The Vaishnava year
Ekadashi
Ekadashi is the eleventh day after the full moon and after the new moon. Twice a month, Vaishnavas fast from grains and pulses and dedicate the day to remembering Krishna.
What it is
The Vaishnava calendar follows the moon. Each month has two fortnights, one waxing and one waning, and the eleventh day of each is Ekadashi. It is also called “the day of Lord Hari”, because it is considered especially favourable for spiritual practice: what you do for Krishna on that day counts for more.
The fast is not the goal but the means. Eating less and more simply leaves time and headspace for what is really sought that day: chanting more, reading more and thinking more about God.
Where it comes from
The Purāṇas tell that Ekadashi is a person: an energy of Lord Vishnu who emerged from Him to defeat a demon called Mura. Pleased, Vishnu granted that whoever fasted on her day would be freed from the consequences of their misdeeds and would advance in devotion.
The same tradition explains why grains in particular are avoided: on Ekadashi, sin takes shelter in grains. Whether you take this literally or not, the practice has been the same for many centuries.
How to fast
There are several ways to keep the day, from strictest to least strict. Each person chooses what they can sustain:
- A complete fast, without food or water. Few people do this, and mostly on Nirjalā Ekadashi.
- Water only, or water and fruit.
- Ekadashi food: eating normally, but without grains or pulses. This is what most devotees do.
Children, older people, pregnant women and anyone who is ill do not need to fast. Avoiding grains is enough, or doing whatever your health allows.
What to eat and what to avoid
| Allowed | Avoided |
|---|---|
| Fresh and dried fruit | Rice, wheat, maize, oats, barley and rye |
| Vegetables, potatoes and sweet potatoes | Bread, pasta, semolina and any grain flour |
| Nuts | Lentils, chickpeas, beans, peas and soya |
| Milk, yoghurt, fresh cheese and ghī | Tofu and other pulse products |
| Buckwheat, tapioca and their flours | Mustard and sesame seeds |
| Pure salt, pepper, ginger, cumin and turmeric | Asafoetida and spice blends, which often contain flour |
The food is still offered to Krishna as on any other day (prasādam): a potato sabjī without mustard seeds or asafoetida, for example, is Ekadashi food.
How to break the fast
The fast ends the following morning, on the day called dvādaśī, and it must be broken within a specific window that depends on sunrise and on the moon. It is broken by taking some grain: a few grains of offered rice are enough.
Breaking it outside that window is considered neglecting the fast, so it is worth checking the evening before. The time changes from city to city; the times on this page are calculated for London.
Some special Ekadashis
- Pāṇḍava Nirjalā Ekadashi: the waterless fast. It is said that keeping it is equal to keeping all the Ekadashis of the year. It bears the name of the Pāṇḍavas because Bhīma, who found it impossible to fast twice a month, observed it.
- Mokṣadā Ekadashi: it coincides with Gītā Jayantī, the day Krishna spoke the Bhagavad-gītā.
- Śayana and Utthāna Ekadashi: they mark the beginning and end of Cāturmāsya, the four months of the rainy season in India, during which extra austerities are taken on.
- Mahādvādaśī: in some years, because of the position of the moon, the fast moves to the following day. The calendar shows it.
Ekadashi 2027: all the dates
| Fasting day | Ekadashi | Break the fast |
|---|---|---|
| Saphala Ekadashi | 4 January, 08:05 (sunrise) – 10:45 | |
| Putrada Ekadashi | 19 January, 07:55 (sunrise) – 10:46 | |
| Sat-tila Ekadashi | 3 February, 07:36 (sunrise) – 08:22 (end of tithi) | |
| Bhaimi Ekadashi | 18 February, 07:09 (sunrise) – 08:59 (end of tithi) | |
| Vijaya Ekadashi | 4 March, 08:33 – 10:21 | |
| Amalaki vrata Ekadashi | 19 March, 06:06 (sunrise) – 10:07 | |
| Papamocani Ekadashi | 3 April, 06:32 (sunrise) – 10:53 | |
| Kamada Ekadashi | 18 April, 05:59 (sunrise) – 10:40 | |
| Varuthini Ekadashi | 3 May, 05:29 (sunrise) – 10:28 | |
| Mohini Ekadashi | 17 May, 05:06 (sunrise) – 10:20 | |
| Apara Ekadashi | 2 June, 04:48 (sunrise) – 10:15 | |
| Pandava Nirjala Ekadashi | 15 June, 04:42 (sunrise) – 10:14 | |
| Yogini Ekadashi | 1 July, 04:47 (sunrise) – 10:18 | |
| Sayana Ekadashi | 15 July, 05:00 (sunrise) – 10:12 (end of tithi) | |
| Kamika Ekadashi | 30 July, 06:00 – 10:31 | |
| Pavitraropana Ekadashi | 13 August, 05:42 (sunrise) – 10:37 | |
| Annada Ekadashi | 29 August, 06:07 (sunrise) – 10:43 | |
| Parsva Ekadashi | 12 September, 06:30 (sunrise) – 10:47 | |
| Indira Ekadashi | 27 September, 06:54 (sunrise) – 10:52 | |
| Pasankusa Ekadashi | 12 October, 07:18 (sunrise) – 10:57 | |
| Rama Ekadashi | 26 October, 07:42 (sunrise) – 11:03 | |
| Utthana Ekadashi | 10 November, 09:56 – 10:12 | |
| Utpanna Ekadashi | 25 November, 07:34 (sunrise) – 10:22 | |
| Moksada Ekadashi | 10 December, 07:54 (sunrise) – 10:33 | |
| Saphala Ekadashi | 24 December, 08:04 (sunrise) – 10:41 |
Frequently asked questions
Can I drink coffee or tea on Ekadashi?
The Ekadashi fast concerns grains and pulses. Apart from that, devotees who follow the four principles do not take coffee or tea on any day, because they consider them stimulants.
What if I forget and eat grains?
Nothing serious. Keep the fast from that moment on and carry on as normal. What counts is the intention to dedicate the day to Krishna.
Do I have to fast to start practising?
No. Ekadashi is a practice you take up when you want to go a step further. Chanting and reading come first; the rest follows.
Why does the date change every month?
Because it depends on the moon, not on the civil calendar. On top of that, the exact day and the time to break the fast vary depending on where in the world you are.