How to keep the Ekadashi vrat: food rules, puja and the parana time
Quick answer: The Ekadashi vrat is kept twice a month for Lord Vishnu, on the eleventh tithi of the bright and dark fortnights. On this day rice, wheat, lentils and all grains are avoided. Devotees fast according to their strength: without water, with water only, or with fruit and permitted foods. A simple meal is eaten on the evening before (Dashami), and the fast is broken (parana) on Dwadashi, after sunrise, within the time given in the panchang.
At a glance
- When
- Ekadashi of each fortnight (about 24 a year)
- Deity
- Lord Vishnu / Shri Krishna
- Main rule
- No rice, grains or lentils
- Parana
- On Dwadashi after sunrise, within the set window
- Mantra
- Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya
How to keep the fast
- On Dashami (the day before), eat a simple sattvic meal before sunset and avoid rice.
- On Ekadashi morning, bathe and take a sankalp before Lord Vishnu.
- Offer Vishnu ji yellow flowers, tulsi leaves, fruit, incense and a lamp.
- Through the day chant his name, read the Vishnu Sahasranam or the Bhagavad Gita, and read or hear that Ekadashi's katha.
- Many devotees stay awake at night singing bhajans (jagran).
- On Dwadashi, after bath and puja, break the fast within the panchang's parana time with a tulsi leaf or water, then eat a simple meal.
What can be eaten in a fruit fast (common practice)
- Fruit, milk, curd, makhana (fox nuts), dry fruits
- Sabudana, potato, sweet potato, arbi (taro)
- Kuttu, singhara and rajgira flour (some families avoid these too)
- Rock salt (sendha namak), black pepper, cumin
Do
- Choose the type of fast your health allows; a waterless fast is not required.
- Pick tulsi leaves the day before, since tulsi is not plucked on Ekadashi.
- Avoid anger, gossip and lies; spend the day in devotion.
- Check the parana time for your city in the panchang.
Don't
- Don't eat rice, wheat, lentils, gram flour or any grain.
- Avoid onion, garlic, meat, eggs, alcohol and intoxicants.
- Don't miss the Dwadashi parana window; the fast is not broken during the first part of Dwadashi (Hari Vasar).
- If you have diabetes, are pregnant or unwell, don't keep a strict fast without a doctor's advice.
Ekadashi rules differ between sampradayas and families (for example, Vaishnav and Smarta dates can differ). Follow your tradition and local panchang. KathaMantra does not promise any specific result.
Frequently asked questions
Why is rice not eaten on Ekadashi?
In tradition based on the Puranas, grains and especially rice are forbidden on Ekadashi. Devotees keep it as a rule of restraint and devotion to Vishnu.
How is the Ekadashi fast broken?
On Dwadashi after sunrise, within the panchang's time, bathe and pray, break the fast with a tulsi leaf or water, then eat a simple meal.
Can I drink water on Ekadashi?
Yes, unless you are keeping a waterless fast. Most devotees fast with water and fruit.
Can I eat kuttu or sabudana on Ekadashi?
Most families treat sabudana and kuttu as fasting food. Some strict traditions avoid them too; follow your family's rule.
What if I break the Ekadashi fast by mistake?
Ask God's forgiveness, chant his name, and keep the next Ekadashi with devotion.