What kind of foods do you eat on Ekadashi Viradham? The specific restrictions and allowed foods may differ depending on personal beliefs and family traditions. It is advisable to consult with religious authorities or elders within your community to get precise guidelines for Ekadashi Vrat fasting.
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What kind of foods do you eat on Ekadashi Viradham?
In Ekadashi Vrat, certain foods are allowed while others are restricted or prohibited. Ekadashi is a Hindu fasting day that falls on the 11th day of both the waxing and waning phases of the moon. The specific food restrictions may vary depending on regional customs and personal beliefs, but here are some general guidelines for Ekadashi fasting:
Foods allowed during Ekadashi Vrat:
- Fruits and dry fruits: All kinds of fresh fruits and dry fruits are generally allowed during Ekadashi fasting.
- Milk and dairy products: Milk, yogurt, paneer (cottage cheese), and other dairy products are usually permitted.
- Nuts and seeds: Almonds, walnuts, cashews, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc., are commonly consumed during Ekadashi.
- Potatoes: Boiled or roasted potatoes are often included in Ekadashi meals.
- Sabudana (sago/tapioca pearls): Dishes made with sabudana, such as sabudana khichdi, are popular during Ekadashi fasting.
- Rock salt: Regular table salt is replaced with rock salt or sendha namak during fasting.
Foods generally avoided or restricted during Ekadashi Vrat:
- Grains and cereals: Rice, wheat, lentils, and other grains are typically avoided during Ekadashi fasting.
- Beans and legumes: Foods like chickpeas, kidney beans, black-eyed peas, etc., are usually excluded from the diet.
- Onions and garlic: These ingredients are commonly avoided during Ekadashi fasting.
- Non-vegetarian food: Meat, fish, eggs, and other non-vegetarian foods are not consumed during Ekadashi Vrat.
- Spices and certain vegetables: Some people avoid spicy foods and certain vegetables like brinjal (eggplant/aubergine) during Ekadashi.
- Alcohol and stimulants: All forms of alcohol, as well as stimulants like coffee and tea, are generally abstained from.
What should we do on Ekadashi vrat?
Ekadashi fasting rules
Wake up early in the morning, take a shower and wear clean clothes. Maintain celibacy. Avoid onions, garlic, meat, rice, wheat, pulses and legumes in any form. Avoid smoking and alcohol. Eat Vrat bhojan or fruits and milk only. Donate food or essential items to the needy.
Ekadashi Vrat Puja Method
~ Take a dip in the holy water. While others can wake up early and take a bath.
~ Wear clean clothes after bathing.
~ Light an oil lamp in the temple area of your home and meditate.
~ Then invoke Bhagwan Vishnu and seek his blessings.
~ Make a resolution (pledge) to observe Ekadashi fast with sincerity and with all your heart. Offer water, flowers, incense, deep and naivedya to Bhagwan Vishnu. You can prepare kheer or halwa or any other sweet. You can also offer fruits.
~ Read Ekadashi fasting story. Each Ekadashi fast has a different story associated with it.
~ Keep chanting ‘Namo Bhagwate Vasudevaya’.
~ You can also recite Vishnu Sahasranama or chant the name.
~ In the evening, light an oil lamp, incense and pray to Bhagwan Vishnu. Offer flowers and bhog or fruits.
~ End the worship by performing aarti.
~ Next morning, when it is Dwadashi Tithi, break the fast after taking bath and praying to Bhagwan Vishnu.
What is the importance of Ekadashi Fasting according to science?
We all have 5 dnyanendriyas (sense organs), 5 karmendriyas (organs for work) and 1 man(mind). The mind is supreme power that controls all 5 dnyanendriyas (sense organs) and 5 karmendriyas (organs for work) for proper functioning of human body. If mind is well the whole body will be functioning properly.
Ekadashi is basically fasting of mind by abstaining oneself from all the external distractions and coming closer to our own self, mind is the 11th power hence on each 11th day of a month(of hindu year) we do Ekadashi.
I am being marathi know Ekadshi from Warkari Sampradaya (the one who worships lord Vithhal, wear tulsi mala n goes twice to pandharpur on ashadhi n kartiki wari)
On Ekadashi we devote our time in hari kirtan, bhajan and pravachan. From dashmi (10thday) we stop taking rice, on Ekadshi we dont take any grain and this fast ends on Dwadashi(12th)day by having rice.
The most important part of ekadshi is not fasting and wondering what to eat and what not, its about cleansing our mind getting closer to ourself and understanding our mind and body well.
What is the story of Goddess Ekadashi?
In Satya Yuga, there was an awful Demon named Mura. Mura was extremely powerful and awful. With his extraordinary powers Mura defeated not only God Indra but also many other Gods and stared ruling Indra Loka. To end the tyranny of Mura all Gods went to Lord Shiva to seek some help. Lord Shiva suggested them to approach Lord Vishnu, the master of all three Lokas.
Lord Vishnu decided to defeat Demon Mura to help Gods. Lord Vishnu and Gods reached Chandravati, the ruling city of Mura. Lord Vishnu was at one side and Demon Mura with all his army was at the other side. As story goes, Lord Vishnu annihilated whole army of Mura with His Sudarshan Chakra and the divine Gada but all His weaponry proved ineffective in front of Demon Mura power. Neither His Sudarshan Chakra nor His Gada was able to cut the head and break the neck of Demon Mura.
The prolonged battle converted into Malla Yuddha (मल्लयुद्ध), one to one fight without any weaponry. It is believed that the fight between Lord Vishnu and Mura continued for 10,000 years. On seeing no end to this endless battle Lord Vishnu stopped fighting and went to Badrikashram to take rest at Hemvati Caves.
Demon Mura chased Lord Vishnu and reached Badrikashram. Demon Mura found Lord Vishnu sleeping and thought it to be a great opportunity to kill Lord Vishnu. To counter attack such a devilish feeling inside Demon Mura, a powerful girl was born out of divine body of Lord Vishnu. The girl was glorious, powerful and adorned with all sorts of weaponry to protect Lord Vishnu. This feminine power of Lord Vishnu defeated Mura in the fight and killed him after putting Her leg on his chest and cutting his head.
All Gods started praising the girl for Her extraordinary power. When Lord Vishnu awoke, He was unaware about His own power and insisted the girl to introduce herself. The girl introduced herself as the luster of Lord Vishnu itself who was born out of Yoga Maya of Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu was extremely pleased with His feminine power and asked Her to seek any reward in return for the great work.
The girl asked “Please bestow me the power so that anyone who observes the fasting for me would get rid of all sort of sins and get salvation. Please bless me so that I become the most significant among all pilgrimages and able to bestow Dharma, Dhanya and Moksha to my devotees.”
Lord Vishnu blessed the girl and told “You would be known as Ekadahi as you were born on Ekadashi Tithi. You would be worshipped in all Yugas not only by humans but also by Gods. Nothing else would please me more than Ekadashi fasting. Your devotees will enjoy all sorts of worldly pleasure and would get salvation at the end of their life.”