Ekadashiఏకాదశి

The eleventh tithi of each fortnight — the principal fasting day of the Vaishnava year.

Deity: Vishnu
Frequency: Twice a lunar month — twenty-four a year, twenty-six in an adhika masa year

What Ekadashi is

Ekadashi is the eleventh tithi of each paksha, and it is the most widely kept fast in the Hindu calendar. The tradition holds that the sins of the world took refuge in grain on this day, which is why grains and pulses are set aside; more practically, a fortnightly fast has been a fixture of household discipline for as long as the calendar has existed. Each of the twenty-four Ekadashis has its own name and its own katha — Vaikuntha Ekadashi in Margashira and Nirjala Ekadashi in Jyeshtha are the two most widely observed.

Who observes it

Kept most strictly by Vaishnavas, but observed very broadly. Smarta and Vaishnava households often follow slightly different reckonings when the tithi spans two sunrises: the Vaishnava rule defers to the tithi at sunrise on the second day, which is why two panchangams can list Ekadashi a day apart.

Fasting rules

A full fast (nirjala, without water) is the strictest form; most keep a phalahara fast of fruit, milk, nuts and non-grain flours. Rice, wheat, pulses and lentils are avoided for the whole tithi. Onion, garlic and non-vegetarian food are set aside. Elders, children, the ill and the pregnant are traditionally exempt.

Pooja vidhanam

Bathe before sunrise, light a lamp before Vishnu or Krishna, and offer tulasi — no offering to Vishnu is complete without it. Recite the Vishnu Sahasranama or the Ekadashi katha of that particular fortnight. Many keep a night vigil (jagarana) and read or sing through it. Charity, especially of food and grain, is a standing part of the observance.

A note on timing

The fast is broken the next morning within the parana window — after sunrise and within dwadashi. Breaking it too early or after dwadashi has ended is held to lose the merit of the fast, so the window matters. Every Ekadashi date on this site links to that day's panchangam, where the tithi end time tells you when dwadashi closes.

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