Vrat · Ashadha Shukla Ekadashi
Devshayani (Ashadhi) Ekadashi 2026
Ashadha Shukla Ekadashi is Ashadhi: today Vishnu goes to sleep and Chaturmas begins. And the wari reaches Pandharpur, with lakhs of varkaris come to see Vitthal!
Next date
Times are for Nashik. The app gives times for your city.
Quick facts
- Also known asAshadhi Ekadashi, Harishayani Ekadashi, Maha Ekadashi
- WherePandharpur and all of Maharashtra; Devshayani or Harishayani Ekadashi in the north
- Puja forVishnu; in Maharashtra, Vitthal
- In one lineVishnu goes to sleep and Chaturmas begins; the varkaris' wari reaches Vitthal.
Devshayani (Ashadhi) Ekadashi, in a little more detail
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About the festival
Ashadha Shukla Ekadashi is Devshayani: Vishnu lies down to sleep on Shesha in the ocean of milk, and wakes only on Kartiki Ekadashi. The four months between are Chaturmas, and they come with the rains.
So today many people take a Chaturmas vow: give up one food, or keep every Ekadashi. And in the Varkari tradition, today's fast matters most of all.
The lesson of Ashadhi is in the wari itself: you don't go to God alone, you walk there together. The road is long, but with company it gets done.
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King Mandhata and the drought
There was once a righteous king named Mandhata. But one time his kingdom had no rain for three years in a row.
The fields dried up and his people despaired. Looking for a way out, the king went to the sage Angiras.
Keep the vow of Devshayani Ekadashi, the sage told him. The king kept it, and by Vishnu's grace the rain came pouring down on his kingdom. Ashadhi and the rain go back that far.
- 03
In Maharashtra and beyond
The palkhi of Dnyaneshwar sets out from Alandi and that of Tukaram from Dehu, and many more join them on the way. About 250 kilometres in three weeks: walking in their dindis, singing "Dnyanba Tukaram", the varkaris reach Pandharpur on Ashadhi.
In Pandharpur it's a bath in the Chandrabhaga first, then Vitthal's darshan. Before dawn the Chief Minister and spouse perform the state's official mahapuja of Vitthal and Rukmini, and a varkari couple shares the honour.
Those who can't go on the wari keep the fast at home: sabudana, rajgira, sweet potato and peanuts. Schools and village Vitthal temples send out children's dindis.
In the north this is Devshayani or Harishayani Ekadashi: Vishnu and Lakshmi are worshipped, people fast, and the night is spent singing.
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 Chaturmas?
The four months from today to Kartiki Ekadashi. Many people give up one food in this time, or take a vow to fast on every Ekadashi.
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 Nashik.
Dates by city in 2026
In these cities the dates below differ from Nashik; the rest are the same.
Dates in 2027
1 times in 2027, timed for Nashik.
Set a reminder in the app
The app sends a notice the day before and on the day, even offline.