Ekadashi
एकादशी
Presiding deity: Vishnu
Eleventh day — most sacred Vishnu tithi. Both Shukla and Krishna Ekadashi observed by Vaishnavas. Devshayani Ekadashi (Shukla of Ashadha) = Vishnu sleeps; Prabodhini (Shukla of Kartik) = Vishnu awakens.
Equally sacred. Each Krishna Ekadashi has its own name (Indira, Rama, Vijaya etc).
Best for
- + Vishnu puja
- + Fasting
- + Pilgrimage
- + Reading Vishnu Sahasranama
- + Charity
Avoid for
- - Eating rice (per orthodox tradition)
- - Heavy meals
Fasting tradition
Twice-monthly Ekadashi fast — most observe nirjala (without water) on Nirjala Ekadashi (Shukla of Jyeshtha); others eat only fruits + milk + sabudana, no grains.
Major festivals on this tithi
Vaikuntha Ekadashi, Nirjala Ekadashi, Devshayani Ekadashi, Prabodhini Ekadashi, Mokshada Ekadashi, Putrada Ekadashi (×2)
About Ekadashi
Ekadashi is the eleventh tithi, which comes when the moon sits some one hundred and thirty-two degrees from the sun. It occurs twice in each lunar month, so a year has about twenty-four of them, and it is the most widely observed fasting day in Vaishnava practice.
In the classical scheme it falls under nanda, the joy group, and its lord is Vishnu. A well-known tradition explains the origin of the vow through a goddess who emerged from Vishnu himself, a story told on the Utpanna Ekadashi. Whatever the account, the practice rests on the idea that restraint in eating and a turn toward remembrance of God sharpen the mind. Rice and grains are the foods traditionally given up.
Methods differ. Some devotees take no water at all on the strictest day, others eat fruit, milk and certain starches, and many simply avoid grains and keep vigil with Vishnu hymns. The fast is traditionally broken on the following day, Dwadashi, after sunrise. Both the bright and the dark Ekadashi are honoured, though each has its own name. People with health conditions, the elderly and children are generally advised to adapt the fast and not to push it.
Common questions
- How many Ekadashis are there in a year?
- Usually twenty-four, one in each fortnight of the twelve lunar months. A leap month can add two more.
- Why is rice avoided on Ekadashi?
- A tradition holds that grains, and rice in particular, should be left aside on this day. The reasoning is mostly devotional and ascetic, and not every community stresses it equally.
- When is the Ekadashi fast broken?
- The usual rule is to break it on Dwadashi, the next day, after sunrise and within the window an almanac lists.
Plan something around Ekadashi
A pandit can confirm whether this window suits your ceremony and your birth chart before you commit to a date.