Vrat · Vishnu

Apara Ekadashi

The fast of boundless merit, also called Achala Ekadashi, whose story tells of King Mahidhvaja and the sage Dhaumya.

Apara Ekadashi 2027
Tuesday 1 June 2027
New Delhi

For New Delhi, Tuesday 1 June 2027

Krishna Ekadashi tithi

Begins
10:03 am, 31 May
Ends
9:40 am
Sunrise
5:24 am
Sunset
7:14 pm
Moonrise
3:00 am, 2 June
Moonset
3:39 pm

Worked out for your city. Panchangs can differ by a minute or so.

Full panchang for this day →

Puja times

For New Delhi, Tuesday 1 June 2027

Parana (breaking the fast), 2 Jun

5:24 am to 8:10 am

Hari Vasara ends
3:22 pm, 1 June
Dwadashi ends
8:29 am
Ekadashi begins
10:03 am, 31 May
Ekadashi ends
9:40 am

Worked out for your city. Panchangs can differ by a minute or so.

How it is kept

Customs vary by region and family

  • Fast without grains or beans
  • Hear the story of King Mahidhvaja
  • Break the fast tomorrow in the parana time

What it remembers

Apara Ekadashi, the Ekadashi without limit, is the eleventh day of the dark fortnight of Vaishakha (Jyeshtha in North India), in May or June. Its merit is held to be boundless (apara), enough to clear even grave wrongs, and it is also called Achala Ekadashi, the steadfast. Its story is of King Mahidhvaja, murdered by his brother and left a restless spirit, until a sage gave him the merit of this fast. The fast is broken the next morning in the parana time.

Merit without limit

When Yudhishthira asked about the dark Ekadashi of Jyeshtha, Lord Krishna named it Apara, the boundless, for the merit it gives has no end. It frees those who keep it, he said, even from grave sins, such as slander and the giving of false witness, and the merit it gives can be neither counted nor used up.

The king under the peepal tree

There was once a righteous king named Mahidhvaja. His younger brother, Vajradhvaja, was cruel and burned with envy of him. At last Vajradhvaja killed the king and buried his body beneath a peepal tree in the forest. Murdered and given no last rites, Mahidhvaja found no peace. His spirit lingered in the tree as a restless ghost, troubling all who came that way.

The sage Dhaumya

One day the sage Dhaumya passed by the tree. By his inner sight he saw who the ghost had been and how he had died, and he resolved to free him. He kept the Apara Ekadashi fast and gave all its merit to the king’s spirit. By the merit of the fast Mahidhvaja was freed from the ghostly form and rose to heaven.

Keeping Apara Ekadashi

The fast runs from sunrise to the parana the next morning. Families keep it in many ways, strictly or simply; follow your own tradition where it differs.

  1. On Dashami, the day before, eat one simple meal before sunset, and pick the tulsi leaves you will need: tulsi is not plucked on Ekadashi.
  2. Bathe early and take the vow (sankalpa) to fast. Keep it without grains or beans, on fruit and milk, or without water, as your health allows.
  3. Worship Lord Vishnu with tulsi leaves, flowers, a lamp and incense. If you keep it as Bhadrakali Ekadashi, honour the goddess with him.
  4. Read or hear the story of King Mahidhvaja and the sage Dhaumya, and chant Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya or read the Vishnu Sahasranama.
  5. If you keep the fast for one who has died, as Dhaumya kept it for the king, say so in your vow.
  6. Many keep awake in the night with kirtan (jagaran), and sing Om Jai Jagdish Hare.
  7. On Dwadashi, break the fast in the parana time shown on this page, starting with tulsi water, then a simple meal.

What you need

  • Tulsi leaves, picked the day before
  • Fruit, milk and the foods allowed in the fast (sabudana, kuttu, singhara, potato)
  • Flowers, a lamp and incense
  • The Apara Ekadashi story, or the Vishnu Sahasranama

Across India

North India

Kept in the dark fortnight of Jyeshtha, in the heat of early summer, a fortnight before Nirjala Ekadashi.

Gujarat, Maharashtra and the south

By the southern calendar, whose months end at the new moon, the same day is the dark Ekadashi of Vaishakha. It is the same fast: only the month’s name differs.

Some regions

The day is kept as Bhadrakali Ekadashi, with the goddess Bhadrakali honoured beside Lord Vishnu, or as Jalakrida Ekadashi, the Ekadashi of water play.

Vaishnava and ISKCON tradition

Kept by the Vaishnava rule, which can move the fast a day later when Dashami touches Ekadashi’s dawn, with the glories of the day read in temples.

When it falls

Krishna Ekadashi of Vaishakha (Jyeshtha in North India). Kept on the day of the Ekadashi fast (the Smarta day).

These are the usual rules. A few days can differ by a day in your tradition, so check with your temple.

Apara Ekadashi in the coming years

New Delhi, India time

  1. 2027Tuesday 1 June 2027
  2. 2028Saturday 20 May 2028

Questions

When is Apara Ekadashi in 2027?

Tuesday 1 June 2027, in New Delhi. In a few places it can fall a day apart, so the date above is worked out for your city.

When does Apara Ekadashi fall?

Krishna Ekadashi of Vaishakha (Jyeshtha in North India). Kept on the day of the Ekadashi fast (the Smarta day).

How is Apara Ekadashi kept?

Families fast without grains or beans, hear the story of King Mahidhvaja and break the fast tomorrow in the parana time. Customs vary by region and family.

Who is honoured on Apara Ekadashi?

Vishnu. The fast of boundless merit, also called Achala Ekadashi, whose story tells of King Mahidhvaja and the sage Dhaumya.

What is the story of Apara Ekadashi?

King Mahidhvaja was murdered by his envious younger brother, Vajradhvaja, and buried under a peepal tree, where his spirit lingered as a ghost. The sage Dhaumya saw his plight, kept the Apara Ekadashi fast and gave its merit to the king, who was freed and rose to heaven.

What does Apara mean?

Without limit, or boundless: a-para, with no far shore. The fast is held to give merit that cannot be measured or used up.

Is Apara Ekadashi the same as Achala Ekadashi?

Yes. Achala, the steadfast, is another name for the same day, and in some regions it is also called Bhadrakali Ekadashi or Jalakrida Ekadashi.

Can Apara Ekadashi be kept for someone who has died?

Its own story tells of it: the sage Dhaumya kept the fast and gave its merit to the murdered king, who was freed. If you keep it for someone you have lost, name them in your vow, and follow your family’s custom.

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