Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The tradition of holding mass marriages (Samuhik Vivaha) on Dev Uthani Ekadashi was disrupted this year due to model code of conduct on account of the Assembly elections held on November 17.
For the past few years, the government has given cash (earlier, it was utensils and other household goods) to couples who get married at these mass marriage functions.
However, due to model code of conduct, the government could not give money to the newlyweds, so many families postponed the planned marriage to next year.
“Very few mass marriages took place this year because most couples were not interested as they would not have got any money from the government due to model code of conduct,” said an official of the women and child welfare department. The department monitors mass marriages to ensure no child marriages are taking place.
Dev Uthani Ekadashi marks the end of the four-month period during which Lord Vishnu is believed to be in a state of cosmic sleep. It usually falls on the 11th day of the bright half of the Kartik month in the Hindu calendar.
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On this day, devotees wake Lord Vishnu from his cosmic sleep and celebrate the awakening with various rituals. Some common practices include observing a fast, performing a puja (ritual worship), and reading or listening to the scriptures related to Lord Vishnu.
Devotees often stay awake during the night, engaging in prayer and devotional activities. The fast is broken on the Dwadashi day, which is the 12th day of the lunar month.
The day is also associated with the marriage ceremony of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Tulsi (Holy Basil), known as Tulsi Vivah. In some regions, people perform the symbolic marriage ceremony of Tulsi and a sacred idol representing Lord Vishnu. This event signifies the beginning of the wedding season in Hindu culture.
On this day, a sugarcane pavilion is created with a square in the centre. Devotees place a picture or idol of Lord Vishnu in the middle, surrounded by footprints that remain covered. They offer sugarcane, water chestnuts, fruits, and sweets to the Lord, and illuminate the space with a ghee lamp, allowing it to burn throughout the night for divine blessings.
