23 December - Vaikunta Ekadashi

 

Vaikunta Ekadashi is a Hindu festival celebrated in honor of Lord Vishnu, one of the principal deities in Hinduism. The festival falls on the eleventh day (Ekadashi) of the waxing moon in the Hindu calendar month of Margashirsha, which usually occurs in December or January of the Gregorian calendar. In year 2023 it is on 23 December.

Vaikunta Ekadashi holds special significance in the Vaishnavism tradition, and it is believed that on this day, the gates of Vaikunta, the celestial abode of Lord Vishnu, are opened. Devotees believe that observing fast and participating in prayers and rituals on this day will help cleanse them of sins and grant them entry into Vaikunta.

The day is marked by special ceremonies and rituals conducted in Vishnu temples. Devotees engage in singing devotional songs, listening to religious discourses, and performing acts of charity. Many people observe a fast on Vaikunta Ekadashi and break it on the following day, known as Dwadashi.

Temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu, especially those with a shrine dedicated to Vaikunta, witness a significant influx of devotees on this auspicious day. The festival is celebrated with great devotion and enthusiasm in various parts of India. The belief in the significance of Vaikunta Ekadashi is deeply rooted in Hindu mythology and is observed with varying traditions and customs in different regions.

 

23 December - : Anglo Bengali Inter College, Allahabad postage stamp issued in 2002

 

C.M. Anglo Bengali College also known as C.M. Anglo Bengali Inter College and as Anglo Bengali Inter College is a boys' school in Bhelupur, Varanasi, India. It was established in 1898 by Chintamani Mukherjee

C.M. Anglo Bengali College was established by Chintamani Mukherjee in the year 1898. The intermediate college is affiliated with U.P. Board and offers education under the 10+2 education system. School campus is situated in Bhelupur, a southern suburb of Varanasi.

23 December - Swami Shraddhanand death anniversary

 

Swami Shraddhanand (22 February 1856 – 23 December 1926), also known as Mahatma Munshi Ram Vij, was an Arya Samaj sannyasi and an Indian Independence activist who propagated the teachings of Dayananda Saraswati. This included the establishment of educational institutions, like the Gurukul Kangri University, and played a key role on the Sangathan (consolidation and organization) and the Shuddhi (purification), a Hindu reform movement in the 1920s