Nirjala Ekadashi 2027: date, story, mantra and a safe fast
Nirjala Ekadashi 2027 is on Monday 14 June. Why it is kept, the story of Bhima, the Vishnu mantras to chant, and how to keep the waterless fast safely.
Nirjala Ekadashi is the Ekadashi of the bright half of Jyeshtha, kept with a fast without water (nirjala means "without water"). It is traditionally said to carry the merit of all 24 Ekadashis of the year. The next Nirjala Ekadashi is on Monday 14 June 2027. Devotees chant Vishnu mantras through the day, and many give water, fruit and earthen pots to others in the summer heat.
Because it comes at the hottest time of the year in north India, a fast without water is a serious undertaking. Please read the health note below before you decide how to keep it. Dates are for New Delhi; tithi timings shift slightly by city.
Why Nirjala Ekadashi is kept: the story of Bhima
The story is told in the Puranas. Bhima, the strongest of the five Pandava brothers, had a famous appetite. His brothers and mother kept every Ekadashi fast, but Bhima could not go a day without food. He went to the sage Vyasa and asked if there was a way to receive the blessing of Ekadashi without fasting twice a month.
Vyasa told him: keep one Ekadashi in the year, in Jyeshtha, without food and without even water, and it will count as all of them. Bhima did, and so the day is also called Bhimseni Ekadashi or Pandava Ekadashi.
The story is gentle at heart. It tells us that sincere effort, made once with the whole heart, is honoured.
Mantras for Nirjala Ekadashi
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya
ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya
"I bow to the One who lives in all beings and all things." The twelve-syllable Vishnu mantra, the main mantra of every Ekadashi. Chant it 108 times in the morning. Listen on Mahakatha.
Om Namo Narayanaya
ॐ नमो नारायणाय Om Namo Narayanaya
"I bow to Lord Narayana, the master of the universe." Short enough to repeat silently through a long fasting day, and traditionally chanted for focus and calm thinking. Listen on Mahakatha.
Vishnu Shantakaram (second verse)
लक्ष्मीकान्तं कमल नयनं योगिभिर्ध्यानगम्यम्। वन्दे विष्णुं भवभयहरं सर्वलोकैकनाथम्। Lakshmii Kaantam Kamala Nayanam Yogibhir Dhyaanagamyam, Vande Vishnum Bhavabhayaharam Sarvalokaikanatham
"Beloved of Lakshmi, lotus-eyed, reached by yogis in meditation: I bow to Vishnu, who takes away the fear of the world, the one lord of all the worlds." Chanted for peace and release from worry. Listen on Mahakatha.
Tulsi mantra
ॐ तुम् तुलसायै नमः Om Tum Tulasaay Namah
"I offer myself to the blessings of Goddess Tulsi." Tulsi is dear to Vishnu, and offering a tulsi leaf (picked the day before) is part of every Ekadashi puja. Listen on Mahakatha.
Keep count on a mala or with our free japa counter.
How to keep Nirjala Ekadashi
Customs vary; if your family has its own way, follow it.
- The day before (Dashami): eat a simple, light meal before sunset and drink enough water.
- Morning of Ekadashi: bathe, light a lamp before Vishnu or Krishna, offer tulsi and yellow flowers, and take a quiet resolve (sankalp) for the kind of fast you will keep.
- Through the day: chant, read the Bhagavad Gita or the Vishnu Sahasranama, and rest. Stay out of the sun.
- Give. Giving water is at the heart of this day. Many families offer a clay pot of water, a hand fan, fruit or an umbrella to someone who needs it, or set up a water stall for passers-by.
- Evening: aarti and more chanting. Some devotees stay up late in prayer.
- Next morning (Dwadashi): break the fast within the parana window given in your local panchang. Begin with water, then fruit, then a light meal.
A clear, kind note on health
A full day without water in June heat is hard on the body. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, elderly, diabetic, have kidney or heart trouble, are unwell in any way, or take regular medication, please do not fast without water. Speak to your doctor first.
The tradition itself offers gentler ways. You can keep a fast with water only, or with water and fruit, or simply avoid grains for the day and give the time to prayer. A fast kept within your limits, with devotion, is still a true Nirjala Ekadashi. If you feel dizzy, faint or very weak during the fast, drink water and rest. That is not a failure; caring for the body God gave you is part of devotion.
Mahakatha Radio plays Vishnu and Krishna mantras day and night, free and without ads. Listen live as you keep the day, or check is today Ekadashi for every Ekadashi date through 2027.
Questions people ask
Why is Nirjala Ekadashi celebrated?
It honours Vishnu with the strictest fast of the year. Following the story of Bhima and Vyasa, keeping this one Ekadashi with devotion is traditionally said to bring the merit of all 24 Ekadashis.
What should I do on Nirjala Ekadashi?
Bathe early, worship Vishnu with tulsi and a lamp, chant Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya, give water or fruit to others, and keep the fast in a way your health allows. Break it the next morning within the parana time.
When is Nirjala Ekadashi in 2027?
On Monday 14 June 2027 (New Delhi). The Nirjala Ekadashi of 2026 has already passed.
Is it Nirjala Ekadashi today?
Only on Monday 14 June 2027 in the coming year. Our Ekadashi today page shows whether today is any Ekadashi and lists the next dates.
Can we drink water on Nirjala Ekadashi after 12 am?
Traditionally the fast runs from sunrise on Ekadashi until the parana time on the next morning, not to midnight. But anyone who needs water for their health should drink it, at any hour.
Who should not keep a waterless fast?
People who are pregnant, elderly, unwell, diabetic or on medication should not fast without water. Ask your doctor, and keep a water or fruit fast instead.