Ekadasi falls twice per lunar month, on the 11th tithi of shukla paksha (waxing moon) and the 11th tithi of krishna paksha (waning moon). That gives about 24 Ekadasi days per year. The exact date depends on the Moon–Sun elongation at sunrise in your city.

What can you eat on Ekadasi?

The strictest fast (nirjala) allows no water. Most people follow a milder version: fruit, milk, nuts, and sabudana (tapioca) are permitted. Rice, wheat, lentils, onion, and garlic are avoided.

Why does the Ekadasi date differ between cities?

The Ekadasi date is determined by the tithi prevailing at sunrise. Because sunrise differs from city to city, a tithi transition near sunrise can mean that two cities see different tithis at their respective sunrises, and therefore observe Ekadasi on different dates.

What is the difference between Smarta and Vaishnava Ekadasi?

Smarta Ekadasi accepts the day as long as the 11th tithi prevails at sunrise. Vaishnava Ekadasi is stricter: if the 10th tithi (Dashami) overlaps sunrise, Ekadasi is postponed to the next day (shuddha Ekadasi). So Vaishnava Ekadasi can fall one day after Smarta Ekadasi.

What is Vaikunta Ekadasi?

Vaikunta Ekadasi is Shukla Ekadasi in the month of Margazhi (December–January), the most important Ekadasi of the year. According to tradition, Vishnu opens the gate to Vaikunta (paradise) on this day. At Srirangam temple, the Paramapada Vasal physically opens only on this day each year.

When do you break the Ekadasi fast?

The fast is broken during the parana window: after sunrise on Dvadashi (12th tithi) and before Dvadashi ends. The window typically lasts 2–3 hours. Breaking the fast too early (before sunrise) or too late does not count as proper parana.

Can Ekadasi be skipped (kshaya tithi)?

Yes. If a tithi is so short that it begins and ends between two consecutive sunrises, it never prevails at sunrise and is skipped in the panchangam. A kshaya Ekadasi is rare but possible, in that case the Dvadashi fast applies instead.

Ekadasi explained, the 11th tithi fast in the Hindu calendar · தமிழ் பஞ்சாங்கம்

Ekadasi is the 11th lunar day (tithi) in each fortnight of the Hindu calendar and the most widely observed fasting day. It occurs twice per lunar month: once in the waxing fortnight (Shukla Ekadasi, tithi 11) and once in the waning fortnight (Krishna Ekadasi, tithi 26). The fast begins at sunrise on the Ekadasi day and is broken after sunrise on Dvadashi (the 12th tithi).

What is Ekadasi?

Ekadasi (ஏகாதசி) is the 11th lunar day in the Hindu calendar. The word comes from Sanskrit: eka = one, dashi = tenth, meaning 'the eleventh.' It occurs twice per lunar month: once in shukla paksha (waxing moon, tithi 11) and once in krishna paksha (waning moon, tithi 26). Together that gives approximately 24 Ekadasi days per year.

Ekadasi is the most important and universally observed fasting day in Hinduism. While other observances (Chaturthi, Sashti, Pradosham) are tied to specific deities, Ekadasi cuts across all traditions, but is especially central to Vishnu worship (Vaishnavism).

Why two Ekadasi per month?

A lunar month has 30 tithis split across two fortnights (pakshas). Shukla paksha (waxing) runs from new moon to full moon (tithi 1–15), krishna paksha (waning) from full moon to new moon (tithi 16–30). The 11th tithi of each fortnight is Ekadasi, tithi 11 in shukla, tithi 26 in krishna.

Astronomically, Shukla Ekadasi corresponds to a Moon–Sun elongation of 120°–132°. Krishna Ekadasi corresponds to 300°–312°. Each 12° of elongation is one tithi, and Ekadasi is the 11th of the 15 tithis in a fortnight.

The Ekadasi fast in practice

The fast begins at sunrise on the Ekadasi day (the day on which the 11th tithi prevails at sunrise).
Devotees avoid rice, lentils, grains, onion, and garlic. Many observe nirjala (waterless) or eat only fruit and milk.
The evening is spent in Vishnu prayers, reading the Bhagavata Purana, or visiting temples.
The fast is broken after sunrise on Dvadashi (12th tithi), the window is called parana and typically lasts 2–3 hours after sunrise.
Breaking the fast too early (before sunrise) or too late (after Dvadashi ends) is considered improper.

The named Ekadasi days

Each of the 24 (or 26 in leap months) Ekadasi days in a year has its own name, associated legend, and specific deity form. Here are the most important:

Ekadasi name	Lunar month	Paksha	Significance
Vaikunta Ekadasi	Margazhi (Dec–Jan)	Shukla	The most important Ekadasi. The gate to Vaikunta opens. Also called Mokshada Ekadasi in North India.
Nirjala Ekadasi	Aani (Jun–Jul)	Shukla	The strictest fast, no water. Counts as all 24 Ekadasi fasts combined.
Kamada Ekadasi	Chithirai (Apr–May)	Shukla	The year's first Ekadasi (Tamil new year). Grants wishes.
Apara Ekadasi	Aadi (Jul–Aug)	Krishna	Cleanses even the heaviest sins according to Padma Purana.
Papankusha Ekadasi	Aippasi (Oct–Nov)	Shukla	Removes the burden of sin, papam = sin, ankusha = goad.
Utpanna Ekadasi	Karthigai (Nov–Dec)	Krishna	Celebrates the birth of Ekadasi Devi, the origin of the Ekadasi tradition itself.

Selected named Ekadasi days and their significance.

Vaikunta Ekadasi is the single most important. At Srirangam temple, the Paramapada Vasal (gate to Vaikunta) opens only on this one day each year, and hundreds of thousands of pilgrims gather.

Ekadasi vs. other fasting days

Observance	Tithi	Frequency	Deity	Fast type
Ekadasi	11th (both pakshas)	2× per month	Vishnu	Full fast (nirjala or fruit)
Pradosham	13th (both pakshas)	2× per month	Shiva	Evening worship, optional fast
Sankatahara Chaturthi	4th (krishna only)	1× per month	Ganesha	Fast until moonrise
Sashti	6th (both pakshas)	2× per month	Murugan	Fast until sunset
Amavasai	30th (new moon)	1× per month	Ancestors	Tarpanam (ancestor ritual)
Pournami	15th (full moon)	1× per month	Vishnu/Shiva	Temple visit, optional fast

Ekadasi compared to other recurring observances.

When is the next Ekadasi?

The Ekadasi date depends on the Moon–Sun elongation at sunrise in your city. Because sunrise differs from city to city, a tithi transition near sunrise can cause Ekadasi to fall on different dates in Chennai and London.

Worked example

Example: Ekadasi date in two cities

Suppose the 11th tithi (Shukla Ekadasi) begins at 04:30 UTC and ends at 06:15 UTC.

Chennai sunrise: 05:58 IST (00:28 UTC)
London sunrise: 06:20 BST (05:20 UTC)
Next day in Chennai: 05:59 IST
If tithi changes at 05:50 UTC instead: London sunrise 05:20 < 05:50 → Ekadasi. Chennai sunrise 00:28 < 05:50 → also Ekadasi. But a city with sunrise at 06:00 UTC → tithi 12, so Dvadashi.

Cities whose sunrise precedes the tithi transition see one Ekadasi; cities whose sunrise follows see the next day's. The difference is never more than one day.

Smarta vs. Vaishnava Ekadasi

The Smarta and Vaishnava traditions can observe Ekadasi on different days. The Vaishnava rule is stricter: if Dashami (10th tithi) overlaps sunrise even partially, the fast is considered 'contaminated' (viddha), and Ekadasi is postponed to the next day. The Smarta tradition accepts Ekadasi as long as the 11th tithi prevails at sunrise, regardless of Dashami overlap.

In practice this means Vaishnava Ekadasi occasionally falls one day after Smarta Ekadasi. This site shows the tithi prevailing at sunrise (the Smarta convention). Vaishnava users should consult their guru for the Vaishnava correction.

Ekadasi in the Tamil tradition

In Tamil Nadu, Ekadasi is observed widely across castes and traditions. Key Tamil practices:

Vaikunta Ekadasi (வைகுண்ட ஏகாதசி) in Margazhi month is the most important day of the year for Tamil Vishnu temples. The Paramapada Vasal opens at Srirangam, Tirupati, and all major Perumal temples.
Fasting in Tamil Nadu typically follows the fruit-and-milk model rather than nirjala (waterless).
Many Tamil families fast on both monthly Ekadasi days, not just Vaikunta Ekadasi.
Bhajans and Nama Sankeerthanam (communal singing) are held in temples and at home in the evening.
Dvadashi parana (breaking the fast) is marked with a late breakfast of rice and sambar.

What is Ekadasi, the eleventh-day fast

In short