Anant Chaturdashi is an auspicious festival observed on the 14th day in the Bhadrapada month during the Shukla Paksha as per the Hindu calendar. This festival is popularly known as Anant Chaudas.
‘Ananta’ in Sanskrit means endless/eternal, and therefore, it is believed to be an auspicious day for worshipping Lord Vishnu. Moreover, it is also the day when Ganesha Visarjan takes place in Maharashtra and other states that celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi.
Anant Chaturdashi date and timings:
This year, Anant Chaturdashi will be observed on September 1. The Chaturdashi Tithi begins at 8:48 am on August 31 and ends at 9:38 am on September 1. The Puja Muhurta for Anant Chaturdashi will last for 3 hours and 39 mins, from 5:59, am to 9:38 am on September 1.
Importance of Anant Chaturdashi:
Anant Chaturdashi signifies the complete relevance of the festival. Anant is the name of the Lord in whose name the festival Anant Chaturdashi is celebrated. Lord Anant is a name given to Lord Vishnu. The Shesh-Nag and river Goddess Yamuna are also worshiped along with Lord Anant. Chaturdashi falls on the fourteenth bright day in Bhadrapada month. The day of Anant Chaturdashi usually coincides with Ganesha Visarjan. People in different communities have different beliefs and celebrate it in various ways.
Anant Chaturdashi Rituals:
River Goddess Yamuna is worshiped with 16 substances. After Yamuna Puja, the Shesh Nag is invoked, and his seven hoods are worshiped with Sandalwood paste, Vermillion, incense, lamp, and turmeric. Sweets, milk, and fruits are offered as Prasad to Shesh Nag.
In Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, the festival of Anant Chaturdashi is linked to kshirsagar (Ocean of Milk) and Lord Vishnu’s Anant Roopa. As per belief, devotees put fourteen tilaks of vermilion on a wooden plank, offer 14 puris and 14 puas on the vermilion strips. They wrap a thread with 14 knots on a cucumber and swirl it five times in a bowl containing panchamrit (made with milk, curd, jaggery, honey, and ghee).
