Kamada Ekadashi

Kamada Ekadashi is associated with the story of the Gandharva couple Lalit and Lalita in the court of King Pundarika. Lalit was a gifted singer, but while performing before the king his attention wandered to his absent wife and he made mistakes in the royal performance. The king, angered by what he saw as disrespect, cursed Lalit to become a fearsome demon. Lalita refused to abandon him and wandered with him until she reached the hermitage of Sage Shringi. Hearing her grief, the sage advised her to observe Kamada Ekadashi and dedicate the spiritual merit of the vrata to her husband. Lalita fasted with devotion and offered the merit for Lalit's release; the curse ended and he regained his Gandharva form. The katha presents loving loyalty, repentance and disciplined devotion as forces of transformation, and the vrata is traditionally dedicated to Vishnu with fasting, prayer and parana on Dwadashi.

The first of the new lunar year, in Chaitra sud, and named for the granting of what is wished. Kept immediately after Chaitra Navratri and Ram Navami.

The first ekadashi of the new year, in the bright fortnight of Chaitra. The ordinary fast: one meal on the tenth, nothing on the eleventh, the parana in the morning of the twelfth.