(3rd November): Today is the Day when Lord SHIVA gifted Lord Vishnu the #Sudarshan_Chakra*

🕉*#Karthik #ShuklaPaksha #Vaikuntha #Chaturdashi (#वैकुण्ठ_चतुर्दशी)*🚩(3rd November): Today is the Day when Lord SHIVA gifted Lord Vishnu the #Sudarshan_Chakra*🕉

🙏 🙏 🌹 🌹 🌹🙏🌹 🌹 🌹

Vaikuntha Chaturdashi is a Hindu holy day, which is observed on chaturdashi, the 14th lunar day of the waxing moon fortnight (shukla paksha) of the Hindu month of Kartik (November–December). The day is sacred to the deities Vishnu and Shiva. They are worshipped individually or together in different temples in Varanasi, Rishikesh, Gaya and Maharashtra.

♥***According to Shiva Purana, on the auspicious day of Kartik Chaturdashi, Lord Vishnu the Lord of Vaikuntha, left his abode Vaikuntha and went to Kashi (Varanasi) to worship the Lord Shiva on this day. Lord Vishnu pledged to worship Lord Shiva with a thousand lotuses. While offering lotus flowers, Lord Vishnu found that the thousandth lotus was missing. To fulfill and complete His Puja Lord Vishnu, whose eyes are compared to lotuses, plucked one of His eyes and offered to Lord Shiva in place of the missing thousandth lotus flower. This devotion of Lord Vishnu pleased Lord Shiva so much that He not only restored the plucked eye of Lord Vishnu but also He rewarded Lord Vishnu with the gift of Sudarshana Chakra which became one of the most powerful and sacred weapons of Lord Vishnu.

For the devotees of Shiva, the early morning bath during Arunodaya at #ManikarnikaGhat in Varanasi is very significant and this holy dip is known as #Manikarnika Snan on Kartik Chaturdashi

This is the only day when Lord Vishnu is given a special place of honor in the sanctum of Kashi Vishwanath Temple, a prominent Lord Shiva temple in Varanasi. It is believed that Vishwanath temple become as pious as Vaikuntha on the very same day. Both deities are ritually worshipped as though they are worshipping each other. Lord Vishnu offers Tulasi leaves to Shiva and Lord Shiva in turn offers Bael leaves to Lord Vishnu.

♥***According to legend of Vaikuntha Chaturdashi related to the Varanasi festivities, a Brahmin named Dhaneshwar who had spent his life time committing several sins, visited the bank of the Godavari River to take a bath and wash off his sins, when Vaikuntha Chaturdashi was being observed by a large number of devotees by offering earthen lighted lamps and batti (wick) to the sacred river. Dhaneshwar mingled with the crowd. When he died, his soul was taken by Yama, the god of death, to hell for punishment. However, Shiva intervened and told Yama that Dhaneshwar's sins were cleansed due to the touch of the devotees on Vaikuntha Chaturdashi. Then Dhaneshwar was released from hell and got a place in the Vaikuntha.

♥*** Glory of Vishnu Chaturdashi ***♥

1) Devotees of Vishnu offer the god a thousand lotuses while reciting the Vishnu sahasranama, the thousand names of Vishnu. The Vishnupada Temple, which is believed to have footprints of Vishnu, celebrates its main temple festival in this period. The festival is also celebrated as kartik snan (bathing in a river or stream during the kaartik maas) by Vishnu devotees.
2) In Rishikesh, this day is observed as Deep Daan Mahotsav to mark the occasion of Vishnu waking up, out of his deep sleep. As a mark of environmental awareness, the deeps or lamps are made of flour (which would disintegrate in water) instead of burnt earthen lamps. The lighted lamps are floated in the holy Ganges River in the evening. This is accompanied by several cultural festivities.
3) On this occasion, Vishnu is given a special place of honour in the sanctum of Kashi Vishwanath temple, a prominent Shiva temple in Varanasi. The temple is described as Vaikuntha on this day. Both the deities are ritually worshipped as though they are worshipping each other. ♥***Vishnu offers tulsi (holy basil) leaves (traditionally used in Vishnu worship) to Shiva, and Shiva in turn offers Bael leaves (traditionally offered to Shiva) to Vishnu, which is taboo otherwise, to each other. Devotees start the pujas after taking baths, fasting for the whole day, and offering akshat ( turmeric mixed rice), sandalwood (Chandan) paste, sacred water of the Ganges, flowers, incense and camphor to both the deities. Then they offer lighted deeps (earthen lamps) and batti (cotton wick) as a special offering for the day.
4) In Varanasi, women, particularly old women, outnumber others in offering prayers on this occasion. Over the years, the number of devotees participating in this festival has increased. It is also said that old Brahmin ladies who are specialized in making cotton wicks offer 125,000 battis to the two gods on this occasion.
5) At the Grishneshwar temple of Shiva, Vishnu is offered Bael leaves and Shiva is offered Tulsi leaves. It is considered to portray the union of Vishnu and Shiva.
6) In the Tilbhandeshvar temple in Nashik, the 2 feet (0.61 m) linga - aniconic form of Shiva - is dressed up in finery and a silver mask, as Ardhanarishvara, the half-male, half-female form of Shiva. Thousands of people worship the Tilbhandeshvar and Shiva Kampaleshvar temples in Nashik. The festival is one of the three important festivals of these temples. Another observance is by celebrating avail bhojan (means a dinner) taken under the Phyllanthus emblica tree (Indian gooseberry).
7) It is also prominently celebrated in Vishnu temples like SriRanga (Tamil Nadu),
8) Tirupati Srinivasa temple (Andra Pradesh), Udupi Sri Krishna Mutt (Karnataka) and many more. It is a custom to light lamps in a cut summer squash, after removing its core, thus fashioning a lamp (others use earthen lamps) and using 360 wicks, that some make by them especially for this occasion. These wicks are customarily as long as the pod of a cereal (moong dal)

ॐ ~ψ~ || ॐ नम: पार्वति पतये हर हर महादेव शंभो || ॐ नमो भागवतेवासुदेवाय || ~ψ~ ॐ