Putrada Ekadashi

Religious observance that occurs twice
per year: on the eleventh day (ekadashi)
of the bright (waxing) half of the lunar
month of Shravan (July–August), and
540
Pushyabhuti Dynasty
on the eleventh day of the bright (waxing) half of the lunar month of Paush
(December–January). As with all the
eleventh-day observances, these are
dedicated to the god Vishnu. Most
Hindu festivals have certain prescribed
rites, which usually involve fasting
(upavasa) and worship, and often
promise specific benefits for faithful
performance. Faithfully observing the
ekadashi rites on these days is believed
to give one a son (putra), which is a
major concern in traditional Indian culture. Sons are necessary for this world
and the next, not only to care for their
parents in their old age, but also to
perform certain ancestral rites after
one’s death. The strength of this
desire for sons is demonstrated by the
fact that this particular ekadashi
occurs twice during the year—the only
ekadashi to do so.