| Ananta Chaturdashi | |
|---|---|
 Sculpture of Vishnu sheltered by Ananta at Parsurameswara Temple, Bhubaneswar | |
| Observed by | Hindus. |
| Type | Religious, Indian subcontinent |
| Observances | Immersion of Ganesha idols, Wearing sacred thread (yajnopavita), Prayers, Religious rituals (see puja, prasada) |
| Date | Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 2024 date | 17 September |
| Frequency | annual |
Ananta Chaturdashi (Sanskrit: अनंतचतुर्दशी, romanized: Anantacaturdaśī) is a festival dedicated to Vishnu, observed and celebrated by Hindus. It is marked on the fourteenth day of the moon's waxing phase during the Hindu month of Bhadrapada. According to the Agni Purana, the Ananta (Shesha; the divine serpent) manifestation of Vishnu is venerated on this occasion to free adherents from sins.[1][2]
Ananta Chaturdashi is also marked as the last day of the ten-day-long Ganesh Chaturthi festival and is also called Ganesh Chaudas, when devotees bid adieu to the deity Ganesha by immersing (visarjana) his idols in water.[3]
- ^ Saxena, Monika (2018-09-03). Women and the Puranic Tradition in India. Routledge. p. 198. ISBN 978-0-429-82639-9.
- ^ Dalal, Roshen (2010). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. Penguin Books India. p. 245. ISBN 978-0-14-341421-6.
- ^ Melton, J. Gordon (2011-09-13). Religious Celebrations: An Encyclopedia of Holidays, Festivals, Solemn Observances, and Spiritual Commemorations. ABC-CLIO. pp. 32–33. ISBN 978-1-59884-205-0.