Ekadashi is the eleventh tithi of each lunar fortnight, so it comes twice a month: once in Shukla paksha and once in Krishna paksha. It is traditionally kept as a fast dedicated to Vishnu, usually without grains, and the fast is completed by Parana on the following day, Dwadashi.
Which day is the fast?
A tithi rarely matches a civil day, so Panchangs follow a rule to choose the fasting day.
- Smarta rule: fast on the day when Ekadashi prevails at sunrise. If Ekadashi is present at two consecutive sunrises, the first day is taken.
- Vaishnava rule: Ekadashi should not be touched by Dashami. If Dashami is still running at Arunodaya, 96 minutes (4 ghatis) before sunrise, the fast moves to the next day.
This is the main reason calendars sometimes show two Ekadashi dates, one for Smarta and one for Vaishnava followers. In the Smarta method there is one more case: if Dwadashi would end before the sunrise after the chosen day, leaving no Dwadashi for Parana, the fast is kept a day earlier and the later day is shown as the optional Gauna Ekadashi.
Parana: breaking the fast
Parana is done on the day after the fast, after sunrise, following these guidelines:
- Not during Hari Vasara, the first quarter of the Dwadashi tithi.
- Preferably within Pratahkal, the first fifth of the daytime.
- Before Dwadashi ends; if Dwadashi ends inside Pratahkal, the window closes at that moment.
- If Hari Vasara extends beyond Pratahkal, Parana is done after Madhyahna (the middle fifth of the day), in the afternoon.
The 24 Ekadashis and the Adhik Maas pair
Each Ekadashi has a traditional name. They are usually cited by Purnimanta month, where the Krishna paksha comes first:
- Chaitra: Papmochani, Kamada
- Vaishakha: Varuthini, Mohini
- Jyeshtha: Apara, Nirjala
- Ashadha: Yogini, Devshayani
- Shravana: Kamika, Shravana Putrada
- Bhadrapada: Aja, Parsva (Parivartini)
- Ashwin: Indira, Papankusha
- Kartika: Rama, Devutthana (Prabodhini)
- Margashirsha: Utpanna, Mokshada
- Pausha: Saphala, Pausha Putrada
- Magha: Shattila, Jaya
- Phalguna: Vijaya, Amalaki
In a year with an extra lunar month (see Adhik Maas and Kshaya Maas), the two additional Ekadashis are called Padmini (Kamala) and Parama, making 26 in all.
How this platform calculates it
The built-in calculation profiles use the Smarta rule. Parana windows are computed from your city's sunrise and sunset and the exact start and end of Dwadashi. Traditions may vary by region, sampradaya and Panchang convention, so follow your family or temple practice where it differs. See upcoming dates and Parana times on the Ekadashi page.