Vrat · Shravana Krishna Ekadashi
Aja Ekadashi 2026
Shravana Krishna Ekadashi is Aja Ekadashi: the Ekadashi of Harishchandra, the king who never told a lie. The story goes that this vow gave back everything he had lost!
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Times are for Bengaluru. The app gives times for your city.
Quick facts
- Also known asAnnada Ekadashi, Bhadrapada Krishna Ekadashi (north India)
- WhereAll of India; in the north it falls in Bhadrapada Krishna
- Puja forHrishikesha (Vishnu)
- In one lineHarishchandra kept to the truth through every hardship, and this Ekadashi ended his suffering.
Aja Ekadashi, in a little more detail
- 01
About the festival
Today Vishnu is worshipped as Hrishikesha, the master of the senses. It's a day for keeping the mind and the senses in check.
The fast is the usual one, with a night vigil, broken on Dwadashi. Even hearing the story of this Ekadashi is believed to bring merit.
The lesson in the story: the path of truth can be very hard. But if you don't leave it, the days turn again.
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The story of King Harishchandra
Harishchandra was an emperor famous for truth and honesty. But by fate he lost his kingdom, and even had to sell his wife Chandramati and his son Lohitashva.
He himself became the keeper of a cremation ground. Even so, he never gave up the truth. Years passed, and one day he sat lost in thought: how do I get out of this?
Just then the sage Gautama passed by. Aja Ekadashi is seven days away, he said: fast, and stay awake all night. Harishchandra did, and his sins were wiped away. He got back his wife and son, and his kingdom too.
- 03
In Maharashtra and beyond
Shravana is full of vows in Maharashtra, and Aja Ekadashi comes a few days after Gokulashtami. At home: the fast and Vitthal puja.
Harishchandra's story is close to Maharashtra's heart: Dadasaheb Phalke made Raja Harishchandra (1913) from it, held to be India's first full-length feature film.
In the north the month ends on the full moon, so there this is Bhadrapada Krishna Ekadashi. The name, the story and the vow are the same.
How to do the puja
In short: A light meal on Dashami, the fast and the Name on Ekadashi, and parana after sunrise on Dwadashi.
- 1Eat light the day before, on Dashami.One simple meal is enough. Nothing heavy at night, so your stomach is light on Ekadashi.
- 2Pick the tulsi leaves for the puja the day before.In many homes tulsi is not plucked on Ekadashi.
- 3Bathe in the morning on Ekadashi and make your sankalp for the fast.Decide in your mind: no water at all, water only, fruit and milk, or one fasting meal.
- 4Worship Vishnu or Vitthal.Offer a lamp, incense, sandalwood paste, flowers and tulsi leaves, with fruit or milk as naivedya.
- 5Keep the fast you chose through the day.Leave out rice, wheat, jowar, bajra and dals. Offer your fasting food to God first, then eat.
- 6Spend the day with the name.The Haripath, the Vishnu Sahasranama, bhajans, or the story of that Ekadashi on this page.
- 7In the evening, light the lamp again and do the aarti.Many stay up singing bhajans (jagran). If you work tomorrow, a little while is enough.
- 8Break the fast after sunrise on Dwadashi.If your panchang gives a parana time, keep to it. Offer naivedya first, then eat.
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Frequently asked questions
What can I eat on the fast?
It depends on the fast you keep: nothing, water only, fruit and milk, or one fasting meal. A fasting meal can have sabudana, vari bhagar, sweet potato, potato and peanuts. No grains and no dals.
Can I drink water?
Yes, unless you keep it nirjala. The strictest fast has no water until sunrise on Dwadashi, but most people keep a lighter one.
When do I break the fast?
After sunrise on Dwadashi: this is the parana. If the first part of Dwadashi, the harivasar, runs past sunrise, wait until it ends. Your panchang gives the time.
Why does Ekadashi sometimes have two dates?
When a tithi is lost or doubled, the Smarta and Bhagwat (Warkari) traditions follow different rules, so their Ekadashis can fall on different days. Follow your family’s tradition.
Who need not fast?
The sick, pregnant women and anyone with a health problem need not fast, nor young children and the very old. They can have milk and fruit and keep the day with prayer. If you have a medical condition, ask your doctor first.
What if I break the fast by mistake?
Don't worry. Ask God's forgiveness, spend the rest of the day in prayer, and keep the next Ekadashi well.
Dates in 2026
1 times this year, timed for Bengaluru.
Dates by city in 2026
In these cities the dates below differ from Bengaluru; the rest are the same.
Dates in 2027
1 times in 2027, timed for Bengaluru.
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