Ekādaśī is the eleventh tithi of each fortnight, kept as a fast for Viṣṇu. Twice a month households lighten their food or give it up and turn their minds to Hari, then break the fast the next morning on Dvādaśī. Each Ekādaśī of the year carries its own name and story, so the fast runs like a thread through the whole calendar. How the day is fixed: Smārta households take the Ekādaśī that is current at local sunrise. Vaiṣṇava households move the fast to the next day when Daśamī is still running at Aruṇodaya. Keep in mind: Sunrise changes from place to place, so a neighbouring town can keep Ekādaśī a day earlier or later. The dates follow the tradition you have chosen for your city. This year: The 2026 date shown here is worked out from sunrise at the place you chose, so in another city the same day can fall a day earlier or later. Upavāsa: Some keep a fruit-only fast on every Ekādaśī and a full fast on the named ones. Each house chooses its own measure, and no single menu binds every family. Pāraṇa: The fast is broken on Dvādaśī after sunrise. If your tradition counts Hari Vāsara, wait until it has passed, and look up the next morning's times in that day's pañcāṅga. Worth remembering: Nirjalā, Vaikuṇṭha, Devśayanī, Āṣāḍhī, Mokṣadā and the other named Ekādaśīs are each observed with their own story. This overview holds the year's list and the common shape of the fast. Whether the fast is waterless, fruit only or a single meal is settled by family custom and by the sampradāya a house follows. Some keep only the great Ekādaśīs strictly and the rest lightly. Follow the practice the elders of your own house have handed down.
