Padmini Ekadashi 2026: Date, Significance, Rituals, Traditions, And More

Add as a preferred source on Google

Among the many Ekadashis observed in the Hindu calendar, Padmini Ekadashi holds a special place because it comes only during Adhik Maas, also known as Purushottam Maas or Mal Maas. Since Adhik Maas appears once every few years, this Ekadashi is considered rare and spiritually powerful by devotees of Lord Vishnu.

Photo Credit: Chat GPT

The day is dedicated to fasting, prayers, self-discipline, and devotion to Lord Vishnu. Many devotees believe that observing the vrat with sincerity helps cleanse negative karma, bring peace, and deepen spiritual growth.

The Date and Timings You Need to Know

Padmini Ekadashi 2026 falls on Wednesday, 27 May, the Ekadashi of Shukla Paksha during Adhik Maas, also known as Purushottam Masam.

The Ekadashi tithi begins at 5:11 am on 26 May and ends at 6:22 am on 27 May. The Parana time, when the fast is broken, falls on 28 May, between 5:45 am and 7:57 am.

Since the tithi remains prevalent until sunrise on 27 May, the vrat is observed on that date, following Udaya Tithi rules.

A Story That Began in the Treta Yuga

The Padmini Ekadashi vrat is said to have been first observed by Queen Padmini, whose devotion inspired Lord Vishnu to bless her, and the day has carried her name ever since.

In the Treta Yuga, a powerful and dharmic king named Kartavirya ruled the kingdom of Mahishmati. Despite his might, he had no son to inherit his kingdom, and so he retreated to the forest to perform austerities and please Lord Vishnu. His queen, Padmini, refused to let him go alone.

In their despair, the queens approached Mother Anasuya, who counselled them to observe a fast on the Ekadashi of the Shukla Paksha during Adhik Maas. Lord Vishnu appeared before the queen after she kept the fast, and she requested that the boon be granted not to herself but to her husband. The king then asked for a son endowed with every virtue, whose renown would spread across all three worlds. Lord Vishnu replied, "So be it."

Queen Padmini, in due course, gave birth to Kartaviryarjuna, who became a very powerful king, one believed to have defeated even Ravana. This Vrat Katha, narrated in the Padma Purana, forms the sacred backbone of the Padmini Ekadashi tradition.

What Makes Adhik Maas So Significant

Photo Credit: Canva

According to the Vasistha Siddhanta, the Adhik Mahina is an extra lunar month in the Hindu calendar that occurs once in every three years. This special period is considered ideal for seeking forgiveness of sins and for the purification of the mind, body, and soul.

Due to this rare occurrence, fasting and performing other spiritual activities in Adhik Maas is believed to increase religious merit many times over compared to the same practices in an ordinary month. Padmini Ekadashi, falling within Adhik Maas, is therefore considered exponentially more potent. Dedicated to Sri Hari Vishnu, this sacred vrat is said to grant the fulfilment of all worldly desires to its observer.

The Rituals: Three Days, One Observance

The Padmini Ekadashi vrat rituals span three days - Dashami (26 May), Ekadashi (27 May), and the Dwadashi Parana day (28 May).

The observance begins the evening before. The vrat starts from Dashami, and the observer must eat sattvic food once during the day. Onion, garlic, and all rajasic foods are avoided from this point.

On Ekadashi itself, the observer rises at sunrise and takes an early bath to cleanse the soul and body. A strict fast is then observed, and devotees are not permitted to eat items such as urad dal, rice, spinach, chickpeas, and honey. Some devotees observe the vrat by eating falahar, fruits and dairy products.

The couple in the Vrat Katha performed the Adhika Masa Ekadashi vrat by fasting for three days across Dashami, Ekadashi, and Dwadashi, and staying awake through the night, chanting Vishnu mantras and stotras. That same tradition of jagrana, overnight wakefulness in devotion, is observed by dedicated devotees to this day.

Listening to the sacred Vrat Katha, chanting mantras, and performing aarti are all considered highly auspicious acts on this day.

Breaking the Fast: The Parana

The fast does not end at midnight or at dawn on 27 May. It is important that the Parana, the breaking of the fast, for the Ekadashi vrat is always done after the Hari Vasara period has ended. The Parana time for Padmini Ekadashi 2026 is 28 May, from 5:45 am to 7:57 am. Breaking the fast outside this window is considered incomplete.