In the Vedic calendar, the month of Bhadrapada is considered a confluence of spiritual energy, fasting, and special festivals. While the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna is celebrated with great joy during the *Krishna Paksha* (waning phase of the moon) of this month, the *Shukla Paksha* (waxing phase) hosts major festivals like Haritalika Teej and Rishi Panchami, culminating in the grand festival of Anant Chaturdashi on the *Chaturdashi* (fourteenth) day. This festival symbolizes the eternal and benevolent nature of Lord Vishnu. In 2026, Anant Chaturdashi will be observed with deep reverence and faith on Friday, September 25. Astrologer Pandit Shridhar Shastri from Haridwar explains to 'Local 18' that Anant Chaturdashi is a rare day for liberation from all the sorrows and poverty of human life. Chanting the *Sahasranama*—the thousand names—of Lord Vishnu on this day yields unfailing, auspicious results.

**Doors to Salvation Will Open**
According to religious scriptures, remembering the thousand names of Sri Hari (Lord Vishnu) on Anant Chaturdashi eradicates all of a person's sins. One attains liberation not only from sins committed knowingly or unknowingly in the present life but also from the sins of past lives. Pandit Shridhar Shastri states that, according to the scriptures, the doors to *Moksha* (salvation) open for the devotee who observes a fast and worships Lord Vishnu with faith and devotion on this day.

**Freedom from Fear**
Pandit Shridhar Shastri notes that the greatest miracle associated with this festival is the *Anant Sutra* (the 'Eternal Thread'). A raw cotton thread is dyed with *kumkum* (vermilion) or turmeric, and fourteen knots are tied in it. Lord Vishnu is invoked while tying these knots in the *Anant Sutra*. It is considered a symbol of the fourteen *Lokas* (worlds/realms) and the fourteen forms of Sri Hari. After placing this consecrated thread near the idol of Lord Vishnu and chanting His thousand names, male devotees wear it on their right arm, while female devotees wear it on their left. It is believed that this *Anant Sutra*—with its fourteen knots—transforms misfortune into good fortune and grants freedom from fear, along with the grace of Lord Vishnu, throughout one's life.

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