Ashadi Ekadashi – A Festival of Faith and Devotion

After the beginning of the Pandarpur Yatra Palki of Tukaram Maharaj which marks its starts from Dehu, Tukaram Maharaj was a dedicated devotee of Lord Vitthal. The palki of this year started off on 22nd June and will mark its end on the event of Ashadi Ekadashi. The Yatra is also called as Pandharpur Wari. On this day all most of the Marathi people observe fast on this auspicious day. The day of Ashadi Ekadasi has great significance for all Maharashtrian’s. The time from which the Pandharpur Yatra has started is more than 700 years, some thing that took place in the past are very enchanting to belive, though all the events as significance of its own. Devotees or Warkari of Vitthal- Rakhumai visits Pandharpur by traveling through Pandharpur Wari and reaches Vitthala temple on Ashadi Ekadasi. Ashadi Ekadasi 2011 is on 11th of July, on this day the Yatra of the warkaris will get over.

I can tell you just what I have heard about the myth behind the celebration of Ashadi Ekadashi is that when Lord Vishnu went for Yog Nidra from this day for the next four months, and these holy period of four months is being observed as Chaturmas Puja. Some people consider the two eleventh days, “ekadashi”, of every month to be of special importance. But the eleventh day (bright) of Ashadh is known as the great ekadashi or Mahaekadashi. It is a day of fast.

The Yatra is a great tribute to the Krishna River in the Solapur district. This festival is celebrated with great grandeur in Pandharpur and all over Maharashtra, the devotees strong in here in processions from different parts of the state carrying palaquins with the images of the Maharashtra’s great saints Dnaneshwar’s image is carried from Alandi, Tukaram’s from Dehu, Eknath’s from Paithan, Nivruttinath’s from Trimbakeshwar, Muktabai’s from Edlabad, and Sopan’s from Sasvad. Lord Vitthal is the most among popular Lord among the Mahatrains’. In the Vitthal Temple Pandharpur, Lord Vithoba is standing on a brick, it is not just an architecture done to the temple but it carries legend behind this, there was a guy name Pundalik who used to trouble his parents a lot, but one fine day due to one Rishi’s sermon he understood his fault and then decided to devote his whole life for his parents, Then when Lord Vithoba visited to see Pundalik when he was massaging this old parents feet, here Pundalik threw a brick towards Lord Vithoba and asked him to stand on the brick and wait. It is believed that Vishnu took the form of Lord Vithoba, looking at his wonderful devotion towards his parents.

Every festival or a fast that we do is associated with some or other behind it, so is it with the Ashadi Ekadashi fast that most of us do, this fast is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and is the most popular Vrat among the Hindu’s, the mention of the legend of the fast of Ashadi Ekadashi is in the Bhavisyottara Purana, where Lord Krishna was narrating Arjuna to observe the fast.

Ashadi Ekadashi is known by many names as Deva Sayani Ekadashi, Shayana Ekadashi, Tholi Ekadashi, Pedda Ekadashi, Vishnu Sayan Ekadashi, Harivasara Ekadashi, Maha Ekadashi, Ashada Devasayani Ekadashi and Padma Ekadashi in different parts of India. On this occasion more than thousands of pilgrims take a holy dip in the water of Godavari River while paying obeisance to Lord Rama.