Kamada Ekadashi
Fasting day
From grains and beans, from sunrise
Break the fast ·
5:53 – 7:43 AM
Break the fast after sunrise and before Dvadashi ends.
What is Kamada Ekadashi?
Kamada Ekadashi is the Ekadashi of the waxing moon in the month of Caitra (March to April). Kamada means "giver of desires". In 2027 devotees fast on Saturday, 17 April.
Significance
Lord Sri Krishna tells this story to Maharaja Yudhishthira, and it is one of twenty-four narrations the sages selected from the Puranas. Lalit, a Gandharva singer in the city of Ratnapura, lost the tune of his song while thinking of his wife Lalita, and King Pundarika cursed him to become a man-eating demon. Lalita met the sage Shringi on Vindhyachala hill and kept Kamada Ekadashi as he instructed. On Dvadasi she offered the merit of her fast to her husband before the Deity of Lord Vasudeva, and Lalit was freed at once.
Srila Prabhupada explained the purpose of every Ekadashi fast:
The real reason for observing fasting on Ekādaśī is to minimize the demands of the body and to engage our time in the service of the Lord by chanting or performing similar service.
The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 7
How to observe it
Lalita did exactly as the sage told her, and that is the pattern for the day. Keep away from grains and beans throughout 17 April, give the time you would spend cooking and eating to chanting the holy names, and hear the story of Lalit and Lalita from beginning to end. At Kurukshetra the fast is broken on Sunday, 18 April, between 5:53 AM and 7:43 AM.
Questions
When is Kamada Ekadashi in 2027?
Kamada Ekadashi is on Saturday, 17 April 2027. It is the Ekadashi of the waxing moon in Caitra, and the fast is broken the next morning, Sunday, 18 April.
What time should I break the Kamada Ekadashi fast in Kurukshetra?
Break the fast on Sunday, 18 April 2027, between 5:53 AM and 7:43 AM IST at Kurukshetra. The window opens at sunrise and closes at the end of the tithi.
Who were Lalit and Lalita in the Kamada Ekadashi story?
Lalit was a Gandharva singer whom King Pundarika cursed to become a man-eating demon, and Lalita was his wife. On the advice of the sage Shringi she kept Kamada Ekadashi and gave the merit to her husband, and he was freed from the curse.
Which Deity is worshipped on Kamada Ekadashi?
Lord Vasudeva, a name of Lord Sri Krishna, is the Deity in the Kamada Ekadashi narration. Before Him Lalita offers the merit of her fast, and Lalit is freed from his curse.
Reviewed by ISKCON Kurukshetra · Updated
Key facts
- Fasting day
- Break fast
- · 5:53–7:43 AM
- Fast from
- Grains and beans
- Narrated by
- Lord Sri Krishna to Maharaja Yudhishthira
- Deity in the story
- Lord Vasudeva
Seva for this day
Feed devotees and visitors on this holy day, or begin the Bhagavad-gita course with us.