Chaturmas

Chaturmas
Vishnu sleeps on the Shesha Shaiya—bed of Shesha.
Begins	Shayani Ekadashi
Ends	Prabodhini Ekadashi
2016 date	15 July - 10 November
Frequency	annual

Chaturmas (Sanskrit: चातुर्मास, Cāturmāsa) is a holy period of four months (July to October), beginning on Shayani Ekadashi—the eleventh day of the first bright half, Shukla paksha, of Ashadh (fourth month of the Hindu lunar calendar)—until Prabodhini Ekadashi, the eleventh day of the first bright half of Kartik (eighth month of the Hindu lunar calendar) in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.

Chaturmas is reserved for penance, austerities, fasting, bathing in holy rivers and religious observances for all. Devotees resolve to observe some form of vow, be it of silence or abstaining from a favourite food item, or having only a single meal in a day.

Chaturmas literally means "four months", derived from the Sanskrit catur (चतुर्), "four", and māsa (मासः), "month".

The sun enters the zodiacal sign of Karka (Cancer) and begins to move southwards in the month of Ashadh.

The eleventh day of Ashadh is called Devashayani Ekadashi, because in Hinduism, Lord Vishnu is believed to begin to sleep on this day. He is believed to wake up on the eleventh of Kartik, hence called Prabodhini Ekadashi. The period corresponds with the rainy season in India.

It is believed that Hindu gods and goddesses are at rest during this period and should not be disturbed, so no auspicious ceremonies, such as weddings and thread ceremonies, are held during the four months' period.