When is Aja Ekadashi?
| Date | Note |
|---|---|
| Saturday, 28 August 2027 | — |
| Wednesday, 16 August 2028 | — |
Dates for New Delhi (tithi at sunrise). Smarta and Vaishnava calendars may differ by a day; check your local Panchang for the fast and parana times. All Ekadashi dates →
About Aja Ekadashi
Aja (Annada) Ekadashi in the dark half of Bhadrapada is linked with the story of King Harishchandra, famed for keeping his word at any cost.
Devotees fast, worship Vishnu and stay awake at night; the story of Harishchandra is told as a lesson in truthfulness.
The story of Aja Ekadashi
The truthful King Harishchandra, to keep a promise to the sage Vishvamitra, gave away his kingdom, sold his wife and son, and became a servant at a cremation ground. In his misery he met the sage Gautama.
The sage told him to keep Aja Ekadashi. Harishchandra fasted with devotion; his trials ended, his son was restored to life, and he regained his family and kingdom.
As told in the Ekadashi Mahatmya of the Padma and Bhavishyottara Purana tradition, where Krishna narrates each Ekadashi's glory to Yudhishthira. Versions differ in detail between editions.
How to keep the Aja Ekadashi vrat
- Dashami, the day before. Eat a light sattvic meal before sunset and avoid grains that night.
- Morning. Bathe early, take a sankalp for the vrat, and worship Vishnu or Krishna with tulsi leaves, flowers, a diya and incense.
- Through the day. Keep the fast as your tradition and health allow — nirjala, phalahar (fruit and milk) or one light meal without grains. Chant "Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya", hear the story of Aja Ekadashi, and avoid anger and idle talk.
- Night. Many keep jagaran — staying awake with bhajans and kirtan.
- Dwadashi. Break the fast (parana) after sunrise within the Dwadashi tithi, after offering food to Vishnu and to someone in need.
Children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with medical conditions should keep a lighter fast.
Mantra for Aja Ekadashi
Dvadashakshari mantra of Vishnu
ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya ||
Om, salutations to Bhagavan Vasudeva, who dwells in all beings. Chant it 108 times on a tulsi mala through the day.
Frequently asked questions
When is Aja Ekadashi 2027?
Aja Ekadashi falls on Saturday, 28 August 2027 (New Delhi, tithi at sunrise). Check your local Panchang for the fast and the parana (breaking) time.
Which story is told on Aja Ekadashi?
The story of King Harishchandra, whose trials ended after he kept this vrat.
What is eaten on the Aja Ekadashi fast?
Grains and beans — rice, wheat and dal — are avoided. Fruit, milk, nuts, potatoes, sabudana, singhara and kuttu flour and rock salt are commonly eaten. Some keep a nirjala fast; follow your family tradition and your health.
When is the Ekadashi fast broken?
On Dwadashi, the next day, after sunrise and within the Dwadashi tithi — not during Hari Vasara, the first quarter of Dwadashi. This is called parana; check the time in your local Panchang.