Thousands throng temples on Vaikunta Ekadashi in Chennai

Thousands of people thronged Vishnu temples across Tamil Nadu on Thursday on the occasion of ‘Vaikunta Ekadashi’ celebrations, with religious fervour peaking at the foremost of the 108 Vaishnavite shrines, the ancient Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam, on the banks of the river Cauvery.

Considered a very auspicious day when lots of devotees fast, at the heart of the festivities is the opening of the “Paramapda Vaasal” or “Swarga Vaasal” (the gateway to Heaven).

This is opened once every year on this day, the belief being that whoever walks through it on Vaikunta Ekadashi day is rid of his/her sins and gains access to “moksha.” 

Around 04-30 am, the “Paramapada Vaasal” at the Srirangam Ranganathaswamy Temple was opened to ecstatic chants of “Ranga, Ranga,” by thousands of devotees who had waited all through the previous night for that divine climax.

At the stroke of that moment, the processional deity adorned in diamonds “Rathnaangi,” brought earlier from the temple’s sanctum sanctorum to the chanting of the “Vedas,” was taken through the “heavenly gateway” on the Northern “Prakara” of the huge temple complex.

Then, following the Lord dazzling in the “Rathnaangi” attire with a garland weaved with parrots design especially for the occasion, the devotees also followed suit, ambling through the “Paramapada Vaasal.”

Subsequently, the deity was kept at the “Thousand Pillared Mandapam” for “darshan” all through the day. The Vaikunta Ekadashi celebrations in Srirangam is spread over 21 days, divided into two parts of ten days each, before and after “Ekadashi” day, which according to the Hindu almanac falls in “Krishna Paksha” of “Dhanurmasa,” corresponding to Dec-Jan in the Gregorian calendar.

‘Swarga Vaasal’
Around the same time on Thursday morning, the ‘Swarga Vaasal’ was opened at other Vaishnavite temples, too, across the State, including at the famous Sri Parthasarathy Swami Temple in Chennai, the Goddess Andal Temple at Srivilliputtur, the Sri Rajagopala Swamy Temple at Mannargudi in erstwhile composite Thanjavur district, Veeraraghava Swamy Temple in Tiruvallur, and Vaikunta Perumal Temple in Kancheepuram.