All 24 Ekadashis of the Year: Names and What Each Commemorates

The Hindu lunar year traditionally begins with Chaitra, and the first block of Ekadashis carries the year from early spring into the onset of summer.

• Papmochani Ekadashi (Chaitra, Krishna Paksha) - observed to free the devotee from past sins and negative karma before the new year begins
• Kamada Ekadashi (Chaitra, Shukla Paksha) - believed to fulfil sincere desires and free one from the effects of past wrongdoing
• Varuthini Ekadashi (Vaishakh, Krishna Paksha) - associated with protection from hardship and is said to grant merit equal to great acts of charity
• Mohini Ekadashi (Vaishakh, Shukla Paksha) - commemorates Vishnu's Mohini avatar, who charmed the demons to protect the nectar of immortality for the gods
• Apara Ekadashi (Jyeshtha, Krishna Paksha) - also called Achala Ekadashi, observed for freedom from sin and for fame and prosperity
• Nirjala Ekadashi (Jyeshtha, Shukla Paksha) - the most rigorous of all twenty-four, a completely water-free fast said to carry the combined merit of every other Ekadashi in the year, and widely observed even by those who skip the rest

Of this block, Nirjala Ekadashi in particular draws devotees who cannot observe all twenty-four fasts individually, since tradition holds that sincerely completing this one fast alone confers the benefit of the full year's cycle. It typically falls in late May or June, ahead of the peak summer heat, which makes its water-free discipline especially demanding and especially respected among observers.

Each of these six marks a transition in the agricultural and seasonal calendar of North India as well, moving from the freshness of spring into the building heat that precedes the monsoon, and several of their associated legends reflect themes of endurance and purification that mirror that seasonal shift.

This block covers the monsoon months, which also bring the start of Chaturmas, the four-month period when Vishnu is traditionally believed to enter cosmic sleep, a theme directly reflected in two of these Ekadashi names.

• Yogini Ekadashi (Ashadha, Krishna Paksha) - observed for relief from illness and past-life afflictions, said to grant merit equal to feeding thousands of Brahmins
• Devshayani Ekadashi (Ashadha, Shukla Paksha) - also called Padma or Hari Shayani Ekadashi, marking the day Vishnu begins his four-month cosmic sleep and the start of Chaturmas, after which auspicious ceremonies like weddings typically pause
• Kamika Ekadashi (Shravan, Krishna Paksha) - observed in the sacred month of Shravan, believed to remove sins equivalent to killing a cow, one of the gravest transgressions in tradition, when accidental
• Putrada Ekadashi (Shravan, Shukla Paksha) - also called Pavitra Ekadashi, observed by couples desiring a child and blessed with virtue
• Aja Ekadashi (Bhadrapada, Krishna Paksha) - also called Annada Ekadashi, linked to King Harishchandra's legendary trials and observed for liberation from sin
• Parivartini Ekadashi (Bhadrapada, Shukla Paksha) - also called Parsva Ekadashi, marks the point in his cosmic sleep when Vishnu is believed to turn from one side to the other

This stretch of the calendar is considered especially significant because it opens Chaturmas, a period devotees traditionally use to intensify their spiritual practice, taking up additional vows, avoiding certain foods, and increasing their focus on scripture and satsang, since Vishnu himself is understood to be in repose during these months.

📿 Vandnaa's app sends a gentle reminder ahead of each Ekadashi with that day's specific katha and fasting rules, so you never have to cross-check a paper calendar mid-month.

This block runs through the busiest festival stretch of the year, from Navratri through Diwali, and includes the Ekadashi that ends Chaturmas.

• Indira Ekadashi (Ashwin, Krishna Paksha) - observed for the liberation of one's ancestors, often falling during Pitru Paksha
• Papankusha Ekadashi (Ashwin, Shukla Paksha) - said to destroy sins as an ankusha (goad) controls an elephant, observed during the Navratri period
• Rama Ekadashi (Kartik, Krishna Paksha) - falls just before Diwali, observed for prosperity and freedom from difficulty
• Devutthana Ekadashi (Kartik, Shukla Paksha) - also called Prabodhini Ekadashi, marks Vishnu's awakening from his four-month cosmic sleep, ending Chaturmas and reopening the season for weddings; also closely linked with Tulsi Vivah, celebrated shortly after
• Utpanna Ekadashi (Margashirsha, Krishna Paksha) - commemorates the origin of the goddess Ekadashi herself, born from Vishnu to defeat the demon Mura
• Mokshada Ekadashi (Margashirsha, Shukla Paksha) - observed for liberation of ancestors and coincides with Gita Jayanti, the day the Bhagavad Gita was spoken on the battlefield of Kurukshetra

Devutthana Ekadashi is one of the most eagerly awaited dates on this list for a practical reason: it lifts the informal pause on weddings and other auspicious ceremonies that began with Devshayani Ekadashi four months earlier, which is why the wedding season across much of North India visibly picks up in the weeks immediately following it.

• Indira and Mokshada Ekadashi both carry a strong ancestor-liberation theme
• Devutthana Ekadashi doubles as the start of the post-Chaturmas wedding season
• Mokshada Ekadashi shares its date with Gita Jayanti in most years

The year's cycle closes with this block, carrying the calendar through the peak of winter and into the approach of Holi and the spring that begins the cycle anew.

• Saphala Ekadashi (Pausha, Krishna Paksha) - observed for success (saphalta) in one's endeavours
• Putrada Ekadashi (Pausha, Shukla Paksha) - also known as Vaikuntha Ekadashi in South Indian tradition, when temple doors symbolising the gateway to Vishnu's abode are ceremonially opened
• Shattila Ekadashi (Magha, Krishna Paksha) - involves the use of sesame (til) in six different ways during worship and bathing, for purification
• Jaya Ekadashi (Magha, Shukla Paksha) - also called Bhaimi Ekadashi, observed for freedom from the fear of becoming a preta (restless spirit) after death
• Vijaya Ekadashi (Phalguna, Krishna Paksha) - associated with Lord Rama's crossing of the ocean to reach Lanka, observed for victory over obstacles
• Amalaki Ekadashi (Phalguna, Shukla Paksha) - also called Amla Ekadashi, centred on worship of the amla (Indian gooseberry) tree, believed to be dear to Vishnu and to emerge from a drop of his nectar

Vaikuntha Ekadashi deserves a special mention here, since it draws some of the largest single-day temple crowds of the year at major Vaishnava shrines in South India, particularly at Srirangam and Tirupati, where devotees queue for hours to pass through the Vaikuntha Dwaram, the symbolic doorway to Vishnu's heavenly abode, opened only on this date.

• Shattila and Amalaki Ekadashi both centre on a specific natural element, sesame and amla respectively
• Putrada Ekadashi in Pausha is distinct from the Shravan Putrada Ekadashi earlier in the year, despite sharing a name
• This block closes the annual Ekadashi cycle just before Holi and the return to Chaitra

In any year that contains an Adhik Maas, the extra lunar month inserted to keep the lunar calendar aligned with the solar year, two more Ekadashis appear on the calendar: Padmini Ekadashi, falling in the Shukla Paksha of the extra month, and Parama Ekadashi, falling in its Krishna Paksha. These are collectively considered among the most meritorious Ekadashis precisely because Adhik Maas itself is regarded as a bonus month specially suited to spiritual practice, and because these two fasts appear only once every 32 to 33 months on average.

Across all twenty-four (or twenty-six) Ekadashis, a few rules apply broadly, though family and regional traditions can vary in their details:

• Rice and rice-based foods are traditionally avoided on Ekadashi, since Ekadashi is believed to reside within grains of rice
• Onion, garlic and certain lentils are also commonly avoided, in keeping with a broadly sattvic diet for the day
• The fast is usually broken the following morning, on Dwadashi, at a specific window called Parana time, rather than immediately after sunset
• Tulsi leaves are considered essential to Vishnu's worship on this day, though they are not offered on the day the leaves are plucked
• Many devotees choose one or two personally significant Ekadashis, such as Nirjala or Devutthana, to observe strictly, even if they do not fast on all twenty-four

Used as a reference through the year, this list is less about memorising every date in advance and more about recognising each name when it appears on a calendar or panchang, and understanding at a glance what that particular day is asking of you.