On September 14, Hindus will observe Ekadashi vrat (fasting) which holds great significance in Hindu mythology. The auspicious “Parivartini Ekadashi” dedicated to the worship of the vamana Avatar is observed on the 11th day of Shukla paksha in the month of bhadrapada. The fasting which begins on September 13 at 10:30 p.m. will conclude on September 14 at 8:41 p.m. It is believed that fasting and worshipping on this day leads to liberation from all sins
This Ekadashi is celebrated because it is believed that on this day, lord Vishnu changes his sleeping position while resting in Vaikuntha, which is why the Ekadashi is called “Parivartini”, which means “time when the lord changes his sleeping position”. The story behind this event was shared by lord Krishna when Yudhishthira, the Pandava, inquired about it.
Lord Krishna explains that during the Treta Yuga, there used to be a devotee of his named Bali. Bali despite of being a demon, worshiped Lord Vishnu with all his devotion. Bali would also regularly perform Yajnas (rituals) and generously donate to Brahmins. However, one day, he became arrogant about his power and attacked Indralok, where gods reside. This lead to him defeating all the gods and conquering Indralok, leaving all the gods in distress.
As a result, all the gods came to me in Vaikunth Dham and started chanting hymns in my praise. Their devotion disturbed my sleep, causing me too change my sleeping position. Once I woke up, I assured the gods that I would soon retrieve the Indralok to them. To do this, I took the avatar of Vamana, a dwarf brahmin, and met with Bali.
On meeting, Bali asked him what gift could he give to the holy man. To which Vaman said “grant me three steps of land”. Bali, who was very generous, readily agreed to the request. Then Krishna says “Upon receiving his consent, I began to grow in size. With one step, I measured the earth, and with the second step, I measured the heavens. And for the third step, as there was no place where he could put his step on, he asked Bali as to how he will fulfill his promise. To which Bali humbly offered his head. As soon as I placed my foot on his head, Bali descended to the underworld (Patal Lok). And that’s how the Vaman avatar restored peace and order.