Varuthini Ekadashi 2028: Date, Parana Time & Vrat Vidhi

Parana (breaking the fast) is on Friday, 21 April 2028, from 5:49 AM to 8:25 AM (New Delhi).

Break with water and tulsi, then fruit, then a light non-grain meal; a full meal after.

It is the grain-free Ekadashi fast (the fasting and parana rules are on the Ekadashi page), kept for protection and for a favourable rebirth.

By its mahatmya even the greatest daans do not equal it, and it shields the keeper from calamity.

The Bhavishya Purana tells that King Mandhata, doing tapas in the forest, was seized by a bear that began dragging him away by the foot. He called on Vishnu, who killed the bear — but the foot was gone. Vishnu bade him keep the Varuthini Ekadashi at Mathura; he did, was made whole, and in time attained Vishnu's abode.

Source: Bhavishya Purana — the Varuthini Ekadashi mahatmya

The Varuthini Ekadashi mahatmya is given in the Bhavishya Purana; the day-rule, parana and vrat vidhi are those of every Ekadashi (see the Ekadashi page).

• Bhavishya Purana — the Varuthini Ekadashi mahatmya
• Padma Purana — the Ekadashi mahatmyas

1. Varuthini means 'armoured': the fast is held to protect the keeper from misfortune. Vishnu is worshipped as Vamana.
2. The katha tells of King Mandhata, freed from suffering by this vrat; the day also praises the gift of food and of knowledge above all other gifts.
3. Traditional rules for the day include avoiding bell-metal vessels, honey, a second meal and sleeping by day; the fast is broken at the Dwadashi parana.

• Pan-Indian (Vaishnava). Kept for protection and a good rebirth, with a Vishnu puja and daan; particularly kept at Mathura.

• Phalahar — Fruit, milk and sabudana, served in steel or brass rather than bell metal.
• Parana — A single light meal; a second meal on the day is avoided.

Varuthini Ekadashi is kept on the day when Ekadashi of Vaishakha Krishna paksha prevails at sunrise. That day is Thursday, 20 April 2028. Ekadashi holds at sunrise only on this day.

at sunrise

Varuthini Ekadashi is the Krishna Ekadashi of Vaishakha — the Moon 120°–132° behind the Sun (sidereal, Lahiri), with the Sun in sidereal Mesha. See the Ekadashi page for the day-rule and the Smarta / Vaishnava difference; the Gregorian date drifts about 11 days earlier each year.

A lunar date: Ekadashi of the dark half of Vaishakha drifts about 11 days earlier each solar year, then jumps back ~19 days when a leap (Adhika) month is inserted.