Anant Chaturdashi

Anant Chaturdashi or Anant Chaturthi or Anant Chaudas is an auspicious festival in Hindu and Jain communities. It is observed on the Shukla paksha Chathurthi tithi of Bhadrapada month. This day is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Ganesh Visarjan is usually falling on this day. Ideally Lord Vishnu and Lord Ganesha are worshipped in their Anant form- an infinite divine form.

Anant Chaturdashi 2023

Thu , 28th Sep 2023

Significance

In Jainism, Lord Vasupujya is worshipped on this day. Lord Vasupujya blesses a state of Stillness and calmness unperturbed by both happy and sorrow life situations. In Hinduism, this day is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Lord Ganesha. It is a common practice to observe Anant Vrat, a sincere fasting process to remove Karmic reactions, sorrows, and sufferings, to attain a state of Nirvana. The sanskrit word ‘Anant’ translates to ‘limitless or endless’ and denotes Lord Vishnu’s reclining clam posture on Adisesha in the middle of Ksheera sagara. Anant Daram a special process of tying a Raksha Sutra is a significant process of this festival. Raksha Sutra is a cotton thread of fourteen thread count and with fourteen knots. The 14 knots denote the 14 glands in the human body. The thread is tied after the pooja and is believed to hold the divine energy of Lord Vishnu.

Rituals

Anant Chaturdasi is a popular festival in Bihar, Orissa and Eastern regions of Uttar Pradesh. People worship, Lord Vishnu reclining on Adiseshan in Kshirsagara, the Ocean of Milk. The pooja samagri is prepared a day before the Anant Chaturdashi day. On Anant Chaudas, Vishnu devotees clean and sanctify the pooja altar. Wash and set a wooden plank in the worship altar. Place 14 long 'tilaks' with Kumkum to invoke Lord Vishnu. Followed by placing delicacies-14 puris, fresh fried wheat breads and 14 Malpoos, a deep-fried Indian sweet bread on the 14 tilaks. Then the family members gather and fill a bowl with Panchamrita- a mix of milk, curd, jaggery, honey, and ghee, and place it on every tilaks of the wooden plank. This mix signifies the Divine Ocean of Milk, the Kshirsagara, in the Anant Chaturdashi Puja Vidhi. After this, a long thread called Sutra is taken. Tie fourteen knots, wound it on a Cucumber which is twirled five times in the Panchamrit or Ocean of Milk. Perform pooja, offer flowers, incense and neivedhya.

Chant Vishnu Sahasranama and ‘Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya’. Perform Aarti, then the thread called Raksha Sutra is tied on the right arm wrist. This process is called Anant Dharam. This sutra is worn for a period of 14 days and then this thread is removed to be tied on a tree or dropped into a water body. On this auspicious day, Anant Vrat pooja is said to attract the divine energies of Lord Vishnu. Later devotees may visit a Lord Vishnu/Krishna temple and offer prayers to the Lord. Donation of food or clothes are considered auspicious today.

Benefits

This Vrat relieves from stubborn financial sufferings, and financial imbalances
This Anant Chathurthashi Vrat is a boon for the riches, gives success in all financial endeavours to attain material blessings.
Vishnu Worship on this day ensures smooth, successful functioning in businesses
Lord Vishnu blesses prosperity, great financial freedom to entrepreneurs who are in debts and losses
He also bestows successful recovery from financial struggles.
Lord Vishnu’s Ananta form bestows financial supremacy, security, endurance to the wealth accumulated. Helps to clear loans, debts.