Rukmini Harana Ekadashi (रुक्मिणी हरण एकादशी)

जय जय जगन्नाथ सुर्यवंश समुद्भव,
रुक्मिणीपति देवेश शेषछत्र सुशोभितः ।
आंजनेय प्रियः शान्तः रामरूपी सुवन्दितः,
कुर्वन्तु मंगलं क्षेत्रे भक्तानां प्रियवादिनां ॥Rukmini Haran is one such event which is the festival of marriage between Madanmohan and Rukmini. It is a grand festival at Puri Jagannath Temple, Odisha. It falls during Nirjala Ekadashi day (Jyestha Shukla Ekadashi).

Marriage is performed on the 11th day of Shukla Paksha of Jyeshtha month as per the Odia calendar at Vivah Mandap (wedding altar) inside the temple. The ceremony begins with the evening rituals of the deities. After offering prayers, the deities are given a religious bath and put on new clothes.

The pujari and sevayat arrange the wedding material and the marriage is performed as per the rituals. The newlywed celestial couple is then taken to the Ratn Singhasan inside the main temple. The ceremony ends with Mahaprasad being served to the devotees.

Earlier in the day, Rukmini Haran Utsav is celebrated inside the temple. The divine union of Bhagwan Jagannath with Devi Rukmini is full of symbolic significance. The story of Rukmini's marriage with Sri Krishna is told in our ancient sacred texts such as Vishnu Purana, Mahabharata, Skanda Purana, Bhagavata Purana and elsewhere.