Kathmandu. Vedic Sanatan Hindu devotees perform special puja of Tulsi with Damodar as a symbol of Lord Vishnu.

KATHMANDU: The Hari Bodhani Ekadashi festival is being celebrated today with the marriage of Tulsi and Damodar today. On the day of Asar Shukla Ekadashi i.e. Hari Shayani Ekadashi, Vishnu wakes up while sleeping in Kshirsagar. From Hari Shayani to Hari Bodhani Ekadashi, devotees of Lord Vishnu observe a fast and perform special worship on Tulsi for four months.

Since Vishnu is sleeping in the Kshira Sagar, there is a tradition that auspicious activities like marriage and bratabandha should not be performed for these four months. During this time, it is considered auspicious not to travel due to the fear of floods, landslides in rivers, streams and snakes.

On the day of Harishayani Ekadashi, a special puja is performed in the Tulsi Math and decorated with cow dung and red clay and decorated with garlands. Since Tulsi is Vishnupriya, there is a tradition of marrying Damodar on this day. A reed lingam is duly worshipped near the Tulsi monastery as a symbol of Vishnu.

There is a religious belief that all the gods and goddesses reside in Tulsi throughout the month of Kartik. Tulsi is worshipped from Harishayani Ekadashi with special worship and havan with the method of establishing fire. Religious scholar Prof Toyaraj Nepal said that there is a scripture that special worship and havan can be performed through the Agnisthapana method even on the day when the fire establishment does not start from today to Margashirsha Krishna Panchami.

The glory of Tulsi, which has been a tradition of worship since ancient times, has also proved to be scientifically beneficial. Therefore, the house of Tulsi’s monastery is considered to be like a pilgrimage. It is said that the fragrance of Tulsi purifies the ten directions. Due to the belief that even the messenger of Yama does not enter the house where Tulsi is worshiped, Hindus build a Tulsi monastery in the house.

The juice of basil leaves, stems, or flowers is a medicine for diseases like cold, cough and malaria. Mosquitoes do not bite if you sleep with this juice on the body. Poisonous snakes do not even come around the site of Tulsi’s monastery. The air around the monastery destroys the poisonous germs. Tulsi is considered to be a great medicine for all living beings throughout the autumn season.

Tea made from basil is considered to be good for increasing immunity in the human body. It is believed that wearing a garland of Tulsi in the month of Kartik and offering one lakh Tulsi leaves to Vishnu fulfills one’s wishes. As mentioned in Garuda Puran, offering a Tulsi leaf to Lord Vishnu in this month gives a reward equivalent to donating 10,000 cows.

On this day, it is also customary to carry the idol of Lord Vishnu on a chariot. At night, Vishnu is woken up by playing conch, bell and drum by saying ‘Govinda, wake up, the world sleeps, if you wake up, the world wakes up’. It is a classical belief that it is used to conquer eleven of human beings, including the five senses and five karmic senses and mind.

The farmers bury the sugarcane saplings in the monastery. Since grains are not to be eaten on this day, fruits are boiled and eaten by boiling sweet potatoes, pindalu and wild yam. There is a religious belief that by fasting in this way, sins will be destroyed and merit will increase and salvation will be attained. Today’s Ekadashi fast, also known as the Big Ekadashi, gives the same result as performing a thousand Ashwamedha Yagya and Rajasuya Yagya.

Various scriptures have described the rituals of bathing, donating, chanting and homa performed devotionally to Lord Vishnu in the month of Kartik to get the fruits and get rid of the sins of a hundred births.

A special fair is organized at the historic Kalika Temple located in Nilkantha Municipality-4 of Dhading today. Similarly, special fair is organized at Char Narayan of Kathmandu Valley, Changunarayan of Bhaktapur, Bishankhunarayan of Lalitpur, Shesh Narayan and Ichangunarayan of Kathmandu. It is believed that those who are unable to visit Budhanilkantha Narayansthan in the north of Kathmandu will get the same benefits as visiting and worshiping the four Narayanasthans.

Similarly, there is a scriptural belief that worshiping, worshiping and paying obeisance at the Chaturbhaya Narayansthan in Narayanhit gives the same results as visiting all the four Narayansthan in the Kathmandu Valley, said the temple’s Abbot Dr Rajeshwornanda. The festival is celebrated today by performing special worship in Narayan temples across the country.