Mokshada Ekadashi & Gita Jayanti — Margashirsha Festival
ಈ ಹಬ್ಬದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ
Mokshada Ekadashi is celebrated on the 11th day of Margashirsha Shukla (bright fortnight) and is one of the most significant Ekadashis of the year. 'Mokshada' means 'giver of liberation' — it is the only Ekadashi said to grant moksha (liberation from the cycle of birth and death) to those who fast with complete devotion. On this same day, the Bhagavad Gita Jayanti is celebrated — commemorating the day Lord Krishna recited the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna on the Kurukshetra battlefield, setting the Dharma Chakra in motion. In Gujarat, BAPS Swaminarayan temples organize Gita Jayanti readings and discourses. Dwarka — Krishna's own city in Gujarat — holds special Gita Jayanti celebrations at the Dwarkadhish temple. The Vaishnava community observes the strict Ekadashi fast and arranges readings of the Bhagavad Gita's 18 chapters.
✨ ಪ್ರಮುಖ ಮಹತ್ವ
- Margashirsha Shukla Ekadashi: Moksha-granting Ekadashi — one fast equals liberation. Bhagavad Gita Jayanti: day Krishna revealed the Gita to Arjuna at Kurukshetra. 18-chapter Gita reading: BAPS and Vaishnava temples organize full Gita recitations. Dwarka Gita Jayanti: special celebrations at Dwarkadhish — the city of the Gita's speaker. Strict Ekadashi fast: from Dashami sunset to Dwadashi sunrise. No grains: only fruits
- milk
- water on Ekadashi. Night vigil: kirtan and Gita shloka recitation through the night. Gita distribution: free copies of the Bhagavad Gita distributed in Gujarati
- Hindi
- and English. December timing: cold-season month — ideal for long nights of bhakti and discourse.
🙏 ಹೇಗೆ ಆಚರಿಸಬೇಕು
- Begin the day with sankalp and short prayer.
- Include: Margashirsha Shukla Ekadashi: Moksha-granting Ekadashi — one fast equals liberation. Bhagavad Gita Jayanti: day Krishna revealed the Gita to Arjuna at Kurukshetra. 18-chapter Gita reading: BAPS and Vaishnava temples organize full Gita recitations. Dwarka Gita Jayanti: special celebrations at Dwarkadhish — the city of the Gita's speaker. Strict Ekadashi fast: from Dashami sunset to Dwadashi sunrise. No grains: only fruits.
- Include: milk.
- Include: water on Ekadashi. Night vigil: kirtan and Gita shloka recitation through the night. Gita distribution: free copies of the Bhagavad Gita distributed in Gujarati.
- Conclude with gratitude, prasad, and positive resolve.
December ಮಾರ್ಗದರ್ಶನ
Year-end reflection, gratitude, and spiritual closure.
- Review yearly sankalp
- Quiet prayer and japa
- Charity and mindful new-year intent