For all the posts in this Holidays & Observances series, go here.
For prologue on Ekadasi, go to the very first post here.
Prologue: I have been meaning to write a series about Holidays and Observances that we (my family and friends) follow in both India (my birth country) and USA (my adopted country). This series is dedicated to those. On a side note, perhaps I might witness some of the celebrations from other countries as well that may get their way into this series. 🙂
The second Ekadasi for the month of November is Devuthana Ekadasi which was on Nov 22nd this year (2023). This is the Ekadasi day when Lord Vishnu wakes up from his 4 month long sleep state, which he had begun in June on the day of Devshayani Ekadasi. Followers worship Lord Vishnu by keeping fast all day and breaking it at the end of the day with fruits and lentils.
As I mentioned in the very first Ekadasi post, if you put the religion aside, allowing your body to fast twice a month is an excellent way of cleansing and detoxifying to aid in repair and rejuvenation. I spent the evening with my friends with scrumptious food, bundled up, a sort of impromptu Friendsgiving. 😛
Galavant Reflections 