Vrat · Phalguna Krishna Ekadashi
Papmochani Ekadashi 2026
Phalguna Krishna Ekadashi is Papmochani Ekadashi: the one that frees you from wrongdoing. It is the last Ekadashi of the year, and then comes Gudi Padwa!
Next date
Times are for Delhi. The app gives times for your city.
Quick facts
- Also known asPapamochani Ekadashi
- WhereAll of India; in the north it falls in Chaitra Krishna
- Puja forVishnu; in Maharashtra, Vitthal
- In one lineA sage who lost his way and a dancer under his curse were both set free by this vow.
Papmochani Ekadashi, in a little more detail
- 01
About the festival
Papa means wrongdoing, and mochan means release. This Ekadashi is in the dark half of Phalguna, as the year runs out.
The fast is the usual one, broken on Dwadashi. It is a day to clear your mind before the new year begins.
The lesson in the story: when you go wrong, don't put the blame on someone else. Own it, and find the way to put it right. Here the one who curses and the one cursed both have to atone.
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The sage Medhavi and Manjughosha
In a forest in full spring bloom, Medhavi, son of the sage Chyavana, was deep in tapas. An apsara named Manjughosha pitched a tent at a distance and sang to her tamboura, and Kamadeva helped her along. Medhavi's tapas broke.
He stayed with her, losing track of day and night. Fifty-seven years went by, and to him it felt like a moment. Only when she asked to leave did he count the years. In anger he cursed her to become a pishacha.
Manjughosha begged, and Medhavi told her of Papmochani Ekadashi. Then he went to his father. You keep this vow too, Chyavana told him. Both of them fasted. Medhavi won back his tapas, and Manjughosha, free of the curse, returned to heaven.
- 03
In Maharashtra and beyond
Varkaris keep it as always: the fast, the Haripath and bhajans to Vitthal.
This Ekadashi comes after Holi and Rangapanchami. A few days later the new year begins with Gudi Padwa.
In the north the month ends on the full moon, so there this is Chaitra Krishna Ekadashi. The name and the story stay 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 Delhi.
Dates by city in 2026
In these cities the dates below differ from Delhi; the rest are the same.
Dates in 2027
1 times in 2027, timed for Delhi.
Set a reminder in the app
The app sends a notice the day before and on the day, even offline.