Vrat · Pausha Krishna Ekadashi
Shattila Ekadashi 2026
Pausha Krishna Ekadashi is Shattila Ekadashi: the day of sesame's six uses. Fast, and give: that's the word for today!
Next date
Times are for Nagpur. The app gives times for your city.
Quick facts
- Also known asSat-tila Ekadashi, Magha Krishna Ekadashi (north India)
- WhereAll of India; in the north it falls in Magha Krishna
- Puja forVishnu (Krishna)
- In one lineSesame and food given away: a fast needs giving to go with it.
Shattila Ekadashi, in a little more detail
- 01
About the festival
Shat means six, and til means sesame. The Purana says to use sesame six ways today: bathe in sesame water, rub on sesame paste, offer sesame into the fire, eat sesame, give sesame away, and accept sesame as a gift.
Giving matters, but within your means: sesame, clothes, food, whatever you can. The story itself warns against keeping the vow for show or out of greed.
The lesson in the story: the fast is for yourself, the giving is for others. Fast all you like, but if you never give anyone anything, the house stays empty.
- 02
The lump of mud
An old Brahmin woman loved Krishna with all her heart and fasted often. But she never once gave food to Brahmins or to the gods.
One day Krishna came to her with a begging bowl, dressed as a wandering follower of Shiva. She threw a lump of mud into his bowl. When she died she was given a house made of that very mud: but inside there was no grain, no furniture, nothing at all.
She asked why. Krishna said: the wives of the gods will come to see you; don't open the door until they tell you the glory of Shattila Ekadashi. She did as he said, kept the vow, and her house filled with grain, things and jewels.
- 03
In Maharashtra and beyond
In Maharashtra these are sesame days anyway: tilgul goes round around Sankranti, and today sesame is honoured again. It turns up in the fasting food too.
Some homes give sesame, clothes and food to those in need today. The Purana also mentions giving away a pot filled with sesame.
In the north the month ends on the full moon, so there this is Magha Krishna Ekadashi. The name, the story and the six uses of sesame 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.
What you needTick as you go
0 of 9 ready
Frequently asked questions
What are today’s six uses of sesame?
Bathe in water with sesame, rub sesame paste on the body, offer sesame into the fire, eat sesame, give sesame away, and accept sesame given to you.
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 Nagpur.
Dates by city in 2026
Every date is the same in every city listed.
Dates in 2027
1 times in 2027, timed for Nagpur.
Set a reminder in the app
The app sends a notice the day before and on the day, even offline.