When is Jaya Ekadashi?
| Date | Note |
|---|---|
| Wednesday, 17 February 2027 | — |
| Monday, 7 February 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 Jaya Ekadashi
Jaya Ekadashi in the bright half of Magha is said to free one from lowly births and from the state of a ghost or pishacha. In some regions it is called Bhaimi Ekadashi.
The story is told to show the power of the vrat even when kept unknowingly; devotees worship Vishnu and stay awake at night with bhajans.
The story of Jaya Ekadashi
In Indra's court the gandharva Malyavan and the apsara Pushpavati, distracted by their love for each other, sang out of tune during a performance. Indra cursed them to become pishachas and live in the Himalaya.
There, cold, hungry and miserable, they ate nothing all through one day and stayed awake through the freezing night — without knowing it was Jaya Ekadashi. By the merit of that unknowing fast they were freed and returned to heaven.
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 Jaya 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 Jaya 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 Jaya 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 Jaya Ekadashi 2027?
Jaya Ekadashi falls on Wednesday, 17 February 2027 (New Delhi, tithi at sunrise). Check your local Panchang for the fast and the parana (breaking) time.
What does Jaya Ekadashi free one from?
The Purana says it frees one from lowly births and from the state of a ghost (pishacha), as it freed Malyavan and Pushpavati.
What is eaten on the Jaya 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.