Devshayani Ekadashi

Festival falling on the eleventh day
(ekadashi) of the bright (waxing) half of
the lunar month of Ashadh (June-July).
This is celebrated as the day on which
the god Vishnu falls asleep on his serpent couch Shesha, and remains sleeping for four lunar months, waking up on
Devotthayan Ekadashi. This fourmonth period (chaturmas) is considered unlucky and ritually dangerous,
since it is a period when the god is considered to be insensible. Weddings are
generally not performed during this
period, nor is any other life-cycle rite
that can be postponed. This festival
coincides with the advent of the rainy
season, and the ambivalence connected
with the rains can be seen here. On one
hand, the rains are essential to the
crops, and thus foster life and fertility.
On the other hand, the rains also bring
all too real dangers from snakes, scorpions, and gastrointestinal infections.
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Devshayani Ekadashi