Nirjala Ekadashi
Today is the auspicious day of Nirajala Ekadashi. On this day the devotees not drink water while fasting on the day as well as no food is also consumed on the day. Apart from having religious and spiritual significance, it has ethical and environmental connotation also. Just imagine when about half a billion people don’t take water and food for a single day as part of their religious belief, how much water and food is saved in the process. This shows the farsightedness of our forefathers to impart training to the people through religious means to help maintain equilibrium in the ecosystem and improvement in individual’s health.
Similar other religious festivals and fasts too signify environmental significance essential for maintaining natural equilibrium. At a time when the ongoing process of climate change is wreaking havoc with human lives and property, we should revive and popularize these festivals and fasts to ensure water security, energy security, food security and environment security. The late Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri had given the mantra of one-day fast in week at a time when the country was faced with severe drought and resultant food crisis. The time has come to adopt similar modus operandi to save this planet.
