Ekadashi — observances and vrat guides

Ekadashi is the eleventh lunar day of a fortnight, but its named observances do not all tell the same story. Shattila highlights sesame and giving, Amalaki is associated with the amla tree, and Devshayani marks the opening of Chaturmas. Vishnu devotion connects many entries, while Vaishnava communities may follow a different date rule from Smarta households. Grain avoidance and the following day's parana are important distinctions. A recurring temple schedule and a single named annual Ekadashi are therefore listed separately, with the tradition and deity retained on every linked page.

The catalog currently includes 45 distinct entries in this collection. Examples are Shattila Ekadashi; Jaya Ekadashi; Vijaya Ekadashi; Amalaki Ekadashi; Papamochani Ekadashi. Their recorded devotional focus includes Lord Vishnu. Follow the individual links below for the full description, calendar dates, mantra and allowed or avoided foods; each link leads to a dedicated observance page rather than a search result.

Calendar dates are references, not a substitute for the observance rules of your chosen city and community. Lunar days can cross civil-date boundaries, and regional practice can change which day is kept. Meal suggestions are optional ideas for an allowed meal, not instructions to eat during a complete fast. Children, pregnant people and anyone with a medical condition should seek appropriate advice before fasting. Compare the linked guides with your family or temple's practice and choose a discipline suited to your health.

Shared family story and aarti

📜 The story behind this vrat

Once the sage Narada Muni asked Lord Vishnu — "O Lord, what is the greatest vrat a devotee can observe?" Lord Vishnu replied — "Narada, of all vrats Ekadashi is the most sacred. On this day a demon named Mura hid inside grains and pulses to corrupt the minds of humans. When devotees avoid grains on Ekadashi they starve this demon and protect their soul from impurity. I am most pleased by this fast…

Read full katha ›

Once the sage Narada Muni asked Lord Vishnu — "O Lord, what is the greatest vrat a devotee can observe?" Lord Vishnu replied — "Narada, of all vrats Ekadashi is the most sacred. On this day a demon named Mura hid inside grains and pulses to corrupt the minds of humans. When devotees avoid grains on Ekadashi they starve this demon and protect their soul from impurity. I am most pleased by this fast above all others." Narada asked — "Who first observed this vrat?" Lord Vishnu smiled and said — "Long ago a demon named Mura terrorised the heavens and my realm. I fought him for a thousand years and grew weary. I rested in a cave called Badarikashram. From my own divine energy a beautiful maiden emerged — born of my exhaustion and my shakti — and while I slept she fought Mura alone and slew him. When I awoke and saw what she had done I granted her a boon. She said — Lord, give me a name and let those who fast on the day of my birth be freed from all sin. I named her Ekadashi — she who was born on the eleventh day. I blessed her thus: Whoever fasts on Ekadashi shall be freed from the cycle of birth and death. Their devotion shall reach me directly. The sins of seven lifetimes shall be washed away in a single Ekadashi fast observed with pure heart and full devotion. This is why Ekadashi is the most beloved fast among all Vaishnavas. It comes twice every lunar month — on the eleventh day of the waxing moon and the eleventh day of the waning moon. Each Ekadashi carries its own name and its own special blessing. Observe it with devotion, stay awake in prayer if you can, and Lord Vishnu himself will hold you in his heart."

Your family's version of this story may differ — all versions are sacred.

🪔 Aarti

Om Jai Jagdish Hare

ॐ जय जगदीश हरे, स्वामी जय जगदीश हरे । भक्त जनों के संकट, दास जनों के संकट, क्षण में दूर करे ॥ जो ध्यावे फल पावे, दुःख बिनसे मन का । सुख सम्पत्ति घर आवे, कष्ट मिटे तन का ॥ मात-पिता तुम मेरे, शरण गहूं मैं किसकी । तुम बिन और न दूजा, आस करूं मैं जिसकी ॥ तुम पूरन परमात्मा, तुम अंतर्यामी । पारब्रह्म परमेश्वर, तुम सबके स्वामी ॥ तुम करुणा के सागर, तुम पालनकर्ता । मैं सेवक तुम स्वामी, कृपा करो भर्ता ॥ तुम हो एक अगोचर, सबके प्राणपति । किस विधि मिलूं दयामय, तुमको मैं कुमति ॥ दीनबंधु दुःखहर्ता, ठाकुर तुम मेरे । अपने हाथ उठाओ, अपनी शरण में लाओ ॥ विषय विकार मिटाओ, पाप हरो देवा । श्रद्धा भक्ति बढ़ाओ, संतन की सेवा ॥

All 45 observances in this collection