Vrat · Pausha Shukla Dashami
Putrada (Paush) Ekadashi 2027
Pausha Shukla Ekadashi is Pausha Putrada Ekadashi: a vow kept for a child. And in some years it is also the south’s Vaikuntha Ekadashi!
Next date
Times are for Nashik. The app gives times for your city.
Quick facts
- Also known asPausha Putrada Ekadashi, Vaikuntha Ekadashi (some years, south India)
- WhereAll of India; most popular in the north
- Puja forNarayana (Keshava)
- In one lineThis vow brought King Suketuman a son: a prayer for the next generation.
Putrada (Paush) Ekadashi, in a little more detail
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About the festival
Putrada means giver of a son. There are two such Ekadashis in the year: one in Pausha, one in Shravana. The Pausha one is the more popular in the north.
Today couples who long for a child fast and worship Vishnu, and those who have children pray for their well-being. In the old days a son was wanted because he was the one to perform his ancestors' shraddha.
The lesson in the story: the king left everything behind in his worry, and found his answer on the way. Don't keep a worry bottled up; reach out to the right people.
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The story of King Suketuman
King Suketuman of Bhadravati and his queen Shaibya had no child. Who would offer tarpan to the ancestors after him? The worry wore the king down, and his ancestors shared it.
One day he rode off alone into a dense forest. Wandering, faint with hunger and thirst, he came upon a pond full of lotuses, like Lake Manasarovar, with the ashrams of sages on its bank.
The king bowed to the sages. They said: we are the ten Vishvadevas, come here to bathe. Today is Putrada Ekadashi: keep this vow. The king fasted completely, broke his fast on Dwadashi, bowed to the sages and went home. In time Queen Shaibya bore a son.
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In Maharashtra and beyond
In Maharashtra this Ekadashi is kept as usual: the fast and bhajans to Vitthal. Couples who long for a child keep this vow with special care.
In south India the Shukla Ekadashi of the solar month of Dhanu is kept as Vaikuntha Ekadashi. It falls on Mokshada Ekadashi in some years, and on this Putrada Ekadashi in others.
That day, at Srirangam and Tirumala, the Vaikuntha gate that opens only once a year is opened.
In the north this Pausha Putrada is the more popular one; other states give more weight to Shravana's Putrada.
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 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 2027
2 times this year, timed for Nashik.
Dates by city in 2027
Every date is the same in every city listed.
Set a reminder in the app
The app sends a notice the day before and on the day, even offline.