangoli should also be made after cleaning the puja place and sprinkling the Ganga jal.
– The devotees should keep chanting the divine mantras of Lord Vishnu while fasting during the day.
– In the evening, oil lamps, incense sticks, flowers, fruits and sweets are offered to the Lord.
– Ekadashi prasadam excludes grains, non-vegetarian food items, rice, pulses, onion, and garlic.
– One can consume fruits, milk products, makhana, rajgira flour, kuttu’s flour, singhara’s flour, dry fruits and paneer on ekadashi.
– The Dev Uthani Ekadashi Vrat Katha should be read and Prasad is distributed among the devotees after the puja.
– Donating food and other life essentials to the poor and needy is also considered auspicious on this day.
The fast is broken on the next morning:
Nirjala: One who has fasted Nirjala or has not consumed even water on the day of Ekadashi, can break their fast with water or liquid Prasadam.
Jalahar: One, who has kept fast with only having water on the day of Ekadashi, can break their fast by having fruits prasadam.
Falahar: and those who have kept fast with having fruits on the day of Ekadashi, can break their fast by having grains prasadam
Dev Uthani Ekadashi marks the end of Chaturmas, a four-month-long period during which Lord Vishnu is believed to be asleep. On this day, Hindus perform special rituals to wake Lord Vishnu from his deep slumber. The term Dev Uthani means ‘to wake up God’, and it is seen as a way of paying respect to the deity by the devotees. In some parts of India, devotees stay awake for the entire night and sing hymns and chant prayers. The festival is also an opportunity for the devotees to seek the divine blessings of Lord Vishnu.
Tulsi Vivah is organized in many temples on Dev Uthani Ekadashi. Couples who do not have a girl child get the happiness of doing Kanyadaan during Tulsi Vivah. Bhog is prepared for Lord Vishnu and Tulsi leaves are added to it. The purpose of conducting Tulsi Vivah is to send out a message on environmental protection. The message goes loud and clear that plants and trees are regarded as forms of God which give us oxygen for life. Therefore, it’s necessary to conserve and protect them. There’s also a ritual of gifting Tulsi plants to friends and family on Dev Uthani Ekadashi 2023.