Amalaka Ekadashi or Amalaki Ekadashi is a Hindu holy day, celebrated on the 11th day (

Ekadashi Ekadashi () is the eleventh lunar day (''tithi'') of each of the two lunar phases which occur in an Vedic calendar month - the '' Shukla Pakṣa'' (the period of the brightening moon also known as the waxing phase) and the ''Kṛṣṇa Pakṣ ...

) of the waxing moon, in the lunar month of Phalgun (February–March). It is a celebration of the amalaka or amla tree (''

Phyllanthus emblica ''Phyllanthus emblica'', also known as emblic, emblic myrobalan, myrobalan, Indian gooseberry, Malacca tree, or amla, from the Sanskrit आमलकी (āmalakī), is a deciduous tree of the family Phyllanthaceae. Its native range is tropical a ...

''), known as the Indian gooseberry. The god

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...

, for whom ekadashis are sacred, is believed to reside in the tree. The amla tree is ritually worshiped on this day to get the grace of the deity. The day marks the beginning of the main celebrations of the festival of

Holi Holi (), also known as the Festival of Colours, the Festival of Spring, and the Festival of Love,The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...". is an ancient Hindu religious festival ...

, the Hindu festival of colours.

Significance

Tree worship Trees are significant in many of the world's mythologies, and have been given deep and sacred meanings throughout the ages. Human beings, observing the growth and death of trees, and the annual death and revival of their foliage, have often seen ...

is an integral part of Hinduism, which believes the Universal Spirit or omnipresent deity lives in everything.Annual Holidays. (2004). Chapter 12: Hinduism in ''Religious Holidays & Calendars''. Retrieved from http://www.credoreference.com/entry/ogirholidays/annual_holidays, Publisher:Omnigraphics, Inc. Trees are important in agrarian societies like India. The veneration of the amla tree in particular is due to the belief that the deity

lives in and near the tree, particularly on Amalaka Ekadashi. In some traditions, his wife

Lakshmi Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...

, the deity of wealth, is said to dwell in the tree. It is believed that Vishnu's avatar

Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...

and his consort Radha reside near the tree. Another reason for the worship are its supposed medicinal qualities used in Ayurvedic medicinal preparations, primarily due to its rich content of

vitamin C Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits and vegetables, also sold as a dietary supplement and as a topical 'serum' ingredient to treat melasma (dark pigment spots) ...

in fresh fruit.

Legend

The legend of a ritual fast is also called a ''Vrata katha'' (tale of the ''

vrata Vrata is a Sanskrit word that means "vow, resolve, devotion", and refers to pious observances such as fasting and pilgrimage ( Tirtha) found in Indian religions such as Jainism and Hinduism. It is typically accompanied with prayers seeking hea ...

'' religious vow). According to the legend narrated for the occasion, King Chitrasena and his subjects observed the ''vrata'' of Amalaka Ekadashi. During one of his hunting trips, Chitrasena lost his way in the forest and was captured by the ''

rakshasa Rakshasas ( sa, राक्षस, IAST: : Pali: ''rakkhaso'') lit. 'preservers' are a race of usually malevolent demigods prominently featured in Hindu mythology. According to the Brahmanda Purana, the rakshasas were created by Brahma wh ...

''s (demons) who attacked him with weapons. Though he remained physically unharmed, the king fell unconscious as more demons surrounded him. A divine power in the form of a light emerged from his body and destroyed his attackers and then vanished. On regaining consciousness, Chitrasena was stunned to see all the attackers killed. A divine voice (Akasavani) announced that this was due to the observance of the ''Ekadashi vrata''. Following this incident, the ''vrata'' became popular in the kingdom, which led to peace and harmony. A variant of this tale is found in the '' Brahmanda Purana'' as narrated by the sage

Vasishtha Vasishtha ( sa, वसिष्ठ, IAST: ') is one of the oldest and most revered Vedic rishis or sages, and one of the Saptarishis (seven great Rishis). Vashistha is credited as the chief author of Mandala 7 of the ''Rigveda''. Vashishtha a ...

. King Chaitraratha of Vaidisa and his subjects were blessed with riches due to the worship of Vishnu. Once, on Amalaki Ekadashi, Chaitraratha and his subjects worshiped Vishnu and the amla tree near the Vishnu temple, on a riverbank. He also worshiped

Parashurama Parashurama (), also referred to as Rama Jamadagnya, Rama Bhargava and Veerarama, is the sixth avatar among the Dashavatara of the preserver god Vishnu in Hinduism. He is believed to be one of the ''Chiranjeevis'' (Immortals), who will appea ...

, a sage-avatar of Vishnu. The devotees fasted and remained awake the whole night, singing bhajans (devotional songs) in praise of Vishnu. A hungry hunter joined the group and followed the Amalaka Ekadashi ''vrata''. As a result, after his death he was reborn as King Vasurath. Vasurath is described as undergoing a similar experience to King Chitrasena from the earlier tale. The main difference is that Vasurath does not perform the ''vrata'' in this life but in his previous life. The moral of the tale is told to be that the performance of Amalaka Ekadashi ''vrata'', without any desire and just pure devotion, results in the grace of Vishnu, in this and next lives.Amalaki Ekadashi, dedicated to the priceless Amla Tree
/ref>Glories of Amalaki Ekadasi
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Practices

The observer of the ''vrata'' should have a ritual bath in the morning. The devotee or priests ceremonially bathe and water the tree and then worship it with a puja ritual. Devotees fast on this day and gifts are offered to

Brahmin priest Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers ( ...

s praying for prosperity, wealth and health. Devotees also listen to the ''vrata katha'' of Amalaka Ekadashi. Offering of food and charity is prescribed on this day; the virtue is equated to the performance of a ''vajapeya'', a ''soma

yajna Yajna ( sa, यज्ञ, yajña, translit-std=IAST, sacrifice, devotion, worship, offering) refers in Hinduism to any ritual done in front of a sacred fire, often with mantras.SG Nigal (1986), Axiological Approach to the Vedas, Northern Book ...

'' sacrifice. Though the festival of

begins on

Vasant Panchami Vasant Panchami, also called Saraswati Puja in honor of the Hindu goddess Saraswati, is a festival that marks the preparation for the arrival of spring. The festival is celebrated in Indian religions in different ways depending on the region. ...

, it is on Amalaka Ekadashi that the main festivities begin. The day marks the beginning of the climax of Holi, culminating on four lunar days later on the full moon. From this day, people start playing with colours.

References

{{Hindu festivals Ekadashi Hindu holy days Trees in mythology February observances March observances April observances Hindu festivals