Fasts and vrats

Hindu tradition generally says children below 8 years are not expected to fast. Older children can begin with light or partial fasts, and full fasting is usually seen as appropriate after puberty or when a person takes on formal religious duties.

The tradition grants exemption to pregnant women and those who are seriously ill. For menstruating women, the rules vary by region, family, and the type of fast. There is no single Hindu rule that applies everywhere.

A sankalpa is a formal declaration made before a vrat begins. You state your name, family line, place, the day, your purpose, and which deity you are fasting for. It is done with water in your cupped hands, usually before sunrise.

Yes, the Hindu tradition permits taking medicine during a fast. The principle is that protecting your health comes before the rules of fasting.

On fasting days, Hindus eat foods that are considered lighter and purer, such as fruits, milk, buckwheat, and potatoes. The exact foods change by region, family, and the type of fast.

On Ekadashi, grains like rice, wheat, and lentils are avoided. The tradition says Vishnu enters these grains on this day, so people eat other foods instead—fruits, milk, and a few special starches.

A vrat is a vow, usually kept for a day or a set period, in which someone fasts partly or fully and worships or honors a deity or intention. It is a devotional practice, not a diet.

Ahoi Ashtami is a fast mothers keep for their sons' health and long life. Unlike Karva Chauth, which centers on a wife and her husband, Ahoi Ashtami is about a mother and her children, and the fast is broken by seeing the stars or moon, not the husband's face.

Amavasya is the new moon day. Fasting on Amavasya is linked to remembering ancestors and is especially important during Pitru Paksha, the fortnight for ancestor worship in the Hindu calendar.

Anant Chaturdashi is a fast observed on the 14th day of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapada. On this day, people tie a sacred thread with 14 knots, called the Anant Sutra, on the right wrist as part of the vrat.

Apara Ekadashi is a fasting day in the Hindu calendar, observed in the month of Jyeshtha. The tradition holds that keeping this fast removes serious sins, including false testimony, killing cows, and harm to parents.

There are 24 Ekadashis each year, each with its own name, date, and story. Devotees use a Panchang, or Hindu calendar, to know which Ekadashi falls when, and many follow a printed Ekadashi list or calendar from their tradition.

Ashtami vrat is a fast kept on the eighth day of the lunar month, dedicated to the goddess Durga. Many people observe it monthly, and it holds special importance during the nine-day festival of Navratri.

Bhaimi Ekadashi, also called Jaya Ekadashi, is a fast day in the Hindu calendar believed to free trapped souls from ghosthood. A story in the Puranic tradition tells of two spirits who were freed by this observance.

Both Chaitra and Sharad Navratri are nine-day fasts honoring the goddess Durga. Chaitra Navratri comes in spring and marks the Hindu New Year. Sharad Navratri comes in autumn and is more widely celebrated. The fasting practices are similar, but Sharad is considered more powerful in the tradition.

Devshayani Ekadashi is a day in the Hindu calendar when Vishnu is believed to enter a deep sleep. It marks the start of Chaturmas, a four-month period of fasting and austerity observed mainly by Vaishnavas and monastics.

Ekadashi is the eleventh day of each lunar fortnight. Many Hindus fast or eat lightly on this day as a practice of devotion and self-discipline, often honoring Vishnu.

Ekadashi fasting is open to all Hindu women, but old texts prescribed stricter forms for widows—often a complete fast without even water or fruit. Married women had lighter options. These rules have loosened over time, and today widows and married women often fast in similar ways.

Govardhan Puja is a festival the day after Diwali that celebrates Krishna lifting a mountain. It is not mainly a fasting day. Instead, people offer many kinds of food and eat together.

Gupt Navratri is a private, esoteric nine-day fast observed by some Hindu practitioners in the summer and winter months. It is less public than the well-known Sharad Navratri and is mainly followed by those who practice Tantric spiritual paths.

Guru Purnima is a day to honor teachers and the tradition of knowledge. Fasting is not required. The main practices are worship, giving gifts to your guru, and study.

Hartalika Teej is a fast observed mainly by women in the Hindu tradition. Married women fast for their husband's health and long life, and unmarried women fast hoping for a good husband. It falls in the month of Bhadrapada and is linked to the story of Parvati and Shiva.

Janmashtami is a fast kept on the day Krishna is believed to have been born. People fast during the day, stay awake at night, and break the fast after midnight when Krishna's idol is bathed and worshipped.

Jivitputrika is a fast mothers keep for their sons' long life and safety. Karva Chauth is a fast wives keep for their husbands. They are kept on different days, in different regions, and for different people in the family.

Kamada Ekadashi is a fast day in early spring, at the start of the Hindu new year. The tradition says it fulfills wishes and removes certain spiritual debts.

Kamika Ekadashi is a fast day that falls in the monsoon month of Shravana. It marks the start of Chaturmas, a four-month period when Vishnu is believed to rest, and is seen as a time when fasting brings special spiritual benefit.

Kartik Purnima is a full moon day in autumn when many Hindus fast and bathe in rivers. The tradition holds that bathing on this day brings the spiritual benefit of visiting all sacred places at once.

Mahashivaratri is a night-long fast and vigil dedicated to Shiva. Devotees stay awake through four watches of the night, each with its own worship and offerings, then break the fast after morning prayers.

Mangala Gauri vrat is a fast observed by newly married women on Tuesdays during the month of Shravan. It is kept for the well-being and long life of the husband.

Masik Shivaratri happens every month on the dark moon night, while Mahashivaratri is one special night in the spring. Both honor Shiva, but Mahashivaratri is the major celebration.

Mokshada Ekadashi is a fast day that falls in the month of Margashirsha, and it is linked to the day Krishna taught the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna. Many people read or recite the Gita on this day as a spiritual practice.

During Navratri, the nine nights honoring the goddess, many people eat lighter or specially restricted foods as part of their observance. The practice varies widely by region, family, and sect.

Nirjala Ekadashi is a fast without water, observed on the eleventh day of the bright half of Jyeshtha (May or June). The tradition holds that keeping this one fast brings the merit of all twenty-four Ekadashi fasts combined.

Nirjala fasting means eating no food and drinking no water for a full day or more. It is a strict practice in Hindu tradition, but the old texts themselves recognize it is hard and offer gentler options for those whose health cannot bear it.

Onam is a harvest festival in Kerala that celebrates King Mahabali's return. It is not a vrat, or fasting observance. The heart of Onam is a big feast called Sadhya, though some people do fast on Thiruvonam day before eating.

Papankusha Ekadashi is a fast day in the Hindu calendar, falling in the autumn month of Ashwin. The tradition holds that observing it removes the weight of sins from many lifetimes.

Pausha Putrada Ekadashi is a winter fast observed in December or January, mainly in North India, to seek the blessing of a child. It is one of two Putrada Ekadashis in the year and is linked to stories of Vishnu granting sons to childless families.

Pradosh vrat and Shivaratri are two separate fasts for Shiva, both observed monthly. Pradosh falls on the 13th lunar day, Shivaratri on the 14th, so they happen on back-to-back days and can both be done in the same month.

Pradosh vrat falls on the 13th day of the lunar month. When it falls on a Saturday, it is called Shani Pradosh and is believed to be especially powerful because both Shiva and Shani (Saturn) are honored together on that day.

Pradosh vrat is a fast observed twice a month at twilight, devoted to Shiva. People fast during the day and spend the evening in prayer and worship.

Purnima vrat is a fast kept on the full moon day. Different deities are worshipped depending on the month and region—most often Vishnu, Shiva, or the moon itself.

Putrada Ekadashi is a fast day dedicated to Vishnu, observed twice a year by couples who wish to have children. The name means 'giver of sons,' and the tradition holds that the fast brings blessings for fertility.

Rama Ekadashi is a fast day that falls in the month of Kartik, just before Diwali. It is one of the most important Ekadashi days in the Hindu calendar, observed with fasting and worship of Vishnu.

Rishi Panchami is a fast observed by women in the month of Bhadrapada, meant to honor the seven sages and to atone for any unknowing breaks in purity rules during menstruation.

Sankashti Chaturthi and Vinayaka Chaturthi are two monthly fasts for Ganesha, falling on different moon phases. Sankashti comes on the dark moon each month and is broken after seeing the moon at night. Vinayaka Chaturthi comes on the bright moon, most famously in the month of Bhadrapada as Ganesh Chaturthi.

Santoshi Mata vrat is a Friday fast kept mostly by women to honour Santoshi Mata, a goddess of contentment. The fast lasts 16 Fridays, and on each fast day, people avoid sour foods and often listen to or read the vrat story.

Saraswati Puja falls during Navratri and honors the goddess of learning. Fasting is optional and not the main focus. Students traditionally avoid studying and writing on the puja day itself.

Sheetala Ashtami is a day when people worship Sheetala Devi, the goddess of cooling and protection from disease. On this day, no fresh cooking is done. Instead, people eat food cooked the day before, called basoda, which is stale and cold.

Shravan Somvar vrat is a fast kept on Mondays during the month of Shravan, usually from July to August. It is seen as especially sacred because of its link to Shiva and a story from the Puranic tradition.

Shukravar, or Friday vrat, is a fast kept on Fridays. The goddess most often worshipped is Santoshi Mata, though some regions connect Friday to Lakshmi or Devi. The fast is believed to bring peace, happiness, and harmony in the home.

Skanda Sashti vrat is a six-day fast in Tamil Nadu honoring Murugan, a deity of war and victory. Devotees fast and recite prayers during this time to mark his triumph over a demon.

Solah Somvar vrat is a 16-week Monday fast dedicated to Shiva. People fast, worship Shiva, listen to stories about the vrat, and break their fast with specific foods each week.

Bhai Dooj is a festival two days after Diwali when sisters fast and pray for their brothers' long life. The fast is broken after a ritual where the sister marks her brother's forehead with tilak.

Brihaspativar, or Thursday vrat, is a fast observed for Brihaspati, the planet Jupiter, or in some traditions for Vishnu or Sai Baba. It is kept for wisdom, wealth, and family well-being.

Chandra Darshan vrat is a monthly fast observed on Dwitiya, the second lunar day of the bright fortnight. People fast until they see the new crescent moon in the sky, then offer water and prayers to the moon.

Chaturmas is a four-month period of spiritual practice and fasting that runs from mid-June to mid-October. During these months, Hindus observe various restrictions on food, activities, and daily life as a way of honoring a sacred time.

Paran is the ritual breaking of a fast. The timing, foods, and method depend on which fast you are keeping, and vary by region and sect.

A nirjala fast means no food and no water at all. A phalahar fast allows fruits, milk, and certain grains. Both are ways of fasting in Hindu tradition, but at different levels of strictness.

Solah Somvar is a 16-Monday fast that can be done any time of year, while Shravan Somvar is just the 4 or 5 Mondays that fall in the month of Shravan. They both honor Shiva, but they are different practices with different lengths and stories.

Upvas, vrat, and upavas are three words for fasting, but they carry different meanings. Vrat is a vow or resolve. Upvas means to dwell near God through fasting. In everyday speech, upvas usually just means fasting.

Karthigai Deepam is a festival and vrat in Tamil Nadu celebrated on the full moon in the month of Karthigai. It honours Shiva as an infinite column of light, and people fast, light lamps, and gather to see the great flame lit atop Arunachala hill.

Karva Chauth is a day-long fast kept by many married women in North India. The fast lasts from sunrise until the moon rises in the evening, and is traditionally done for the well-being of the husband.

Tuesday fasts are kept for different deities in different regions. In North India, many fast for Hanuman on Tuesdays. In other parts of India, Tuesday is a day to fast for Durga or Devi. The foods, offerings, and stories are different for each.

Rath Saptami, also called Surya Jayanti, is a day in early spring when the sun is worshipped. People fast until noon, bathe with special leaves, and offer prayers to the sun for health and to wash away past wrongs.

The Ravivar vrat is a Sunday fast dedicated to Surya, the Sun god. People eat only one meal before sunset, offer red flowers and wheat, and recite prayers to Surya for health and strength.

Sakat Chauth is a fast observed by mothers in North India on a day in the month of Magh, done for the long life and wellbeing of their sons. It centres on worship of Ganesha and offerings of sesame and jaggery.

The Satyanarayan vrat is a worship and storytelling practice dedicated to Lord Satyanarayan. Fasting is not required. Some people eat lightly or once during the day, but many eat normally.

During fasting, many Hindus use rock salt (sendha namak) instead of regular table salt. The tradition sees rock salt as pure and calming, while regular salt is thought to stir the mind and body in ways that go against the quietness of a fast.

A vrat katha is a story told during a fast that explains why the fast is done and shows its power through example. The tradition holds that hearing the story is as important as the fast itself—without it, the vrat is seen as incomplete.

Swarna Gauri, also called Varalakshmi vrat, is a fast observed by married women in South India on a Friday before Shravan Purnima. They worship Lakshmi for the health and prosperity of their families.

Tulsi Vivah is a ritual where the Tulsi plant is ceremonially married to a stone called Shaligram, believed to hold Vishnu. Many women observe a fast on this day. It marks an important turning point in the Hindu calendar.

Yogini Ekadashi falls in the month of Ashadha and is one of 24 named Ekadashis in the Hindu calendar year. Several Ekadashis are held as especially important, each valued highly by different traditions and regions.

Vat Savitri is a fast that women keep for the long life and health of their husbands. It centers on the story of Savitri, a woman from the Mahabharata who used her courage and devotion to save her husband's life from death itself.

Vijaya Ekadashi is a fast day that falls on the eleventh lunar day of the dark half of Phalguna. The tradition says Rama observed this fast before crossing the ocean to Lanka, and it is believed to bring victory.

Many Hindus fast on Saturdays to honor Shani, the deity linked to the planet Saturn. The tradition holds that fasting and offerings help ease Shani's difficult influence.

Some people fast on Mondays as a devotional practice to honour Shiva. The day is believed to be specially connected to him.

Some people fast on Tuesdays as a devotional practice linked to Hanuman, a deity many Hindus turn to for courage and devotion. It is a choice made out of faith.