EkadashiGujarati · Hindu
Aja Ekadashi
Annada Ekadashi
Next date
Saturday, 28 August 2027
In short
Aja Ekadashi is a Ekadashi vrat observed according to the Hindu calendar. Its date and customary practices can vary by region and local Panchang.
The story
The traditional Aja Ekadashi katha centres on King Harishchandra, remembered for refusing to abandon truth even after losing his kingdom, wealth and family. In the story he is reduced to serving at a cremation ground and lives through severe suffering while remaining committed to satya. Sage Gautama eventually meets the distressed king and advises him to observe Aja Ekadashi with devotion and a night vigil. Harishchandra follows the vrata, and the merit of the observance marks the turning point of his ordeal: his son is restored, his family is reunited and his royal fortune returns. The katha uses Harishchandra's life to connect the Ekadashi with perseverance, truthfulness and spiritual purification. Devotees worship Vishnu, fast according to their capacity, spend time in prayer or katha listening and break the fast on Dwadashi during the prescribed parana period.
Retold from the Padma Purana
Why it matters
Harishchandra, who lost a kingdom and a family rather than tell a lie, is said to have been restored by this fast. Kept in Bhadrapad vad.
Fasting
The ordinary fast, in the last fortnight of Shravan when many are already fasting on Mondays. Aja means unborn, and the merit is said to reach back rather than forward.
Retold from the Gujarati household practice
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