Key to Oneness
Sanatan Dharma has various methods, belief system ,documented scriptures that guide a common human being towards oneness with divine , Just like GPRS auto mode tour guide on your drive towards a known destination when you are travelling to an unknown terrain ,study of our ancient scriptures suggest many of such paths to unifiy , bond on guided path to divine . Two of such epic practices that are widely followed across generations is practice of observing fast on ekadashi , travelling on foot to pandhapur to get darshan of loved deity lord vittahal an incarnation of lord Vishnu & another one the much loved of all hugely celebrated at some point debarring religious barricades is rakshabandhan . the key to oneness lies in this path of devotion , dedication , expression of joy with symbols , gifts , rituals each which has a unique bonding with each other .
There are 24 ekadhashi as per the hindu calendar , every ekadashi has a presiding deity , different significance , different Vedic lunar month & time . Ekadashi holds a great spiritual & medical importance as per the ayurvedic science references to ekadashi are made in text like charaksamhita & sushrut samhita , people observe fasting (upvas) to be closer to the presiding deity of ekadashi .
The word ekadashi refers to 11 tithi of lunar day The timing of each ekadashi is according to the position of moon .Those who fast on this day are considered to get rid of planetary malefic influences , experience happiness & peace of mind , increase will power , concentration , higher wisdom .This festivals creates a feeling of oneness & bonding with the divine deity as one gets full control over all his senses thru austerity , fasting , continuous chanting of religious hymns on this special day .The joy of oneness with the deity is reflected in various religious symbols , a tilak on the forehead engraved in turmeric , sandalwood signifies amalgamation of mind body & soul . Festival of Bonding spreads to human lives when we as a family celebrate rakshabandhan , diwali , Gudipadwa offer our prayers to divinity with all our near & dear ones coming together at one place , respecting each other values , sentiments , burning across our egos bonding as one family .
Ekadashi originated out of Lord Vishnu to kill the demon Mura who had intentions to kill the sleeping Lord Vishnu. Goddess Ekadashi is the protective power of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Vaishnavi is another power of Lord Vishnu and a part of Sapta Matrika.
Ashadhi Ekadashi is also known as shayan ekadashi is one of the most important religious festivals that is celebrated in Maharashtra. This ceremony is generally held at Pandharpur where a huge number of devotees gather to celebrate the festival. It is a religious procession festival which is held every year during the Aashaadh Shukla paksha. After the puja ritual, aarti is sung and the prasad is eaten together with other devotees. On ashadi ekadashi, the observer of this vrat must remain awake all night and chant religious bhajans or songs in praise of Lord Vishnu. Reciting religious books like ‘Vishnu Sahartanaam’ is also considered very auspicious. On the day of ashadi ekadashi, devotees keep a fast by refraining from specific foods like rice, beans, grains, cereals, specific vegetables and spices. Spiritually, Ekadashi symbolises eleven senses constituting five sense organs, five action organs and one mind. . Radiance of all Deities is concentrated in the vrat of Ashadhi Ekadashi .
Hence its considered a festival which brings a human being more closer to divine forces , there many stories of saints from Maharashtra of where ordinary men /women thru their self less bonding with divine forces achieved saint hood , it’s a strong belief that when we surrender ourselves completely at gods feet , we develop a unique bond of love , sacrifice , respect for the divine force & divine forces protect the living being in all testing times . Much like the relationships that we have in our family life’s of brother & sister bonding during raksha bandhan , where a brother vows to protect his sister from all evil forces in her testing times with selfless devotion . like a astute devotee offering his a flowers , garland to his deity on completion of his fasting and performing arti ,praying for the well being all his loved ones , a sister ties a sacred thread on the wrist of her brother after completing her pooja and asking for the well being of her brother .Tough it’s a festival widely practiced among hindus across various caste creed culture , in contemporary times it has evolved as a festival of brother hood among all religions. Tagore started a Raksha Bandhan rally after taking a dip in the Holy Ganges, followed by a rally to a mosque, tying rakhis to the clerics too. Tagore wrote two of his most famous songs during this time. ‘Amar sonar Bangla’ and ‘Banglar mati Banglar jol’ and led peace marches singing these songs. Here we draw a analogy to foot pilgrimage of Maharashtra to pandhapur which was initiated by bhakti movement but in todays times has promulgated to all believers of faith , at times overstepping geographical boundaries .
We share such distinctive bonding with each other, our festivals are reflection of our belief systems, values , culture . During ashadi ekadashi people in Maharashtra take a foot tour to pandhapur which is a 15 day long journey along with other devotes without worrying about drizzling rain , uneven roads , food & shelter place . This vrat is undertaken from Ashadh Shukla Ekadashi. Amongst Vaishnavite, the Varkaris are the main sect. In this sect, depending on the type of initiation, a pilgrimage to Pandharpur is undertaken annually or bi-annually. It is believed that carrying out the pilgrimage on foot is physical penance. Thus brining all the pilgrims in closer to divinity by opening the key of being one to infinity.
Credit: Rahul Bandarkar
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