When is Indira Ekadashi?
| Date | Note |
|---|---|
| Sunday, 26 September 2027 | — |
| Friday, 15 September 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 Indira Ekadashi
Indira Ekadashi falls in the dark half of Ashvin, within Pitru Paksha, and is kept for the liberation of one's ancestors.
Shraddha and tarpan for the ancestors are combined with the Ekadashi fast; food is given to Brahmins and the poor.
The story of Indira Ekadashi
King Indrasena of Mahishmati was visited by the sage Narada, who told him that he had seen the king's father in the court of Yama, suffering because of a broken vrat.
Narada taught the king the Indira Ekadashi vrat. Indrasena kept it with his family and offered its merit to his father, who was freed and rose to Vishnu's abode.
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 Indira 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 Indira 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 Indira 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 Indira Ekadashi 2027?
Indira Ekadashi falls on Sunday, 26 September 2027 (New Delhi, tithi at sunrise). Check your local Panchang for the fast and the parana (breaking) time.
Why is Indira Ekadashi kept during Pitru Paksha?
It falls within the fortnight of the ancestors, and its merit is offered for their liberation, as King Indrasena did for his father.
What is eaten on the Indira 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.