Ananta Caturdaśī is the day of the Ananta Padmanābha vrata, when Viṣṇu is worshipped as Ananta, the endless lord who reclines on the serpent Śeṣa. A fourteen-knot thread, the ananta sūtra, is worshipped and tied on the wrist so that the family's fortune may be restored and kept safe. In many families the vow is hereditary, and once it is taken up it is kept for fourteen years. How the day is fixed: The day is Bhādrapada Śukla Caturdaśī, the fourteenth tithi of the bright fortnight, taken on the day that has Caturdaśī at local sunrise. Keep in mind: Gaṇeśa images installed on Vinayaka Caturthī, ten days earlier, are immersed on this same Caturdaśī in Maharashtra, the Konkan and Gujarat. The immersion and the Ananta vow share the tithi but remain distinct observances. This year: The 2027 date shown here is worked out from sunrise at the place you chose, so in another city the same day can fall a day earlier or later. The Ananta pūjā: A kalaśa is set up and Ananta Padmanābha is invoked on a Śeṣa shaped from darbha grass, often with seven hoods. The fourteen-knot thread, dyed with turmeric and kuṅkuma, is worshipped along with him. Tying the thread: After the pūjā men tie the thread on the right wrist and women on the left. It is worn for a time according to household custom, and the old thread is then released into a river or tank. The vrata kathā: The kathā tells of Suśīlā, daughter of Sumantu, who saw women keeping the Ananta vow on a riverbank, took it up herself and tied the thread, and her home filled with prosperity. Her husband Kauṇḍinya, suspecting a charm, tore the thread and threw it into the fire, and misfortune followed. Repenting, he wandered in search of Ananta until the Lord appeared as an aged brāhmaṇa and told him to keep the vow for fourteen years. Worth remembering: Ananta Caturdaśī is not Vinayaka Caturthī, which falls ten days earlier on Śukla Caturthī. In western India the Ananta pūjā at home in the morning and the Gaṇeśa visarjana procession later in the day are two separate observances, and the Ananta vow belongs to Viṣṇu. The vrata runs in particular families rather than in every home. Telugu and Kannada households keep it as a solemn family vow, Maharashtrian and Gujarati homes begin the day with Ananta pūjā before joining the immersion, Konkaṇi, Tuḷu and Telugu families in Kerala keep it with care, and for Digambara Jains the same Caturdaśī closes the Daśalakṣaṇa parva. Follow the elders of one's own house.
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