Datta Jayanti falls on 11th December in 2019. Also known as Dattatreya Jayanti, it is a Hindu festival that commemorates the birth of the Hindu god Dattatreya (Datta), a combined form of the Hindu male divine trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
It is celebrated on the full moon day of the Margashirsha month according to the Hindu Calendar. It is believed that on this day Dattatreya, son of Sati Anasuya, was born during Pradosh period. The temples dedicated to Dattatreya are located throughout India with the most important places of worship being located in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.
On Datta Jayanti, devotees take bath early in the morning in holy rivers or streams, and observe fast. A puja of Dattatreya is performed with flowers, incense, lamps, and camphor. Sacred books like Avadhuta Gita and Jivanmukta Gita that contain the god’s discourse are read on this day. Fairs are held at many places in Maharashtra on this occasion.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad began the three-day Datta Jayanti in Chikkamagaluru on 10th December 2019, Tuesday. It started with a sankeertana yatre and Anasuya Jayanti celebrations. Hundreds of women devotees participated in the procession held in the town as part of the yatre. The procession started from Bolarameshwara Temple and passed through I G Road, Rathnagiri Road and ended at Kamadhenu Mahashakthi Ganapathi Temple.
The devotees carried the statue of Anasuya, Athrimuni and Guru Dattatreya in the procession and chanted the Bhajans of Athrimuni and Anasuya.
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