Vaikuntha Ekadasi Celebrations
Thursday, January 1, 2015

07:00 am	Sri Venkateswara Suprabhatam
08:30 am	Vaikuntha Ekadasi Celebrations
	Vaikuntha Ekadasi Dwara Darshanam
	Vaikuntha Gadya Parayanam
	Archana, Sathumurai, Teertha Prasada viniyogam,
	Akhanda Vishnu Sahasranama Parayanam
(Akhanda Vishnu Sahasranama Parayanam Recitation continues throughout the day until 6:30 PM; Devotee participation solicited)
08:00 pm	Vaikuntha Ekadasi Pooja
	Vaikuntha Gadyam Parayanam
	Archana, Sathumurai, Teertha Prasada Viniyogam
Vaikuntha Ekadasi - Significance
Vaikuntha Ekadasi, the Ekadasi of Vaikuntha (the abode of Sri Maha Vishnu) falls on the 11th day of the Shukla Paksha (the waxing phase of the moon) of Dhanur masa. Hindus consider this day to be very auspicious and holy, for, it is when Sri Maha Vishnu comes out of his Sanctorum and resides near the “Vaikuntha Dwaram” opening the doors to heaven. Therefore, many Hindus visit Sri Maha Vishnu temples on this day to seek salvation to avoid the cycle of reincarnation of future births. This day is also marked in the Hindu calendar as the day of “Gita Upadesam”, whereby Lord Sri Krishna taught Arjuna, the holy Hindu scripture of Bhagavat Gita. Hindu scriptures also make reference to the fact that the gods and demons churned the divine ocean for Amrita on the day of Vaikuntha Ekadasi