Ekadashi 2026 List: All Ekadashi Dates & Fasting Guide

July 18, 2026

The complete Ekadashi 2026 list is an essential reference for every devotee of Lord Vishnu who observes the sacred Ekadashi vrat. Ekadashi, the eleventh tithi of each lunar fortnight, occurs twice a month — once in the Shukla Paksha (waxing moon) and once in the Krishna Paksha (waning moon). Because 2026 contains an Adhik Maas (Adhik Jyeshtha, an extra lunar month), the year features additional Ekadashi vrats. Below is the full-year Ekadashi 2026 calendar with dates, names and tithis.

Ekadashi 2026 List — Full-Year Calendar

Here is the complete Ekadashi 2026 list of all vrat dates. Many households keep an Ekadashi calendar in the mandir and mark each fast off as the year turns; the Ekadashi chart below runs in order from Magha through Margashirsha, so the next one is easy to find at a glance. Because tithi timings shift daily and vary by location, please confirm the exact vrat and parana (fast-breaking) muhurat with a current panchang for your city.

The vrat goes by different names in different languages. Gujarati families call it Agiyaras — literally “the eleventh” — and the Vaishnava and South Indian traditions usually write it Ekadasi, without the second h; the tithi and the fast are the same either way. Some regions and the Vaishnava (ISKCON) tradition may observe certain Ekadashis a day later; always cross-check with an updated panchang.

Significance of the Ekadashi Vrat

Every entry in the Ekadashi 2026 list is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Observing the Ekadashi fast is believed to cleanse the mind and body, burn away past karmas, and grant spiritual merit, health and eventual moksha (liberation). The most revered vratas of the year include Nirjala Ekadashi (the waterless fast on 25 June, considered the most meritorious), Devshayani Ekadashi (when Lord Vishnu enters cosmic sleep, beginning Chaturmas), Devutthana Ekadashi (when he awakens), and Mokshada Ekadashi (associated with the Bhagavad Gita and Vaikuntha Ekadashi).

For a deeper look at the most powerful fast of the year, read our detailed guide on Nirjala Ekadashi rituals and spiritual significance.

Ekadashi Vrat Vidhi

Keep a clean pooja thali ready for your daily Vishnu worship. To plan all festivals and vratas alongside Ekadashi, refer to our Hindu festival calendar.

Ekadashi Fasting Rules: What to Eat and What to Avoid

The single rule that defines the Ekadashi vrat is the avoidance of grains. Everything else — whether you take fruit, milk, water or nothing at all — is decided by your capacity and your family tradition. This is the food list most households follow.

Tulsi is offered to Lord Vishnu but is traditionally not plucked on Ekadashi itself — leaves are picked the previous evening. Many devotees also keep a tulsi mala for the day's japa.

Nirjala, Phalahar or Satvik: Which Fast to Keep

Ekadashi is not one fast but three, in descending order of austerity. Choose according to your health and your daily routine, not according to what someone else keeps.

Fasting is a personal discipline, not a competition. If you are pregnant, unwell, recovering from illness or on regular medication, please speak to your doctor before undertaking any fast — particularly a nirjala one.

What Breaks an Ekadashi Fast

Devotees usually watch for these, since they are the most common slips:

• Any grain, knowingly or unknowingly. This includes rice, wheat, semolina, besan and packaged foods that contain wheat flour or corn starch.
• Water, in a nirjala vrat only. In phalahar and satvik fasts, water is freely taken.
• Regular salt in a strict vrat, where only sendha namak is used.
• Eating before the parana muhurat on Dwadashi, which is traditionally said to leave the vrat incomplete.
• Sleeping through the day is discouraged by tradition, which asks for jagran, japa and katha instead — though it does not break the fast.

Prescribed medicines are a separate matter from ritual food rules. Tradition allows for necessity, and no vrat asks you to risk your health.

Parana: When and How to Break the Ekadashi Fast

Parana is the act of breaking the fast, and it is as much a part of the vrat as the fast itself. The rules traditionally followed are:

• Parana is done on Dwadashi, the day after Ekadashi, after sunrise — never on Ekadashi itself.
• It must be completed before Dwadashi tithi ends. Delaying past it is traditionally considered an offence.
• The first quarter of Dwadashi, called Hari Vasara, is traditionally avoided; devotees wait for it to pass before eating.
• The fast is usually broken with tulsi-touched water or prasad, then a simple satvik meal.
• Charity, or feeding a brahmin or someone in need, is a traditional part of the parana.

Parana windows are often narrow — sometimes under an hour — and they change every fortnight and with your city. Always confirm the exact parana timing for your location against a current panchang; we do not list parana times here because a printed time that is wrong for your city is worse than none.

Who Is Traditionally Exempt from the Ekadashi Fast

The shastras themselves make allowances. Those traditionally considered exempt from a full fast, or permitted a lighter observance, include children below about eight years, the very elderly, those who are ill or convalescing, pregnant and nursing mothers, and people whose work involves heavy physical labour. Travellers are also traditionally permitted a relaxed observance.

In such cases the usual guidance is to keep the spirit of the day rather than the letter — avoid grains if you can, keep the food satvik, chant the Vishnu mantra, listen to the katha, and offer daan. If even that is difficult, many families arrange a puja or seva in their name instead; our online puja and pooja seva bookings are used for exactly this.

What Each Major Ekadashi Is Traditionally Known For

Because Indira Ekadashi falls during the ancestral fortnight, many devotees observe it alongside their shraddh rites — see our guide to Pitru Paksha 2026 shraddh dates and vidhi.

Ekadashi Vrat Essentials: A Preparation Checklist

An Ekadashi observed at home needs very little, but having it ready the night before means the morning is spent in worship rather than in searching. This is the setup most households keep:

If you would rather assemble it in one go, our spiritual combos bring the common items together, and daan on Ekadashi is traditionally considered especially meritorious — many devotees mark the day with a gau daan.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Ekadashis are there in 2026?

There are 24 Ekadashi vrats in 2026, including two extra Ekadashis (Padmini and Parama) due to the Adhik Maas (Adhik Jyeshtha).

Which is the most important Ekadashi in 2026?

Nirjala Ekadashi on 25 June 2026 is considered the most meritorious, as its single waterless fast is said to grant the merit of all Ekadashis of the year.

What can I eat during an Ekadashi fast?

Devotees avoid grains, rice and lentils. Depending on capacity, they observe a nirjala (waterless), phalahar (fruits and milk) or satvik fast.

When do I break the Ekadashi fast?

The fast is broken the next morning on Dwadashi during the parana muhurat. Confirm the exact parana time with a current panchang.

Why does 2026 have extra Ekadashis?

2026 includes an Adhik Maas (Adhik Jyeshtha, an extra lunar month), which adds two more Ekadashis — Padmini and Parama — to the yearly calendar.

Can I drink water during Ekadashi?

Yes, in a phalahar or satvik vrat water is freely taken. Only the nirjala vrat excludes water, and it is traditionally kept from sunrise on Ekadashi until the parana on Dwadashi.

Why is rice not eaten on Ekadashi?

Grains, and rice in particular, are traditionally avoided on Ekadashi. A well-known Puranic account describes the demon Papapurusha taking form in grains on this tithi, which is why the day is kept grain-free.

Who should not observe the Ekadashi fast?

Tradition exempts young children, the very elderly, the ill and convalescing, pregnant and nursing mothers, and those doing heavy physical labour. Anyone with a health condition or on regular medication should speak to their doctor before fasting.

Which mala is used for Ekadashi japa?

A tulsi mala is traditionally used for Vishnu mantras such as Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya, chanted in rounds of 108. Tulsi leaves for the puja are traditionally picked the previous evening rather than on Ekadashi itself.

Observe every Ekadashi of 2026 with devotion. Explore our handcrafted Pooja Thali collection to prepare a complete, sacred setup for your Ekadashi vrat and Lord Vishnu’s worship throughout the year.