Anant Chaturdashi / Ganesh Visarjan is a sacred festival observed and celebrated by Hindus and Jains.  Anant Chaturdashi, also known as Ganesh Chaudas, is the final day of the ten-day Ganeshotsav or Ganesh Chaturthi celebration. This year Anant Chaturdashi will fall on Friday, September 9, 2022. Devotees wish the god Ganesh farewell by submerging (Visarjan) his statues in water on this day. The 14th day of the lunar fortnight is known as Chaturdashi. Anant Chaturdashi often occurs ten days after Ganesh Chaturthi.

Lord Vishnu, worshipped in his Anant (Infinite) form, is also honoured on this holy day. Devotees commonly observe Anant Vrats (fasts) cleanse themselves of negative reactions, sorrows, and sufferings. The word “Anant” means “endless,” and Vishnu’s reclined position denotes a state of spiritual repose. This form of Narayana precedes the evolution of the universe.

DATE

Anant Chaudas usually falls on Chaturdashi, the fourteenth day of Shukla Paksha (the waxing moon phase) in the Bhadrapada month.

On this auspicious day, devotees perform Anant Puja. Required details are below:

 

Particular  Date	Date	Starts Time	End Time
Anant Chaturdashi Tithi Begins	Sep 8, 2022	09:02 PM
Anant Chaturdashi Tithi Ends	Sep  9, 2022		6:07 PM
Anant Puja Mahurat	Sep 9, 2022	05:58 AM	6:07 PM

Significance of Anant Chaturdashi

Anant Chaturdashi serves as a reminder that like Lord Vishnu, who sleeps peacefully on a snake-filled bed (Sheshnaga), one should be unaffected by joy and grief and maintain equilibrium in both circumstances. Only those who live in peace can recognize their genuine selves. Lord Ganesh represents the body consciousness that serves as the soul’s temple. Finally, the body must dissolve in Paramatma, which is why Ganesh Chaudas, or Anant Chaturdashi, is preferred for Visarjan. Ganesh is immersed in several bodies of water, including the sea and pond.

The biggest celebration of Ganesh Utsav/ Chaturthi, lasts for ten days and concludes on Anant Chaturdashi with the farewell of the Ganapati Bappa idols worshipped by devotees, takes place in the state of Maharashtra. Before leaving their homes or Pandals with the statue of Lord Ganesh, the devotees do Aarti, and shortly before Visarjan, they perform the Anant puja. Although it is difficult for devotees to say goodbye to their beloved Ganapati Bappa on Anant Chaudas, everyone instantly extends an invitation to him to return next year by chanting the same chants collectively.

The twelfth Tirthankara, Lord Vasupujya, attained Nirvana on this day of Anant Chaudas, making Anant Chaturdashi a significant day for Jains in terms of their spiritual practices. During the ten days of Bhadrapada month, the Digambar Jains observe Paryushan, which ends with Anant Chaturdashi. In other words, Ananta Chaturthi is the last of Paryushan. The day after Anant Chaturthi is Kshamavani, a day when the Jains pray for forgiveness for the mistakes made intentionally or accidentally.

Celebration of Anant Chaturdashi and Pooja Vidhi

On the auspicious Anant Chaturdashi, people from Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh worship Kshirsagara, the Ocean of Milk, and Ananta, the holy form of Lord Vishnu. To seek the blessings of Lord Vishnu, devotees perform Anant puja by following the Anant Chaturdashi Puja Vidhi.

1) Families do this puja vidhi with devotion and faith in Anant Chaturdashi. A day prior to Chaturdashi, the puja samagri gets ready. On the Anant Chaudas, devotees paint 14 long tilaks with Kumkum on a wooden board and then place 14 puris and 14 maal puas (deep-fried Indian sweet bread) on the tilaks.

2) The family members then place a bowl of Panchamrat (a combination of milk curd, jaggery, honey, and ghee) on the wooden board. In Anant Chaturdashi Puja Vidhi, the mixture symbolizes the Kshirsagara, the Divine Ocean of Milk.

3) They next take a fourteen-knot thread, which represents Lord Anant tied to a cucumber and twisted five times in the Panchamrit, or Ocean of Milk. This thread serves as a Raksha Sutra, or protective thread, guarding against evil.

4) Men tie this Ananta thread over their right sleeve after finishing Anand Chaudas, while women tie it under their left arm. For a day, the Anant thread is worn, and we can take it off later.

5) Women observe the Anant vrat/Chaturdashi vrat for their families health and happiness. Men do the Anant vrat for wealth and success. Once the Anant vrat has begun, devotees observe it for 14 years. The Anant Chaturdashi Vrat Katha explains the 14 years.

Chaturdashi Vrat Katha

Sushila and Kaundinya

The Anant Chaudas Katha is a story about the Anant vow and is mostly heard by the people who observe Vrat(fast). Devotees read or hear the Katha on the day of Anant Chaudas.

The story is about Sushila and Kaundinya. Once a Brahmin named Sumant existed. He shared a daughter named Sushila with his wife Diksha. After Diksha passed away, Sumant married a woman named Karkash, who created a lot of trouble for Sushila.

To avoid any more mistreatment, Sushila and Kaundinya left the stepmother’s house. They stopped next to a river while travelling. Kaundinya wanted to take bath. Sushila saw a group of female devotees worshipping “Anant Prabhu.” Then she wondered, “What kind of worship is this?”

Anant’s vow

She learned that it was Anant’s vow. Women also explained to her the vow’s rituals and significance. In vow, they offer fried “gharga” (made of flour) and “anarase” (special meal). That they must distribute half of them to the Brahmins. A bamboo basket holds a cobra made of “darbha” (holy grass). Then fragrant flowers, an oil lamp, and incense sticks are used to worship the snake, or “shesh”. A meal is offered to the snake. A silk ribbon is fastened to the wrist and kept in front of God. The name of this string is “anant.” It has 14 knots and is “kumkum” coloured. Men tie the “anant” on their right hand, whereas women tie it on their left. This vow is to become divine and wealthy. 

Kaundinya once observed Sushila’s left hand’s Anant string. He was upset to learn about the Anant vow and said that they had grown wealthy due to their efforts to gain wisdom rather than any impact of Anant. The argument got very heated. The Anant string was eventually removed from Sushila’s hand by Kaundinya and thrown into the fire.

Following this, they experienced several tragedies that left them in great poverty. Kaundinya realized it was punishment for disrespecting “Anant” and decided to perform extreme penance till he saw God.

In search of Anant

Kaundinya entered a dense forest. He noticed a mango tree there, but no one was eating any of the fruit. Worms were attacking the entire tree. When he inquired about seeing Anant, the tree responded saying ‘No’. Kaundinya next noticed a cow and her calf, followed by a bull standing on a field of grass without eating any of it. Then he observed two large lakes connected and their waters merging. In addition, he noticed an elephant and a donkey. Kaundinya asked about Anant, but no one knew who this person was. He prepared a rope to hang himself out of desperation.

Then, out of nowhere, an experienced, elderly Brahmin stood before him. He freed Kaundinya of the rope and took him into a cave. It was first quite dark. However, a sudden flash of light brought them to a vast palace. There had gathered a huge crowd of men and women. The old Brahmin approached the throne straightaway.

Brahmin vanished in thin air and Kaundinya could only see Anant. Kaundinya realized that Anant, the Eternal One, was the god who had come to save him, He realized his mistake.

Anant explained the significance of what Kaundinya had noticed during the search. According to Anant, the mango tree was a Brahmin who had learned a lot in a previous life but kept it to himself. The cow was the earth, which had consumed all of the plant seeds. The bull was put in a green field where he was unable to consume any food. The two lakes were sisters who cared deeply for one another, yet they only spent their money on one another. The donkey was cruel and furious. The pride of Kaundinya was the elephant, lastly.

Highlights of Anant Chaudas

Three religious festivals—two Hindu and one Jain—are observed on the auspicious Anant Chaturdashi day, making it significant. Devotees can benefit immensely from the blessings of the Divine on this day because of its exceptionally high energetic vibration.

Anant Chaturdashi also signifies the last tenth day of Ganesh Utsav, during which devotees bid farewell to the idols of Lord Ganesh by performing Ganesh Visarjan. As the celebration and processions of Lord Ganesh’s idols conclude, devotees ask for his blessings and invite him to the upcoming year.

As government officials and civilians expressed growing concern over the water pollution that may occur by immersing statues created from perishable materials, citizens are encouraged to avoid using public waterways and artificial ponds are created for the “Visarjan” ceremony Statute makers are suggested to use non-perishable materials when creating statutes.

In the Yoga Nidra form, Lord Vishnu is worshipped as Lord Ananta, who represents God in sleep. Anant Chaturdashi aims to teach us how to remain calm under pressure, just as Lord Vishnu does while he sleeps, despite being aware of all that is happening in the universe. On this day, people worship both Lord Ananta and Sheshnag, the heavenly snake who serves Lord Vishnu. 

Anant Chaturdashi is important to the Jain community because it marks the day Lord Vasupujya, the 12th Tirthankara, attained Nirvana on this day. Digambar Jains also celebrate the last day of Paryushan on this day. As a result, it is a very powerful day.

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