Vrat · Ashadha Krishna Dashami
Kamika Ekadashi 2026
Ashadha Krishna Ekadashi is Kamika Ekadashi. Today tulsi has pride of place: see her, water her, and light a ghee lamp before her!
Next date
Times are for London. The app gives times for your city.
Quick facts
- Also known asShravana Krishna Ekadashi (north India)
- WhereAll of India; in the north it falls in Shravana Krishna
- Puja forVishnu as Gadadhara, and tulsi
- In one lineA vow said to free you even from a sin as grave as killing a Brahmin, and a day to worship tulsi.
Kamika Ekadashi, in a little more detail
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About the festival
In the Purana this Ekadashi's glory was told by Brahma to Narada, and by Krishna to Yudhishthira. Today's puja is to the four-armed Gadadhara, holding conch, discus, mace and lotus.
Today tulsi matters most: the Purana says just seeing her washes away sin, and whoever waters her need not fear Yama. The fast is the usual one, broken on Dwadashi.
The lesson in the story: one moment of anger can be a weight you carry for life. If you have done wrong, own it, and look for the way to make it right.
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The story of the angry man
In a village there lived a hot-tempered man. One day he quarrelled with a Brahmin, and in his rage the Brahmin died at his hands.
The sin of killing a Brahmin crushed him. He wanted to perform the Brahmin's last rites, but the village Brahmins stopped him, and refused even to eat in his house.
He went to a sage for a way out. Keep Kamika Ekadashi, the sage said. He kept the vow, and that night Vishnu came to him in a dream and freed him from the sin.
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In Maharashtra and beyond
This Ekadashi comes a fortnight after Ashadhi. At home, the usual fast and a visit to Vitthal, and a special puja at the tulsi vrindavan.
The Purana says not even Chitragupta can count the merit of one who keeps a ghee lamp burning before tulsi. Planting a tulsi sapling today is held to be meritorious too.
A lamp of ghee or sesame oil before Krishna is also special today.
In the north this is Shravana Krishna Ekadashi, the first Ekadashi of their Shravana.
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.
What you needTick as you go
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Frequently asked questions
What is done for the tulsi today?
Look upon the tulsi, water her and light a ghee lamp by her. Planting a new tulsi today is also held to bring merit.
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
2 times this year, timed for London.
Dates by city in 2026
Every date is the same in every city listed.
Dates in 2027
1 times in 2027, timed for London.
Set a reminder in the app
The app sends a notice the day before and on the day, even offline.