Nirjala Ekadashi 2024: Know the date, time, traditions, and significance
PTC News Desk: Of the 24 Ekadashis held in a year, Nirjala Ekadashi is considered to be the most important. It falls on Tuesday, June 18, 2024.
This is the most difficult of all the Ekadashi fasts, when followers practice a strict fast on this day, depriving themselves of food and water. Usually, Nirjala Ekadashi falls on the same day as Ganga Dussehra, but occasionally, both celebrations take place on the same day.
Spiritual Elevation and Purification
The translation of nirjala, which means “without water,” emphasises the central idea of this Ekadashi. Adherents observe a rigorous fast during which they refrain from consuming any food or water. It is said that by engaging in this practice, accumulated physical and spiritual pollutants are removed from the body and psyche. Followers of this strict discipline want to accomplish the following:
Spiritual Advancement: It is thought that keeping the fast will bring blessings from Lord Vishnu, the Hindu trinity’s preserver deity. It is believed by devotees to cleanse their karma and bring them one step closer to moksha, or liberation.
Willpower and Inner Peace are claimed to be strengthened by the self-control and discipline needed for this fast. It’s a resilient and self-discovery adventure.
Customs and Holidays
Early Morning Start: Before the sun rises, devotees usually take a cleansing bath and begin their pujas, or acts of worship, honoring Lord Vishnu. Offerings of flowers, fruits, and incense are made together with mantras (holy chants).
Scripture Recitation and Devotional Chanting: Some devotees may decide to recite holy books like the Bhagavad Gita and participate in bhajans, or devotional songs, during the day. Their relationship with the holy is strengthened and a meditative atmosphere is created by these practices.
Importance of Rest: Total rest is advised in order to optimise the spiritual advantages. It is advised of devotees to abstain from worldly pursuits and spend their time in prayer and reflection.
Breaking the Fast (Parana): On June 19, 2024, the following day, Nirjala Ekadashi, a significant ritual is breaking the fast. There is a window of time called as Parana time during which this needs to be completed.
History and Significance
The epic Mahabharata story is frequently cited as the source of Nirjala Ekadashi. The tale of Bhima, one of the Pandava brothers who was well-known for his enormous strength and appetite, is told in legend.
Bhima was so hungry that he could not keep to all of the Ekadashi fasts. Because of the remarkable spiritual benefits of observing just one very stringent Ekadashi (the Nirjala Ekadashi), legendary sage Sage Vyasa urged Bhima to do so.