🌗 Ekadashi Vrat 2026

When is the next Ekadashi — Two Ekadashis every month — the eleventh tithi of the Krishna and Shukla Paksha; Vishnu's vrat, no rice or grain, paran in Dwadashi the next day; the names and fruits of the 24 Ekadashis, the next 12 dates above.

Ekadashi comes twice in every lunar month — the eleventh tithi of the Krishna Paksha and of the Shukla Paksha; 24 in a year (26 in a year with an Adhika month). It is the greatest vrat of Lord Vishnu — the Padma Purana calls it 'the mother of vrats'; on this day no rice or grain is eaten, and with fruit or a waterless fast one performs Vishnu puja, a night vigil, and the paran in Dwadashi the next day.

Every Ekadashi has its own name and katha — Nirjala, Devshayani, Kamika, Devuthani, Mokshada, Shattila, Amalaki… Above are this month's and the next 12 Ekadashi dates with names (by the sunrise tithi of Delhi); women of the house usually keep both or only the Shukla Paksha Ekadashi. Below are the vrat vidhi, what to eat and what not, the paran rules, the list of 24 Ekadashis, the katha and regional customs.

Significance — why this vrat

Padma Purana: sin resides in grain (especially rice) on Ekadashi; the vrat destroys sin, grants Vishnu's realm and the fulfilment of wishes; Nirjala Ekadashi (Jyeshtha Shukla) alone gives the fruit of all 24; the Ekadashis of Chaturmas from Devshayani to Devuthani are special; Mokshada (Gita Jayanti), Putrada (children), Jaya-Vijaya (success), Amalaki (the amla tree), Papmochani.

The timing rule of the vrat: the day with the udaya tithi (Ekadashi at sunrise) is the vrat day; if Ekadashi touches two sunrises (tithi vriddhi), Smartas keep the first day, Vaishnavas the second; if it is Dashami-viddha (a part of Dashami before sunrise) Vaishnavas take the next day — hence panchangs sometimes list 'Smarta/Vaishnava Ekadashi' separately; the dates above follow the Smarta (householder) rule.

Paran in Dwadashi after sunrise, once Hari Vasara (the first quarter of Dwadashi) has passed, and before Dwadashi ends — skipping Dwadashi for paran in Trayodashi is regarded as a fault; rice at the paran is auspicious. The Ayurvedic view: one day of light food in a fortnight — rest for the digestion, and the Moon's influence (the Moon's force on the mind is strong on Ekadashi — a day of restraint).

Puja vidhi (step by step)

This is the simple householder's Ekadashi vidhi — from the evening of Dashami to the paran on Dwadashi; the same on any Ekadashi, the special customs of the named Ekadashis are on their own pages.

1. The evening of Dashami: a sattvic meal (no rice, masoor, garlic or onion — many homes), nothing after sunset; celibacy; pluck the Tulsi leaves today (plucking Tulsi on Ekadashi is forbidden).
2. Ekadashi morning: bathe in the Brahma muhurat/at sunrise, yellow clothes; sankalp — 'the vrat of (name) Ekadashi, waterless/fruit, paran in Dwadashi'; worship of Vishnu/Lakshmi-Narayana/the shaligram — panchamrit, yellow sandalwood, Tulsi leaves (essential), yellow flowers, incense and lamp, naivedya (fruit-panjiri-makhana-kheer), 'Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya' 108 times, the Vishnu Sahasranama/the katha of that Ekadashi.
3. During the day: waterless (as strength allows) or fruit — fruit, milk, dry fruits, sabudana, kuttu-singhara, potato, rock salt; no rice-wheat-lentils-brinjal-masoor-oil-spices; no sleeping in the day, no lies, quarrels or anger; Gita/Bhagavata reading, japa of Vishnu's name.
4. Evening (Pradosh): Vishnu aarti, a Tulsi lamp, 'Om Jai Jagdish Hare'; the night vigil — bhajan-kirtan/the Vishnu Sahasranama (if possible; otherwise sleep early and rise early).
5. Charity: on Ekadashi grain-clothes-water-umbrella (by season), yellow items, cow fodder; feed a Brahmin/the poor on Dwadashi and only then take one's own paran.
6. Dwadashi — paran (see the tithi window above): after sunrise, avoiding Hari Vasara, while Dwadashi remains; first Tulsi water/charanamrit, then a sattvic meal with rice (rice-dal-sabzi-kheer); if Dwadashi ends before noon, paran early in the morning — the exact time on the panchang.
7. Women's customs: no puja during menstruation, though the fruit form of the vrat may be kept (many traditions); fruit and milk in pregnancy/while breastfeeding; if husband and wife both keep it, paran together.
8. Udyapan: after keeping the Ekadashis of a full year/Chaturmas, the udyapan on Devuthani or Utpanna Ekadashi — Vishnu puja, havan, feeding 12 Brahmins, charity; then the vrat continues.

Puja samagri checklist

The Vishnu puja items + the fasting provisions — the list for every Ekadashi.

• A Vishnu/Lakshmi-Narayana picture or shaligram, yellow cloth, wooden seat, kalash, mango leaves, coconut
• Tulsi leaves (plucked on Dashami), panchamrit, Gangajal, yellow sandalwood, akshat (sesame/barley — not rice), yellow flowers and garland
• Incense, ghee lamp, camphor, aarti thali, mauli, paan-supari, dakshina
• Naivedya: fruit (banana-apple-pomegranate), panjiri, makhana kheer, peda, mishri, saffron milk
• Fasting fare: sabudana, kuttu/singhara flour, potato-sweet potato, sama (varai) rice, peanuts, rock salt, curd, fruit, dry fruits
• Reading: the Vishnu Sahasranama, the Gita, the katha of that Ekadashi (the Ekadashi Mahatmya book)
• Charity: grain, clothes, water vessel, umbrella/blanket (by season), yellow clothes-gram
• Paran: rice-dal-sabzi-kheer, Tulsi water

🛍 Puja samagri & yantras 🙏 Book a puja

Vrat katha (the story)

The birth of the goddess Ekadashi (Utpanna Ekadashi — Margashirsha Krishna): the demon Mura defeated the gods and seized heaven; Vishnu fought him, and weary, took yogic sleep in a cave at Badrikashram; when Mura tried to strike the sleeping Vishnu, a radiant maiden emerged from Vishnu's body and slew Mura — Vishnu named her 'Ekadashi' and gave the boon: 'whoever fasts on your tithi, their sins are destroyed and they become dear to me'. Hence Ekadashi is beloved of Vishnu, and grain is renounced (Mura dwells in grain — folk belief).

Ambarisha and Durvasa: King Ambarisha, waiting at the paran hour of Dwadashi for sage Durvasa to return, took paran with water (to keep the paran rule); the enraged Durvasa sent a demoness, and Vishnu's Sudarshana chased the sage — he was saved in the end only by Ambarisha's forgiveness; the lesson — paran only in Dwadashi, paran even with water is valid, Vishnu protects his devotee.

Rukmangada and Mohini (Narada Purana): King Rukmangada made the Ekadashi vrat compulsory across his kingdom — the realm of Yama emptied; Brahma sent Mohini, who demanded the king break the Ekadashi or give the head of his son Dharmangada — the king did not break the vrat, Vishnu appeared, and son, king and all went to Vaikuntha. Every Ekadashi has its own katha (Padma/Bhavishya/Skanda Purana) read on the vrat day — on the pages of the named Ekadashis.

Fasting fare — sabudana, kuttu, sama, fruit, milk; paran with rice

Grain is forbidden on Ekadashi — especially rice, wheat, lentils, brinjal, masoor, onion-garlic; the fasting fare is sabudana-kuttu-singhara-sama-potato-fruit-milk-dry fruits with rock salt; Vishnu's bhog with Tulsi; the Dwadashi paran with rice and dal; by region faral (Maharashtra-Gujarat), the upavasa sadya (south), waterless (the strict custom of Bihar-UP).

• Sabudana khichdi/vada/kheer (peanuts-potato-rock salt), sama (varai/bhagar) rice and kheer, rajgira laddoo/paratha
• Kuttu/singhara poori-pakodi-cheela, potato with cumin, sweet potato, arbi, bottle-gourd and pumpkin sabzi, curd-raita (rock salt)
• Fruit (banana-apple-papaya-pomegranate-grapes), coconut water, milk, buttermilk, makhana, dry fruits, dates; those keeping waterless — nothing
• Vishnu's bhog: panjiri, makhana kheer, saffron milk, fruit, peda — the bhog is incomplete without Tulsi leaves
• Maharashtra/Gujarat faral: sabudana vada, moraiyo khichdi, ratale kees, farali chevda; south: varagu arisi (sama) pongal, fruit; Bengal-Odisha: fruit-milk-luchi (some homes), no 'Ekadashi abhada' (rice-free) in Odisha
• Paran (Dwadashi): rice-dal-sabzi-kheer, Tulsi water first; pumpkin/ridge gourd in many customs; after feeding a Brahmin/the poor

Regional customs

The Ekadashi of Pandharpur, the Agiyaras of Gujarat, the upavasa and Dwadashi paran of the south, the Jagannath Ekadashi of Odisha — one tithi, many forms.

Do's and don'ts

Frequently asked questions

📲 Share on WhatsApp

Also read: Devshayani Ekadashi · Devuthani Ekadashi · Mokshada Ekadashi · Pradosh Vrat (Trayodashi)

⚠️ This description follows traditional vidhi and folk belief; the custom of your family and sect (Smarta/Vaishnava) comes first. Dates are by the sunrise tithi of Delhi — match your city's panchang and paran time; do not keep a waterless fast in ill health.

🌐 यह पन्ना हिन्दी में पढ़ें · ← All vrat & festivals · Full festival calendar