Dev Uthani (Devuthani) Ekadashi 2023, also known as Prabodhini Ekadashi or Dev Utthana Ekadashi, is an occasion of great significance in the Hindu religion. It falls on the Ekadashi (eleventh day) of Shukla Paksha (waxing moon period) of the Kartik month 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. 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.
Devuthani Ekadashi falls after the four months of Devshayani Ekadashi (when the Lord Vishnu went to Yoga Nidra) according to the Hindu Calendar.
When is Dev Uthani Ekadashi 2023
In the year 2023, Dev Uthani Ekadashi will be celebrated on November 23, Thursday.
- Dev Uthani Ekadashi Date: 23 November 2023, Thursday
- Ekadashi Tithi starts: 11:03 p.m on November 22, 2023
- Ekadashi Tithi ends: 09:01 p.m on November 23, 2023
- Ekadashi Parana Timing (breaking of fast) – November 24, 2023, 06:51 a.m to 08:57 a.m
Significance of DevUthani Ekadashi
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. Dev Uthani Ekadashi is also a period for strict fasting and prayers, and many Hindus abstain from food and water for the entire day. 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.
DevUthani Ekadashi Fasting Ritual
- 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.
- 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.
Know more about the Benefits of Fasting
Tulsi Vivah takes place on DevUthani Ekadashi
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.
Fasting Story on Dev Uthani Ekadashi 2023
There are various stories associated with Devuthani Ekadashi. According to a legend, once Maa Lakshmi expressed her dissatisfaction with Lord Vishnu’s sleeping patterns. She said that Lord Vishnu remains awake always generally but once he sleeps, he sleeps for years together which causes a lot of problems since a lot of devotees and other gods have to wait for him to wake up and even return back disappointed sometimes. The demons also take advantage of Lord Vishnu’s slumber and trouble the human beings on Earth. Therefore, Lord Vishnu made a rule that he’ll only sleep for four months during a year. He also said that all kinds of auspicious works will be banned during these four months. This sleep started from Ashadha Shuddha Ekadashi, which is known as Devshayani Ekadashi until Kartik Shuddha Ekadashi i.e. Dev Uthani Ekadashi.
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