Ashadi Ekadashi 2026 (25 July): Date, Vrat Vidhi, Parana Time & Chaturmas

Ashadi Ekadashi 2026 — also known as Devshayani Ekadashi — falls on Saturday, 25th July 2026. For Maharashtra it is the most important Ekadashi of the entire year, the day lakhs of warkaris complete their long walk to Pandharpur for darshan of Shri Vitthal-Rukmini.

On this day Lord Vishnu enters yoga nidra — four months of cosmic sleep — and the sacred period of Chaturmas begins.

Why Ashadi Ekadashi Is So Important

• Vishnu Shayan: Lord Vishnu goes to rest on Sheshnag in the Ksheer Sagar and remains in yoga nidra until Prabodhini Ekadashi in Kartik month.
• Chaturmas Begins: The holiest four months for vrat, daan, japa and self-discipline.
• Pandharpur Wari: The palkhis of Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj from Alandi and Sant Tukaram Maharaj from Dehu reach Pandharpur on this day.
• Moksha Daayak: Observing this Ekadashi with devotion is said to wash away accumulated sins and lead the soul toward liberation.

Chaturmas: What It Means for Weddings and Muhurat

This is the part most families need to plan around. Because Lord Vishnu is in yoga nidra, no auspicious ceremonies are performed during Chaturmas — marriages, engagements, griha pravesh, mundan, and the launch of new ventures are all traditionally postponed.

Chaturmas runs from 25 July 2026 until Prabodhini (Devuthani) Ekadashi in November 2026, when Lord Vishnu awakens and the wedding season resumes.

In practical terms: the days before 25 July are the last auspicious window for nearly four months. If you are planning a wedding, a griha pravesh, or the start of a new business, this is the moment to finalise your muhurat — and if the date cannot be advanced, we can identify the earliest suitable muhurat after Chaturmas ends.

For weddings specifically, this is also the right time to complete kundali matching, so the horoscopes are checked well before the muhurat is fixed. If you are outside Chiplun, the same guidance is available through online consultation.

Note that vrat, daan, japa, paarayan and spiritual practice are not restricted at all during Chaturmas — in fact, this is considered the most rewarding period of the year for them.

Pandharpur Wari and the Warkari Tradition

For centuries, warkaris have walked hundreds of kilometres to Pandharpur singing abhangs of Sant Dnyaneshwar, Sant Tukaram, Sant Namdev and Sant Eknath, with the jayghosh of "Vitthal Vitthal" echoing along the route. They carry no wealth and seek no favour — only darshan of their beloved Vitthal, who stands waiting on the brick at Pandharpur.

Even for those who cannot travel, singing abhangs, reading the Dnyaneshwari or Haripath, and offering tulsi at home on this day carries the same devotional merit. If you would like the vrat or a Satyanarayan puja performed properly at home, see our puja services.

Ashadi Ekadashi Vrat Vidhi

1. Wake early during Brahma Muhurta and take a purifying bath.
2. Wear clean yellow or white clothes — yellow is dear to Lord Vishnu.
3. Place an idol or photo of Lord Vishnu (or Vitthal-Rukmini) on a clean yellow cloth.
4. Light a ghee diya, offer sandalwood paste, akshat, yellow flowers and tulsi patra.
5. Offer naivedya of fruits, panchamrit and sweets prepared without grain.
6. Chant Vishnu mantras, read the Ekadashi katha, and sing abhangs or Haripath.
7. Perform aarti in the evening and keep a night vigil (jagran) if possible.
8. Break the fast the next morning during the parana window.

Fasting Rules

Avoid: rice and all grains, pulses, onion, garlic, and non-vegetarian food. Rice is especially prohibited on Ekadashi.

Permitted (for phalahar vrat): fruits, milk and dairy, sabudana, rajgira, shengdana, sweet potato, and sendha namak in place of ordinary salt.

Elderly persons, children, expectant mothers and those who are unwell may observe a lighter fast — devotion matters more than severity.

Parana — Breaking the Fast

The fast is broken on Dwadashi, Sunday 26 July 2026, in the morning after sunrise and before 8:29 AM. Breaking the fast during Hari Vasara — the first quarter of Dwadashi tithi — should be avoided. Offer food to a Brahmin, a cow, or someone in need before eating yourself.

Mantras to Chant

• Vishnu Mool Mantra: Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya
• Vitthal Naam: Vitthal Vitthal Jai Hari Vitthal
• Paarayan: Vishnu Sahasranama, Haripath, or Dnyaneshwari

May Shri Vitthal bless you and your family with devotion, peace and good health this Chaturmas. Vitthal Vitthal! 🙏