According to Vishnu Purana, fasting on Vaikunta Ekadashi is equivalent to fasting on the remaining 23 Ekadashis of the (Hindu) year.
Ekadasi is an auspicious day dedicated to Lord Vishnu on the eleventh day of every lunar fortnight in traditional Hindu calendar. Vaikunta Ekadasi (Shattila Ekadashi) 2012 is on January 5. Fasting on Ekadashi is considered highly auspicious and is believed to help in redemption of sins and in attaining Moksha. The entire country celebrates the day marking with reverence to the Lord Vishnu, `the sustainer’ according to the Hinduism.
In Andhra Pradesh:
Mukkoti Ekadasi is celebrated in a grand manner at Bhadrachalam Sri Sita Ramachandra Swamy temple in Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh. Teppotsavam is the major event along with Dashavatara Alankaram rituals. During Vaikunta Ekadasi which is celebrated for 10 days during December-January, Teppotsavam attracts a large number of devotees from all over India, mainly from surrounding states like Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. During Teppotsavam, the presiding deities of Bhadrachalam Sri Sita Ramachandra swamy temple are decorated with jewelries and flower garlands and taken on Hamsa Vahanam or a boat designed like swan. Teppotsavam is a float festival or celestial cruise of the presiding deities in Godavari waters. Temple priests recite Vedic hymns during Teppotsavam festival.
Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams TTD has made special Darshan arrangements for Lord Venkateswara Swamy VAIKUNTA DARSHAN on the occasion of Vaikunta Ekadasi and Vaikunta Dwadasi which will be on 5 January 2012 and 6 January 2012 respectively.
In Tamil Nadu:
It is a major festival in SriRangam, Trichirapalli, Sri Ranganathar temple (Ranganatha Swamy temple). Vaikunta Ekadasi is celebrated for twenty one days which is divided to two ten days as Pagal Pathu and Ra Pathu. Lord Sri Ranganatha is adorned with tremendous clothes and grand golden and diamond ornaments to give Paramapada Vasal darshanam to his devotees. On Vaikunta Ekadasi, a grand procession of Ranganatha Swamy idol is held at Thirumamani Mandapam. This procession attracts lakhs of devotees from all over India. Lord Ranganatha is attired in the form of the King known as Rangaraja. The divine text, Nalayira Divya Prabandham is recited throughout the day in the temple. Bhajans are sung by devotees and the Brahmins.
In Karnataka:
Rangasthala is located on the way to Gauribidanur from Chikkaballapur. The main attraction of Rangasthala is a beautiful temple of Lord Ranganatha (Lord Vishnu). The idols of lord Ranganatha at Rangastla, Srirangam and Srirangapatna were installed on same day and same time. It is believed that Lord Rama presented the idol of lord Ranganatha in Bamboo basket to Vibhishana during the Patabhisheka of Lord Rama. Vibhishana was supposed to install this idol at Srirangam, but saptarishis (saints) asked Vibhishana to install this idol of Lord Ranganatha with Bhoo devi and Neela Devi at Rangasthala. So the Lord appears as if he is in Bamboo basket.
The idol of Ranganatha is 4.5 feet in length with Bhoo devi and Neela Devi sitting near the leg. Lord is in Yoga Nidra and his Shesha is spreading his five hoods like a Umbrella. And Vainatheyan is sitting below. Like other vishnu temple, the temple at Rangasthala also has idols of Lord Chakrath Alwar, Ramanuja, Desikan and a beautiful and rare Vigraham of Nam Alwar.
