When is Pausha Putrada Ekadashi?
| Date | Note |
|---|---|
| Tuesday, 19 January 2027 | — |
| Saturday, 8 January 2028 | — |
| Wednesday, 27 December 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 Pausha Putrada Ekadashi
Pausha Putrada Ekadashi, in the bright half of Pausha, is the second Putrada Ekadashi of the year, kept for the blessing of children. In the South it is often Vaikuntha Ekadashi, when the 'gate of Vaikuntha' (paramapada vasal) is opened in Vishnu temples such as Srirangam and Tirumala.
In South Indian Vishnu temples, when this is Vaikuntha Ekadashi, devotees pass through the northern Vaikuntha Dvaram before dawn.
The story of Pausha Putrada Ekadashi
King Suketuman of Bhadravati and his queen Shaivya had no child, and the king grieved that there would be no one to offer water to his ancestors. Wandering in the forest, he came upon sages bathing in a lake — the Vishvedevas.
They told him that this was Putrada Ekadashi and that he should keep its vrat. He fasted with devotion, and in time a son was born, who grew to be a great and virtuous king.
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 Pausha Putrada 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 Pausha Putrada 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 Pausha Putrada 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 Pausha Putrada Ekadashi 2027?
Pausha Putrada Ekadashi falls on Tuesday, 19 January 2027 (New Delhi, tithi at sunrise). Check your local Panchang for the fast and the parana (breaking) time.
What is Vaikuntha Ekadashi?
The Shukla Ekadashi in the solar month of Margazhi (Dhanu), when the gate of Vaikuntha is opened in Vishnu temples; it usually coincides with Mokshada or Pausha Putrada Ekadashi.
What is eaten on the Pausha Putrada 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.