Vrat · Ashwin Krishna Ekadashi
Rama Ekadashi 2026
Ashvin Krishna Ekadashi is Rama Ekadashi, right on the doorstep of Diwali. Rama is a name of Lakshmi, and this is the last fast before Lakshmi Puja!
Next date
Times are for Pune. The app gives times for your city.
Quick facts
- Also known asRambha Ekadashi
- WhereAll of India; in the north it falls in Kartika Krishna
- Puja forVishnu; in Maharashtra, Vitthal
- In one lineDiwali's Ekadashi: the story of how a fast kept with faith bears fruit that lasts.
Rama Ekadashi, in a little more detail
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About the festival
An Ekadashi comes every fortnight, and each has its own name and story. This one, in the dark half of Ashvin, is Rama, with Vasubaras and Diwali right behind it.
The fast is the usual one: no grains on Ekadashi, and it's broken after sunrise on Dwadashi.
This Ekadashi's story makes one point: a fast is kept by the mind, not just the stomach. A small vow kept with your whole heart bears great fruit, and you can even give that fruit to someone else.
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Chandrabhaga and Shobhana
In King Muchukunda's kingdom no one ate on Ekadashi. His daughter Chandrabhaga's husband, Shobhana, was frail, and he arrived at his in-laws' on an Ekadashi. If you want to eat, Chandrabhaga told him, you'll have to leave. Shobhana kept the fast, but the hunger and thirst were too much, and he died as the sun rose on Dwadashi.
The merit of his fast gave Shobhana a kingdom on Mount Mandarachala, like a city of the gods. One day a Brahmin named Somasharma reached it and was stunned to see him. Shobhana told him: I kept that fast without faith, so this kingdom won't last. Tell Chandrabhaga.
Chandrabhaga made her way to him through the ashram of the sage Vamadeva. Since I was eight, she said, I have kept every Ekadashi with faith. I give all that merit to you. And Shobhana's kingdom became his for good.
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In Maharashtra and beyond
Varkaris keep both Ekadashis of the month: the fast, the Haripath, and the tulsi mala round the neck. Rama Ekadashi is no exception, even with the Diwali snacks half made!
Every home is busy with Diwali. In many, the lamps, the akash kandil and the faral are ready by today, and Vasubaras opens Diwali. In some years Vasubaras falls on the same day as Rama Ekadashi.
In the north the month ends on the full moon, so there this is Kartika 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.
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 2026
1 times this year, timed for Pune.
Dates by city in 2026
In these cities the dates below differ from Pune; the rest are the same.
Dates in 2027
2 times in 2027, timed for Pune.
Set a reminder in the app
The app sends a notice the day before and on the day, even offline.