Devshayani Ekadashi
Lord Vishnu
When it falls
The date shifts because it tracks the moon, not the Gregorian calendar.
Calculated for India (IST) using precise Panchang astronomy. Dates can shift by a day at locations far to the east or west.
Why Devshayani Ekadashi matters
Devshayani Ekadashi falls on the eleventh day (Ekadashi) of the waxing fortnight in the lunar month of Ashadha, which usually lands in June or July. Its name means "the Ekadashi when the deity sleeps": tradition holds that on this day Lord Vishnu lies down on the serpent Shesha to begin a four-month period of yoga-nidra (cosmic rest). He is said to wake again on Prabodhini Ekadashi in the month of Kartika.
Because Vishnu is understood to be at rest, the day opens Chaturmas ("the four months"), a stretch traditionally set aside for restraint, simpler living, study, and devotion. Many families pause auspicious ceremonies such as weddings and housewarmings during this window and take up vows, extra prayer, or charitable acts instead.
Like every Ekadashi, the day is centred on the Ekadashi vrat, a fast kept for Vishnu. The classical texts present these fasts as a means of purifying the mind and turning attention toward devotion rather than as a transaction for rewards. Devshayani is especially noted because it begins the most observant season of the Vaishnava year.
Rituals & observance
Observance centres on the Ekadashi fast and worship of Vishnu, with the fast broken the next morning. Practice varies by family and tradition; keep to what your household follows.
- Keep the Ekadashi fast (vrat). Many devotees take a full fast (nirjala or without grain), while others keep a partial fast eating only fruit, milk, and permitted non-grain foods (phalahar). Rice and grains are traditionally avoided on Ekadashi.
- Worship Lord Vishnu at home or at the temple. Common offerings include flowers, tulsi (holy basil) leaves, incense, and a lamp, often with recitation of Vishnu's names or the Vishnu Sahasranama.
- Mark the start of Chaturmas by taking up a personal vow for the four months, such as giving up a particular food, reading scripture daily, or doing regular charity.
- Spend the day in restraint and devotion: many keep a night vigil (jagran) with bhajans and avoid arguments, indulgence, and worldly distraction.
- Break the fast (parana) the next morning, on Dwadashi, within the prescribed window after sunrise. Avoid breaking it during the forbidden Hari Vasara period; check the parana timing for your location ({{muhurat.pujaTime}}).
How this date is determined
Observed on the Ekadashi tithi of Ashadha (Shukla paksha), reckoned by sunrise (udaya tithi).
Dates are computed to astronomical precision (NASA/JPL ephemeris), in line with traditional panchang.
