Astha SangrahASTHA SANGRAHhttps://asthasangrah.comRama Ekadashi 2026: Fast on 5 November, Parana 6:37 to 8:48 AM on the 6th
The Rama Ekadashi fast is on Thursday, 5 November 2026. Break the fast the next morning, 6 November, between 6:37 and 8:48 AM (New Delhi).
- Fast
- Thursday, 5 November 2026
- Ekadashi tithi
- 11:03 AM, 4 November to 10:35 AM, 5 November
- Parana
- 6 November, 6:37 to 8:48 AM
- Dwadashi ends
- 6 November, 10:30 AM
Fast on the 5th, though the tithi starts on the 4th
Ekadashi tithi begins at 11:03 AM on 4 November, but the fast is kept on the day Ekadashi holds at sunrise. Sunrise on 5 November, at 6:35 AM, falls in Ekadashi, so the fast is on Thursday, 5 November. The tithi itself ends at 10:35 AM that day, but the fast runs through the whole day and night.
Why the parana time matters
An Ekadashi fast is broken the next day while Dwadashi tithi still holds. This year Dwadashi ends at 10:30 AM on 6 November, so the parana window is 6:37 to 8:48 AM. The scriptures hold that breaking the fast after Dwadashi has ended is not proper, so be ready early on the morning of 6 November.
Before the parana, bathe and offer food to Lord Vishnu with a tulsi leaf, then break the fast with that prasad. In many families grain is also given to a Brahmin or someone in need before eating. The vrat itself begins the evening before: on 4 November, eat a light sattvik meal before sunset and avoid rice, so that the fast starts with a clean stomach.
The name Rama and the link to Diwali
Rama is a name of Goddess Lakshmi, and this Ekadashi falls just before Diwali, so Lakshmi is worshipped along with Vishnu on this day. This year the parana day, 6 November, is also Dhanteras, so the festival of lights begins the moment the fast is broken. The evening of 5 November is Govatsa Dwadashi as well, when cows and calves are worshipped; in Maharashtra it is called Vasu Baras.
The story of Shobhan and Chandrabhaga
In the katha, King Muchukunda's daughter Chandrabhaga marries Prince Shobhan, who is very frail. In Muchukunda's kingdom no one eats grain on Ekadashi, so Shobhan keeps the fast too, but in his weakness he dies by the next sunrise. By the merit of the fast he gains a divine city on Mount Mandarachal, but it is not stable. Chandrabhaga then offers her husband the merit of her own Ekadashi fasts, and the city becomes stable for ever.
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya
ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय॥
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Your questions
Can I eat fruit during the fast?
Yes. A nirjala fast is considered the strictest, but most people keep the fast with phalahar such as fruit, milk and sabudana. Rice and grains are not eaten on Ekadashi.
What if I miss the parana window?
Try to break the fast by 8:48 AM. If you are delayed for some reason, make sure you break it before Dwadashi ends at 10:30 AM.
Should I stay awake on Ekadashi night?
There is a tradition of a night vigil with bhajans and chanting Vishnu's name. If staying up all night isn't possible, recite the Vishnu Sahasranama or an aarti before going to sleep.
Dates and times checked against Drik Panchang and our own panchang, for New Delhi.
