| Chaturmasya | |
|---|---|
 Vishnu sleeps on his serpent, Shesha. | |
| Begins | Shayani Ekadashi |
| Ends | Prabodhini Ekadashi |
| Frequency | Annual |
Chaturmasya (Sanskrit: चातुर्मास्य, lit. 'Cāturmāsya'; Pali: Catumāsa),[1] also rendered Chāturmāsa, is a holy period of four months, beginning on Shayani Ekadashi (June-July) and ending on Prabodhini Ekadashi (October-November) in Hinduism.[2] This period also coincides with the monsoon season in India.[3][4]
Chaturmasya is reserved for penance, austerities, fasting, bathing in holy rivers and religious observances for all. Devotees resolve to observe some form of vow, be it of silence or abstaining from a favourite food item, or having only a single meal a day.
- ^ www.wisdomlib.org (9 February 2017). "Caturmasya, Cāturmāsya: 18 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
- ^ Lochtefeld, James G. (2002). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Rosen Publishing Group. p. 145. ISBN 978-0-8239-2287-1.
- ^ Melton, J. Gordon (13 September 2011). Religious Celebrations: An Encyclopedia of Holidays, Festivals, Solemn Observances, and Spiritual Commemorations. ABC-CLIO. p. 172. ISBN 978-1-59884-205-0.
- ^ Rinehart, Robin (2004). Contemporary Hinduism: Ritual, Culture, and Practice. ABC-CLIO. p. 142. ISBN 978-1-57607-905-8.