Vallabhacharya Jayanti 2022: In the history of India, there were many scholars and saints who discovered the path to god and devotion. One such saint was Mahaprabhu Vallabhacharya. He was known to be a renowned philosopher who founded the Pushti sect in the Braj region of India. Vallabhacharya was said to be an ardent follower of Lord Krishna. With his devotion and connection with Krishna, he became an important part of the Bhakti movement in India. His birth anniversary is observed on Krishna Paksha Ekadashi of Vaishakha month of the Hindu calendar as Vallabhacharya Jayanti.
Let’s look at this year’s date, time, significance and rituals of Vallabhacharya Jayanti.
Date and Time
It is said that Vallabhacharya was born on the Krishna Paksha Ekadashi in the Vaishakha month. This year, Ekadashi tithi falls on April 26 which marks the celebration of Vallabhacharya Jayanti. Ekadashi Tithi will begin at 1.39 am on April 26 and will be in effect till 12.47 am on April 27.
Significance
Vallabhacharya was born in Varanasi in 1479. As said above, Vallabhacharya was an ardent follower of Krishna. Like many of the devotees of the lord, he also believed in the supreme power and used to worship Shrinath Ji, which is known to be a form of Lord Krishna. It is also believed that the philosopher saw Krishna on this day.
According to a popular belief, once Vallabhacharya was heading towards the North West region in India and during his walk, he saw a cow stopping at a particular place and shredding milk daily. He got curious and started digging that place and found an idol of Lord Krishna. After that, Krishna appeared by himself in front of the saint and blessed him for his supreme devotion.
Rituals
The festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm in many states of the country including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Chennai, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. On this day, people visit Shrinath Ji temple and offer prayers to Krishna and his devotees. Temples are decorated, chants are recited and prayers are offered to Krishna and his devotee. Some people also keep a day-long fast to observe the festival.
