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The eleventh day of each lunar fortnight, dedicated to fasting and devotion to Vishnu
Dates 2026–2027
Mantra
ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya — I surrender to Lord Vasudeva (Vishnu), who dwells in all beings
Foods Allowed
Foods to Avoid
Meal Idea
Chilled rose lassi with roasted makhana — elegant and cooling
What distinguishes Nirjala Ekadashi?
Nirjala is associated with Bhima, whose difficulty keeping the regular Ekadashi discipline forms the setting of its traditional story. The defining word means without water, making this a materially different fast from a fruit-and-milk observance. That distinction is religious, not medical advice: a no-water fast can be unsafe and is not suitable for everyone. Devotees may follow a modified discipline on appropriate advice. Any meal described below belongs after the fast is ended or to an explicitly modified observance, never to the middle of a strict Nirjala fast.
Traditional accounts: Drik Panchang's Ekadashi katha collectionDeity and devotional focus
Lord Vishnu
Meal ideas for this occurrence
The catalog's permitted-meal idea for Nirjala Ekadashi is: Chilled rose lassi with roasted makhana — elegant and cooling
June: For an allowed early-summer meal, keep fruit and dairy properly stored and prepare only what will be served. A refreshing dish belongs to a permitted or post-fast meal, not to a strict complete fast.
Strict Nirjala means no food or water during the fast. Meal ideas apply only after parana or to a modified fast agreed with appropriate guidance.
Calendar context
This page's recorded occurrences are 2026-06-25 (Thursday); 2027-06-14 (Monday). The name Nirjala Ekadashi identifies this observance; it is not an instruction to repeat the same civil date every year.
Civil dates are calendar references; the applicable tithi, local observance rule and community calendar determine the practice. The selected location can change the displayed day.
Read the shared family story and aarti📜 The story behind this vrat
The Pandava Bhima was known for his enormous appetite and great love of food. When the sage Vyasa instructed the Pandavas to observe all 24 Ekadashis of the year, Bhima was in despair. He told Vyasa — "O sage, I can fight a thousand demons but I cannot fast even for a single day. My digestive fire burns constantly and hunger is unbearable for me. What shall I do?" Vyasa smiled with compassion. He…
Read full katha ›
The Pandava Bhima was known for his enormous appetite and great love of food. When the sage Vyasa instructed the Pandavas to observe all 24 Ekadashis of the year, Bhima was in despair. He told Vyasa — "O sage, I can fight a thousand demons but I cannot fast even for a single day. My digestive fire burns constantly and hunger is unbearable for me. What shall I do?" Vyasa smiled with compassion. He said — "Bhima, there is one Ekadashi so powerful that observing it earns the merit of all 24 Ekadashis combined. It is called Nirjala Ekadashi — the waterless fast. It falls on the eleventh day of the waxing fortnight in the month of Jyeshtha. Fast strictly on this day — not even a drop of water — and you will receive the full blessings of every Ekadashi in the year." Bhima observed Nirjala Ekadashi faithfully and completely. At the end of the fast, Lord Vishnu himself appeared before him and blessed him. He said — "Bhima, your one day of complete renunciation has given you the fruit of a year of devotion. Those who observe this fast will be purified of all sins. At the time of death, my messengers — not Yama's — shall come for them." This is why Nirjala Ekadashi is also called Bhimseni Ekadashi and is considered the most powerful fast in the Vaishnava calendar. It is the hardest fast, but it carries the greatest reward.
Your family's version of this story may differ — all versions are sacred.
Related vrats
Prioritising the same tradition and category, with related tradition or family entries when fewer than six exist.
- Varuthini Ekadashi — April 13, 2026Same tradition and category
- Mohini Ekadashi — April 27, 2026Same tradition and category
- Kamika Ekadashi — August 9, 2026Same tradition and category
- Shravana Putrada Ekadashi — August 23, 2026Same tradition and category
- Utpanna Ekadashi — December 4, 2026Same tradition and category
- Mokshada Ekadashi (Vaikuntha Ekadashi) — December 20, 2026Same tradition and category
Get a reminder before the next Nirjala Ekadashi
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