Kamika Ekadashi
Fasting day
From grains and beans, from sunrise
Break the fast ·
5:41 – 10:13 AM
Break the fast after sunrise and before a third of the day has passed.
What is Kamika Ekadashi?
Kamika Ekadashi is the eleventh day of the waning moon in the month of Shravana. Lord Krishna told Maharaja Yudhishthira of its glories in the words Lord Brahma had once spoken to Narada Muni. Devotees at Kurukshetra keep it on Friday, 30 July 2027.
Significance
In the Brahma-vaivarta Purana, Lord Brahma explains to his disciple (and son) Narada Muni what this fast can do. Whoever fasts on Kamika Ekadashi and worships Lord Vishnu, here called Shridhara and Gadadhara, earns more merit than by bathing at Kashi, Naimisharanya or Pushkara, or even at Kurukshetra during a solar eclipse.
The day belongs especially to Tulasi. A single leaf offered to Lord Hari pleases Him more than jewels, and a lamp offered to Lord Krishna lifts the offerer's forefathers to the heavenly planets. The Srimad-Bhagavatam shows what Tulasi means to a devotee when it describes Maharaja Ambarisha:
“he engaged his sense of smell in smelling the fragrance of tulasī offered to the Lord, and he engaged his tongue in tasting the Lord’s prasāda.”
Srimad-Bhagavatam 9.4.18-20
How to observe it
Avoid grains and beans from sunrise on Friday, 30 July 2027. The Purana advises staying awake through the night, offering Tulasi leaves and lighting a lamp of ghee or sesame oil for Lord Krishna. Even those who cannot fast fully are asked to follow these practices as far as they can. Break the fast with grain prasadam on Saturday, 31 July 2027, between 5:41 AM and 10:13 AM at Kurukshetra.
Read more: Kamika Ekadashi
Questions
When is Kamika Ekadashi in 2027?
Kamika Ekadashi falls on Friday, 30 July 2027 at Kurukshetra. It is the Ekadashi of the dark fortnight of Shravana.
What time should I break the Kamika Ekadashi fast in Kurukshetra?
Break the fast on Saturday, 31 July 2027 between 5:41 AM and 10:13 AM at Kurukshetra. The window opens at sunrise and closes when one third of the daylight hours has passed.
Who spoke the glories of Kamika Ekadashi?
Lord Krishna described them to Maharaja Yudhishthira, in the words Lord Brahma had spoken to Narada Muni. The account is found in the Brahma-vaivarta Purana.
Which Deity is worshipped on Kamika Ekadashi?
Devotees worship Lord Vishnu under names such as Shridhara, Gadadhara and Hari, and Lord Krishna as well. Tulasi leaves and a lamp are the special offerings of the day.
Reviewed by ISKCON Kurukshetra · Updated
Key facts
- Fasting day
- Break fast
- · 5:41–10:13 AM
- Fast from
- Grains and beans
- Narrated in
- Brahma-vaivarta Purana
- Deity worshipped
- Lord Vishnu as Shridhara
Seva for this day
Feed devotees and visitors on this holy day, or begin the Bhagavad-gita course with us.