Anantapur: Chaturmasa Vratham, which is observed during the rainy season, has kicked off with great fervour across the nation. Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious leaders usually observe deeksha for a period of two-and-a-half months from Ashada Bahula Dwadasi. Saints and ascetics observe Chaturmasa for four fortnights, from the full moon day of Ashadha, which is also known as Vyas Purnima, to the full moon day of Bhadrapada.
Sanyasis usually halt at one place and give discourses to the public until Prabodhini Ekadashi, the eleventh day of the bright half of the month of Kart-hik in the Hindu calendar. The period of Chaturmasa is devoted to penance, austerities, fasting, baths in holy rivers and religious observances. De-votees observe vows such as silence, or abstinence from one’s favourite food items to avoid infections caused by seasonal changes.
Sri Subhudendra Theertha Swamy, the pontiff of the Mantralayam Sri Raghavendra Swamy Mutt, is scheduled to stay at the Mantralayam to observe deeksha. He will be accompanied by Sri Vidyamanohar Theertha, the former pontiff of the Vyasaraya Mutt. Peethadhipathi of the Sri Sarada Peetham Mutt in Chinamushidivada and Swami Swaroopananden-dra Saraswathi from Vizag will observe the Chaturmasa deeksha at Rishikesh, from July 15 to September 12.
Sri Satyatma Theertha, the pontiff of the Uttaradi Mutt, is scheduled to stay in Mahbubnagar district, in Telangana, for over two months. Sri Vidyadhiraja Theertha will observe his 50th Chaturmasa deeksha in Goa. Vidya Vallabha Theertha of the Kaniyur Mutt in Udipi will observe deeksha at Annanagar in Tamil Nadu. Sri Viswesa Theertha of the Pejawar Mutt will also be in Udipi during the period of deeksha. Deeksha is of great prominence in Buddhism, because Gautama Buddha had stayed in the royal gardens of King Bimbis-ara of Rajgir and given sermons during the period of Chaturmas. That practice is followed by Bu-ddhist monks even today.
Another reason why ascetics remain in one place during the rainy season is that the population of insects increases during the rainy season. These insects are able to cause infections, and they may be trampled under the feet of travelling monks. In Jainism, the rules to be observed by ascetics during the four months of the rainy season are outlined in the third section of the Kalpa Sutra, the classical Jain text which was written by Bhadrabahu-I in the 1st Century AD. It directs ascetics to temporarily abandon their wandering way of life and settle down amidst the laity. During this period, the festival of Paryushan is celebrated and the Kalpa Sutra is recited.
