Utpanna Ekadashi
Disappearance Day of Sri Narahari Sarakara Thakura
Fasting day
From grains and beans, from sunrise
Break the fast ·
7:04 – 10:30 AM
Break the fast after sunrise and before a third of the day has passed.
What is Utpanna Ekadashi?
Utpanna Ekadashi comes in the month of Margasirsha (November and December), on the eleventh day of the waning moon. In 2026 devotees keep the fast on Friday, 4 December. The Bhavisya-uttara Purana glorifies this Ekadashi, and Srila Prabhupada asked all his followers to observe it.
Significance
In the Bhavisya-uttara Purana, Lord Sri Krishna explains to Arjuna how Ekadashi herself appeared from His body to defeat the demon Mura. This Ekadashi also marks the disappearance of Srila Narahari Sarakara Thakura, an intimate associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Prabhupada explains what the vow is for:
To observe Ekādaśī-vrata and Dvādaśī-vrata means to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Srimad-Bhagavatam 9.4.29, purport
How to observe it
For the whole day, devotees give up grains and beans and spend their time chanting the holy names and reading about Krishna. Anyone able to fast more strictly may do so, but the rule for everyone is the same: no grains and no beans. At Kurukshetra the fast is broken on Saturday, 5 December, between 7:04 AM and 10:30 AM.
Read more: Utpanna Ekadashi
Questions
When is Utpanna Ekadashi in 2026?
Utpanna Ekadashi is on Friday, 4 December 2026. The same day marks the disappearance of Srila Narahari Sarakara Thakura.
What time should I break the Utpanna Ekadashi fast in Kurukshetra?
Break the fast on Saturday, 5 December 2026, between 7:04 AM (sunrise) and 10:30 AM (one third of the day) IST.
Who was Srila Narahari Sarakara Thakura?
Srila Narahari Sarakara Thakura was an intimate associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu from the village of Shrikhanda in Bengal. He served the Lord by fanning Him with a camara, and he wrote songs and books about Radha and Krishna.
What should I not eat on Utpanna Ekadashi?
Do not eat grains or beans. The Bhavisya-uttara Purana also says not to drink water from a conch-shell and not to kill living beings such as fish or pigs.
Reviewed by ISKCON Kurukshetra · Updated
Key facts
- Fasting day
- Break fast
- · 7:04–10:30 AM
- Also on this day
- Disappearance Day of Sri Narahari Sarakara Thakura
- Fast from
- Grains and beans
- Narrated in
- Bhavisya-uttara Purana
Seva for this day
Feed devotees and visitors on this holy day, or begin the Bhagavad-gita course with us.