Rangbhari Ekadashi celebrated
VARANASI : Amid beats of drums with gulal and colour in the air, Rangbhari Ekadashi was celebrated with fervour in Kashi on Monday.
It is believed that on this day, Baba Kashi Vishwanath plays Holi with his devotees. The devotees offer gulal to Baba Kashi Vishwanath.
‘Rangbhari Ekadashi’ celebration began in the early morning at Mahant Kulpati Tiwari’s residence. Tiwari offered prayers to idols of Lord Shiva and Parvati. He performed aarti, and the idols were decorated. In the afternoon, a large crowd of devotees offered prayers to the idols of Lord Shiva and Parvati at the residence of Mahant Tiwari.
In the meantime, damru dal members reached there as per the tradition. The idols were placed in a palanquin, with devotees lifting them on their shoulders to take them to Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
On the way, the devotees offered colours and hurled gulal in the air. As the palanquin reached the KV Temple, the idols of Lord Shiva and Parvati were placed in the sanctum of the temple, and saptrishi arti was performed.
Pt Prasad Dixit, a trustee of Kashi Vishwanath Temple, says, “According to mythology, after marrying Parvati, Lord Shiva came to the city of Kashi on the day of Ekadashi. On his arrival, ganas and devotees welcomed them with colour and gulal in Kashi, and it became famous as Rangbhari Ekadashi. It is celebrated every year in Kashi.”
Several artists, including classical vocalist Sucharita Gupta, recited Shiv-Parvati Vivah, while Pt Ashok played the Tabla, Pt Amar Shankar Trivedi sang devotional numbers. Puneet Pagal Baba also performed.
Akash and his companions enthralled the devotees by presenting a dance tableau based on Holi of Lord Krishna, Radha and Shiva-Parvati. Artists, including Aradhana Singh, Saroj Verma, Priyanka Pandey, Sarika Seth, Rakesh Tiwari, Neeraj Pandey, made alive different scenes of Shiva’s Holi by presenting soulful devotional numbers. Mahant Tiwari honoured the artists with a memento of Baba Kashi Vishwanath.