fasts and vrats
What is the Yogini Ekadashi and which Ekadashis are considered most important across the year?
The Ekadashi calendar
An Ekadashi is the eleventh day of the lunar fortnight, a day of fasting and worship observed by many Hindus. There are two Ekadashis in each lunar month—one in the bright fortnight and one in the dark fortnight. Over the year, this adds up to 24 named Ekadashis, sometimes counted as 26 depending on the tradition. Each one has its own name and its own story in the Puranic texts.
Yogini Ekadashi
Yogini Ekadashi falls in the month of Ashadha, in the dark fortnight. Like other Ekadashis, it is observed with fasting and prayer. The tradition holds that observing it brings spiritual merit and the blessings of the divine. The exact date shifts each year with the lunar calendar.
The most valued Ekadashis
While all Ekadashis are held sacred, certain ones are considered to carry special weight. Nirjala Ekadashi, which falls in the month of Jyeshtha, is seen by many as the most powerful because the fast is kept without even water. Devshayani Ekadashi, in Ashadha, marks the beginning of the monsoon season and the time when Vishnu is said to enter a four-month sleep. Devutthani Ekadashi, in Kartik, marks his awakening. Vaikuntha Ekadashi, also in Kartik, is held as a gateway to liberation by many traditions. Different regions and sects place their own emphasis on different ones, so what is most important can vary from place to place and family to family.
Where they come from
The named Ekadashis and their stories appear in texts like the Skanda Purana and Padma Purana. Each Ekadashi has a tale attached to it—often a story of a devotee, a deity, or a cosmic event. These stories are part of how the tradition teaches the meaning of each fast.
In practice today
Some people observe all 24 Ekadashis in the year, while others keep only the ones they were raised with or the ones their family or region emphasizes. The fast can mean no food at all, or eating only light, simple foods like fruit or milk. Many people do a full fast on Nirjala Ekadashi and lighter fasts on others. In the diaspora, people often keep the Ekadashis that matter most to them, and lunar calendars make it easy to track them anywhere in the world.