Ekadashi falls twice in every lunar month, once in Shukla Paksha and once in Krishna Paksha. It’s counted among the most significant tithis for worshipping Lord Vishnu and fasting. With 24 (sometimes 26) Ekadashis in a year, it’s the most frequently recurring vrat in the Hindu calendar.
Why Ekadashi, specifically?
The eleventh tithi has a specific place in Vedic tradition. The Padma Purana and Bhagavata Purana both emphasize Ekadashi fasting as particularly dear to Lord Vishnu. The reasoning isn’t just spiritual: the 11th day after a new or full moon is when the Moon’s gravitational pull on Earth’s water is at a specific phase, and traditional texts link this to digestion and mental clarity. Whether you frame it as devotion or practical discipline, the result is the same: a twice-monthly reset.
Named Ekadashis worth knowing
Each Ekadashi has a specific name and associated story. A few of the most significant ones in 2026:
- Nirjala Ekadashi (June, Jyeshtha Shukla): The hardest one. A completely waterless fast from sunrise to the next morning’s parana. Tradition holds that observing this single Ekadashi carries the merit of all 24 Ekadashis combined. Not recommended without medical clearance if you have any health conditions.
- Devshayani Ekadashi (July, Ashadha Shukla): The day Lord Vishnu is believed to go into Yoga Nidra (cosmic sleep) for four months. This marks the start of Chaturmas, during which weddings and new ventures are traditionally avoided.
- Devuthani Ekadashi (November, Kartik Shukla): Vishnu “wakes up.” The wedding season officially opens. If you’re planning a wedding in late 2026, this is the date the muhurat calendar reopens.
2026 Ekadashi dates
- January 14
- January 29
- February 13
- February 27
- March 14
- March 28
- April 13
- April 27
- May 13
- May 26
- June 11
- June 25
- July 10
- July 24
- August 23
- September 7
- September 22
- October 6
- October 22
Dates for the rest of the year (November-December) will be updated as soon as they’re added to the panchang engine. The always-updated, complete list is available on the festival calendar, where the upcoming Ekadashi shows at the top.
Fasting timing and parana rules
The Ekadashi fast runs from sunrise through the parana time on Dwadashi tithi the next day. Parana means “breaking the fast,” and the timing has specific rules: it should be done after sunrise on Dwadashi, but before Dwadashi tithi ends. If Dwadashi ends before sunrise (rare, but it happens), the parana rules get more nuanced and you’ll want to check the exact tithi boundaries.
The correct parana time depends on your city’s sunrise, so confirm the tithi for your own city on the panchang page.
What to eat (and what to avoid)
A full Ekadashi fast means no grains and no rice. The standard foods are fruits, milk, potatoes, sabudana (sago), singhara (water chestnut flour), and kuttu (buckwheat). Some families are stricter and avoid even root vegetables. Others do a nirjala fast (no water). The most common practice among working professionals is the “phalahar” approach: fruits, nuts, and milk through the day, with a sabudana khichdi for the evening meal.
If you’ve never fasted on Ekadashi before, start with phalahar rather than nirjala. Build the practice gradually.
The final call is yours
Observe the fast with your health in mind. Pregnant women, the elderly, and anyone unwell should consult a doctor before fasting. A partial fast (skipping just grains) is considered valid in most traditions and is a perfectly reasonable way to observe the day.