Vaikunta Ekadasi celebrated with traditional gaiety

Geetha Jayanthi Pravachanam at TTD Kalyanamandapam

In connection with the Geeta Jayanthi and Mukkoti Ekadasi, the Tirumala Tirupati Devastanam Dharma Prachara Parishad has organised a devotional discourse programme of Pasumathi Kameswara Sarma at TTD Kalyanamandapam.

Kameswara Sarma addressed the gathering and said that the Bhagavad Geeta is a guide to keep up the living standards. He also said that Geeta tells that the every person is only an instrument but not the director. Everyone should have to act according to the tunes of Almighty.

Kameswara Sarma emphasised that the slokas 40 and 67 in chapter 2 of Bhagavad Geetha will tell the eternal reality of the soul’s immortality and also said that the sloka 55 in chapter 18 describe the importance of truth. Kameswara Sarma aptly explained how to become a leader by applying the flavour of Bhagavad Geeta in our life.

Sarma quoted some Keerhans of Saint Thyagarajaswamy which are related to Bhagavad Geeta like “Geetardha Sangeetanandamu”. Vaikunta Ekadasi, one of the most prominent festivals for Hindus was celebrated by the devotees with traditional gaiety at Lord Mahavishnu temples across the city on Monday.

Temples, especially Sri Rama and Sri Venkateswara Swamy temples, Labbipet which were decked up for the occasion, teemed with devotees till late in the evening. Streets reverberated with the chants of “Govinda Govinda”, temple managements made elaborate arrangements for the devotees to witness the special rituals solemnized in honour of Lord Venkateswara, who is also other form of Lord Vishnu, according to Hindu Puranas.

According to Vishnu Purna, the festival falls on Shukala Paksha of Pausha month in the Hindu calendar. Fasting on Vaikunta Ekadashi is equivalent to fasting on the remaining 23 Ekadashis of the (Hindu) year, like all Ekadasi days, devotees undertook fasting and observed vigil the whole night.

It is widely believed that the gates to the heaven open - the Gate of Vaikuntha - on the Vaikunta Ekadasi day. It is one of the most auspicious days in Lord Vishnu Temples in South India, said G Venkatara Ramana Charyulu, priest at Dasanjeneya Swamy Temple, Machavaram.

Meanwhile, devotees also thronged Sri Sivarama Kshetram at Satyanarayanapuram, Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Mangalagiri and Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple at Brahmin Street to seek the blessing of the almighty on the auspicious day.