Parsva 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.
Vishnu turns onto his side
Ekadashi, the 11th day of each lunar fortnight, is kept across the year as a fasting day (vrat) for Vishnu. There are two every lunar month, one in the waxing fortnight and one in the waning, and Parsva Ekadashi is the one that falls in the bright fortnight (Shukla Paksha) of Bhadrapada, the month that usually maps to August or September.
What sets this Ekadashi apart is its place in Chaturmas, the four-month period when Vishnu is said to be in cosmic sleep. That sleep begins at Devshayani Ekadashi and ends at Devutthana Ekadashi. Parsva means side, and this day marks the belief that midway through his rest Vishnu turns onto his side without waking, which is why it is also known as Parivartini (the turning) Ekadashi. In several communities it is observed as Vamana Ekadashi, linked to Vishnu's dwarf incarnation honoured in the same fortnight.
As with every Ekadashi, the day is kept for spiritual merit, the clearing of past wrongs, and steadiness of mind rather than for a single worldly request. The fast and worship are the point: a regular discipline that returns twice a month, observed here at a moment the tradition treats as a turning point in Vishnu's long rest.
Rituals & observance
Observance centres on a grain-free fast for the day and worship of Vishnu, with the fast broken the next morning on Dwadashi. Practices vary by family and how strictly the vrat is kept, but the common elements are these:
- Keep the fast from sunrise. Grains, especially rice, are avoided, along with onion, garlic, and any meat, eggs, or alcohol. Depending on the form kept, people take only water, fruit, milk, or simple non-grain food.
- Bathe and worship Vishnu at home or at a temple, often before an image of the reclining (sleeping) Vishnu in keeping with the Chaturmas theme.
- Offer tulsi (holy basil) leaves, flowers, fruit, and a lit lamp, since tulsi is central to Vishnu worship.
- Spend the day in remembrance, reading or listening to the Parsva Ekadashi story (katha) and chanting Vishnu's names; many keep a night vigil (jagran).
- Avoid grains and a heavy meal through the day; those who cannot fast fully take a lighter version, and elders or the unwell are not expected to keep it strictly.
- Break the fast (parana) the next morning on Dwadashi, the 12th day, within the prescribed window after sunrise, traditionally starting with food cooked from grain.
Regional variations
How this date is determined
Observed on the Ekadashi tithi of Bhadrapada (Shukla paksha), reckoned by sunrise (udaya tithi).
Dates are computed to astronomical precision (NASA/JPL ephemeris), in line with traditional panchang.
