Anant Chaturdashi: why the sacred thread has fourteen knots

In Sanatan Dharma, Anant Chaturdashi is observed every year on the Chaturdashi of the Shukla Paksha in the month of Bhadrapada. This year the date falls on September 25. The day is dedicated to the worship of Lord Vishnu's Anant form, and it also marks a grand farewell to Ganpati Bappa. It is the last day of the ten-day Ganeshotsav, when devotees perform the rituals for Ganpati's immersion. This year, Vishwakarma Puja will also be celebrated on the same day as the Ganesh immersion.

Worshipping Lord Vishnu with proper rituals on Anant Chaturdashi is considered highly auspicious. For the puja, devotees are expected to wake up early, bathe and wear clean clothes. A yellow cloth is spread on a small stool or platform, on which idols of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi are placed. This is followed by meditation on Lord Vishnu, and those who wish may also observe a fast. As many Anant Raksha Sutras as there are members in the household are offered to Lord Vishnu.

Once the puja is complete, the tradition of tying the Anant Sutra, or the sacred thread, is followed. This special thread is consecrated during the puja. As per custom, men tie it on their right hand while women tie it on their left hand.

This sacred thread is usually tied with fourteen knots, and these knots are believed to hold special significance. It is said that the fourteen knots symbolise the fourteen worlds, and Lord Vishnu is regarded as the protector of all these worlds. This is why the fourteen knots of the Anant Sutra are linked to Lord Vishnu's infinite form. Religious texts describe fourteen worlds in all, of which seven are said to be Urdhvaloka (upper worlds) and seven Adholoka (nether worlds).