Varuthini Ekadashi

Varuthini Ekadashi falls in the Krishna paksha of Vaishakha, and the presiding deity is Vishnu in his Vamana form. The name Varuthini is commonly explained as armoured or protective, drawing on the idea that the vrata acts as a kind of shield. Vaishakha is a spring-into-summer month sacred to Vishnu in many traditions, so the day sits within a month already full of charity and pilgrimage.

The Bhavishyottara Purana narrative is about King Mandhata, a ruler of the solar dynasty, who was meditating in a forest when a wild animal attacked him and injured his leg. Distressed, he prayed to Vishnu, who advised him to keep this Ekadashi and to worship him with devotion. After the vrata his limb was restored. The text speaks of protection from harm, though modern readers will take it as a devotional narrative rather than a medical claim.

The usual practice includes rising early, worshipping Vishnu with tulsi, avoiding grains and certain foods, and staying awake for prayer. There is also a tradition that donating gold or food on this day is highly praised in the Padma Purana, but families give what they can afford, and a simple meal or water for a stranger is just as valued in common practice. Since this is a warm time of year, people prone to dehydration, the elderly and anyone with health issues should adapt their fast and consult a doctor.