Aparā Ekādaśī Vrataṁ – Jyeṣṭha kṛṣṇa pakṣa
2026-05-13
BREAKING THE FAST ON THE NEXT DAY.
Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja said, “O Janārdana, what is the name of the Ekādaśī that occurs during the dark fortnight of the month of Jyeṣṭha [May-June]? I wish to hear the glories of this sacred day. Please narrate everything to me.”
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa said, “O king, your inquiry is wonderful because the answer will benefit the whole human society. This Ekādaśī is so sublime and meritorious that even the greatest sins can be erased by its potency. O great king, the name of this unlimitedly meritorious Ekādaśī is Aparā Ekādaśī. Whoever fasts on this holy day becomes famous all over the universe. Even such sins as killing a brāhmaṇa, a cow, or an embryo; blasphemy; or having sex with another man’s wife are completely eradicated by observing Aparā Ekādaśī.
“O king, people who bear false witness are most sinful. A person who falsely or sarcastically glorifies another; one who cheats while weighing something on a scale; one who fails to execute the duties of his varṇa or aśrama (an unqualified man’s posing as a brāhmaṇa, for example, or a person’s reciting the Vedas wrongly); one who invents his own scriptures; one who cheats others; one who is a charlatan astrologer, a cheating accountant, or a false āyurvedic doctor–all these are surely as bad as a person who bears false witness, and they are all destined for hell. But simply by observing Aparā Ekādaśī, all such sinners become completely free of their sinful reactions.
“Warriors who fall from their kṣatriya-dharma and flee the battlefield go to a ferocious hell. But, O Yudhiṣṭhira, even such a fallen kṣatriya, if he observes fasting on Aparā Ekādaśī is freed of that great sin and goes to heaven.
“That disciple is the greatest sinner who, after receiving a proper spiritual education from his spiritual master, turns around and blasphemes him. Such a so-called disciple suffers unlimitedly. But even he, if he simply observes Aparā Ekādaśī can attain to the spiritual world. Listen, O king, as I describe to you further glories of this Ekādaśī.
“The merit attained by one who performs all of the following acts of piety is equal to the merit achieved by one who observes Aparā Ekādaśī. bathing three times a day in Puṣkara-kṣetra during Kārtika [October-November]; bathing at Prayāg in the month of Māgha [January-February] when the sun is in the Zodiac; rendering service to Lord Śiva at Vārāṇasī during Śiva-rātrī; offering oblations to one’s forefathers at Gayā; bathing in the sacred Gautamī River when Jupiter transits Leo; having darśana of Lord Śiva at Kedāranātha; seeing Lord Badrīnātha when the sun transits the sign of Aquarius; and bathing at the time of a solar eclipse at Kurukṣetra and giving cows, elephants, and gold there in charity. All the merit one gets from performing these pious acts is gained by a person who observes the Aparā Ekādaśī fast. Also, the merit attained by one who donates a pregnant cow, along with gold and fertile land, is attained by one who fasts on this day.
“In other words, Aparā Ekādaśī is an axe that cuts down the fully matured tree of sinful deeds, it is a forest fire that burns sins as if they were firewood, it is the sun blazing before one’s dark misdeeds, and it is a lion stalking the meek deer of impiety. Therefore, O Yudhiṣṭhira, whoever truly fears his past and present sins must observe Aparā Ekādaśī very strictly. One who does not observe this fast must be born again in the material world, like one bubble among millions in a huge body of water, or like a small ant among all other species.
“Therefore one must faithfully observe the sacred Aparā Ekādaśī and worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Trivikrama. One who does so is freed of all his sins and promoted to the abode of Lord Viṣṇu.
“O Bhārata, for the benefit of all humanity I have thus described to you the importance of holy Aparā Ekādaśī. Anyone who hears or reads this description is certainly freed from all kinds of sins, O king.”
Thus ends the narration of the glories of Jyeṣṭha-kṛṣṇa Ekādaśī, or Aparā Ekādaśī, from the Brahmāṇda Purāṇa.
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Jyeṣṭha amāvasyā
2026-05-16
****NEW MOON DAY.****
Amāvásyā is the lunar phase of the new moon in Sanskrit. Indian calendars use 30 lunar phases, called tithi in India. The dark moon tithi is when the Moon is within 12 degrees of the angular distance between the Sun and Moon before conjunction.

Ganga Dasahara, Birthday of Mother Ganges
2026-05-26
Ganga Dussehra, also known as Gangavataran, it commemorates the avatarana (descent) of the Ganges. The holy river Ganges descended from spiritual world to earth on this day.

Padminī Ekādaśī Vrataṁ – of the extra, leap-year month śukla pakṣa
2026-05-27
BREAKING THE FAST ON THE NEXT DAY.
Sūta Gosvāmi said, “Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja said, O Janārdana, what is the name of the Ekādaśī that occurs during the light fortnight of the extra, leap year month? How does one observe it properly? Please narrate all this to me.’
“The Supreme Personality of God, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, replied, „O Pāṇḍava, the meritorious Ekādaśī that occurs during the light fortnight of the extra month of leap-year is called Padminī. It is very auspicious. The fortunate soul who observes it with great determination and faith will return to My personal abode. This extra-month Ekādaśī is as powerful as I am in nullifying sins. Even four-headed Lord Brahmā cannot glorify it sufficiently. Long ago Lord Brahmā told Nārada about this liberating, sin-removing Ekādaśī.’
“Lotus-eyed Lord Kṛṣṇa became very pleased by the enquiry of Yudhiṣṭhira and spoke to him the following pleasing words: ‘O king, please listen carefully as I narrate to you the process of fasting on Padminī Ekādaśī, which is rarely done even by great sages.
“One should begin his fast on the Daśamī, the day before Ekādaśī, by not eating any urad dāl, pink dāl, chickpeas, spinach, honey, or sea salt, and also by not dining in homes of others or off bell-metal plates. These eight things should be avoided. One should eat only once on the Daśamī, sleep on the ground and remain celibate. On Ekādaśī the devotee should rise early in the morning but should not brush his teeth. Then he should thoroughly bathe – in a place of pilgrimage, if possible. While chanting sacred hymns from the Vedas, he should smear his body with cow dung mixed with clay, sesame-seed paste, kuśa grass, and the powder of āmalakī fruits. Then the devotee should take another thorough bath, after which he should chant the following prayers:
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Pūrṇimā
2026-05-31
****Full Moon Day****

Paramā Ekādaśī Vrataṁ – of the extra, leap-year month kṛṣṇa pakṣa
2026-06-11
BREAKING THE FAST ON THE NEXT DAY.
Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja said, “O Supreme Lord, what is the name and character of that Ekādaśī that occurs during the dark fortnight of the extra, leap year month. Also, O master of all the universes, what is the process for observing it properly? Kindly narrate all of this to me?”
The Supreme Personality of God, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, replied, “O Yudhiṣṭhira, this meritorious day is called Paramā Ekādaśī. It bestows the great benediction of an enjoyable life and ultimate liberation, release from birth and death. The process for observing it is similar to that for observing the Ekādaśī that occurs during the light part of this month of Kārtika. That is to say, on this Ekādaśī one should worship Me, the best of all living beings, with full love and devotion. In this connection I will now tell you a wonderful history, just as I heard it from the great sage in the city of Kāmpilya.
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Amāvasyā
2026-06-15

Nirjalā Ekādaśī Vrataṁ – Jyeṣṭha śukla pakṣa
2026-06-25
BREAKING THE FAST ON THE NEXT DAY.

Once Bhīmasena, the younger brother of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, asked the great sage Śrīla Vyāsadeva, the grandfather of the Pāṇḍavas, if it is possible to return to the spiritual world without having observed all the rules and regulations of the Ekādaśī fasts.
Bhīmasena said, “O greatly intelligent grandfather, my brother Yudhiṣṭhira, my dear mother Kuntī, and my beloved wife Draupadī, as well as Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva, fast completely on Ekādaśī and strictly follow all the rules, and regulations of that sacred day. But, O grandfather, I tell them that I cannot live without eating, because hunger is unbearable to me. I give widely in charity and worship Śrī Keśava properly, but I cannot fast on Ekādaśī. Please tell me how I can obtain the same result without fasting.”
Hearing these words, Śrīla Vyāsadeva replied, “If you want to go to the heavenly planets and avoid the hellish planets, you should indeed observe a fast on both the light and dark Ekādaśīs.”
Bhīma said, “O greatly intelligent grandfather, please listen to my plea. O greatest of munis, since I cannot live if I eat only once in a day, how can I possibly live if I fast completely? Within my stomach burns a special fire named vṛka, the fire of digestion. Only when I eat to my full satisfaction does the fire in my stomach become satisfied. O great sage, I might possibly be able to fast only once, so I beg you to tell me of an Ekādaśī that includes all other Ekādaśīs. I shall faithfully observe that fast and hopefully still become eligible for liberation.”
Śrīla Vyāsadeva replied, O king, you have heard from me about the various kinds of occupational duties, such as elaborate Vedic ceremonies. In the Kali-yuga, however, no one will be able to observe all these occupational duties properly. I shall therefore tell you how, at practically no expense, one can endure some small austerity and achieve the greatest benefit and resultant happiness. The essence of what is written in the Vedic literatures known as the Purāṇas is that one should not eat on either the dark- or light-fortnight Ekādaśīs. One who fasts on Ekādaśī is saved from going to the hellish planets.”
Hearing Vyāsadeva’s words, Bhīmasena, the strongest of all warriors, became frightened and began to shake like a leaf on a banyan tree in a strong wind. The frightened Bhīmasena said, “O grandfather, what should I do? I am completely unable to fast twice a month throughout the year! Please tell me of the one fasting day that will bestow the greatest benefit upon me!”
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Jyeṣṭha pūrṇimā
2026-06-29

Yoginī Ekādaśī Vrataṁ – Āṣāḍha kṛṣṇa pakṣa
2026-07-11
BREAKING THE FAST ON THE NEXT DAY.

Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja said, “O Supreme Lord, I have heard the glories of Nirjalā Ekādaśī, which occurs during the light fortnight of the month of Jyeṣṭha. Now I wish to hear about the Ekādaśī that occurs during the dark part of the month of Āṣāḍha [June-July]. Kindly describe it to me in detail, O killer of the Madhu demon.”
The Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, replied, “O king, I shall tell you about the best of all fasting days, the Ekādaśī that comes during the dark part of the month of Āṣāḍha. Famous as Yogini Ekādaśī, it removes all kinds of sinful reactions and awards supreme liberation.
“O best of kings, this Ekādaśī delivers people who are drowning in the vast ocean of material existence and transports them to the shore of the spiritual world. In all the three worlds, it is the chief of all sacred fasting days. I shall reveal this truth to you by narrating a history recounted in the Purāṇas.
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Āṣāḍha amāvasyā
2026-07-14

Ratha Yatra of Lord Jagannatha in Puri, India ; Vyasa pooja of Swamiji
2026-07-16
****VYASA POOJA****
His Divine Grace Jagadguru Śrī Kṛṣṇa Chaitanya Mādhvagauḍeshwarācārya Sripad Kṛṣṇa Balarām Swāmī Mahārāj Prabhupāda appeared on the auspicious Jagannatha Ratha Yatra Festival Day(cart Festival of Krsna Balaram Subadhra held in Jagannnath Puri Dham, India). It was 1st July 1956 and he appeared in a Shrotriya Brahmin Gaudiya Vaishnav family. His family’s lineage dates back to Kashyap Muni who is one of the the seven sages born from the mind of Lord Brahmaji, the first living being of the universe. Swamiji was introduced to Bhakti yoga (the path of devotion) since his childhood. His father was a highly respected Vaishnav Brahmin and the guru of many people in Vrindavan Vrajkshetra. He was a renowned scholar of astrology and a profound knower Srimad Bhagwat Mahapuran. Swamiji’s mother too was very knowledgeable. She was a highly intelligent and spoke eloquently from Srimad Bhagavat Mahapuran . Swamiji was brought up in an extraordinary spiritual environment, in accordance with all the Vedic rules, under the care and purview of very learned devotee parents.
A rule of Vedic tradition is that one should not make his own or his own children’s horoscope. That is why, at the time of Swamiji’s birth, his father had Swamiji’s horoscope made by the head of the Department of Astrology of Kasi Hindu Visvavidyalaya (Varanasi Hindu University), whose original hand-written prediction is still with Swamiji, which states the following:
“This child will be a Sanyasi and the true chain of disciplic succession will remain with this Swami. He will have many disciples and his disciples will make disciples to carry the spiritual chain further. To fulfill his goal, this Swami will either participate with an organization or will establish his own organization.”

Padmā Ekādaśī Vrataṁ (Hariśayani Ekādaśī)– Āṣāḍha śukla pakṣa
2026-07-25
BREAKING THE FAST ON THE NEXT DAY.
Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja said, “O Keśava, what is the name of the Ekādaśī that occurs during the light fortnight of the month of Āṣāḍha [June-July] ? Who is the worshipable Deity for this auspicious day, and what is the process for observing it?”
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa replied, “O caretaker of this earthly planet , I shall gladly tell you a wonderful history that Lord Brahmā once narrated to his son Nāradajī.
“One day Nārada asked his father, ‘What is the name of the Ekādaśī that comes during the light part of the month of Āṣāḍha? Kindly tell me how I should observe this Ekādaśī and thus please the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu.”
“Lord Brahmā replied, ‘O great orator, O best of all sages, O purest devotee of Lord Viṣṇu, your question is excellent . There is nothing better than Ekādaśī, the day of Lord Harī, in this or any other world. It nullifies even the worst of sins if observed properly. For this reason I shall tell you about Āṣāḍha-śukla Ekādaśī.”
“Fasting on this Ekādaśī purifies one of all sins and fulfills all one’ s desires. Therefore, whoever neglects to observe this sacred fast day is a good candidate for entering hell. Āṣāḍha-śukla Ekādaśī is also famous as Padmā Ekādaśī. Just to please Hṛṣīkeśa, the master of the senses, one should fast on this day. Listen carefully, O Nārada, as I relate to you a wonderful history from the scriptures concerning this Ekādaśī. Just hearing this account destroys all kinds of sins, along with all obstacles on the path to spiritual perfection.”
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Guru Pūrṇimā / Āṣāḍha pūrṇimā
2026-07-29
****Full Moon Day****
Āṣāḍha pūrṇimā / Guru purnima, also Sripad Sanatan Goswami’s disappearance

Kāmikā Ekādaśī Vrataṁ – Śravaṇa kṛṣṇa pakṣa
2026-08-09
BREAKING THE FAST ON THE NEXT DAY.
Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira said, “O Supreme Lord, I have heard from You the glories of fasting on Deva-śayani Ekādaśī, which occurs during the light part of the month of Āṣāḍha. Now I would like to hear about the Ekādaśī that occurs during the dark fortnight of the month of Śravaṇa [July-August] . O Govinda, please be merciful to me and explain its glories. O Vāsudeva, I offer my humble obeisances unto You.”
The Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, replied, “O king, please listen attentively as I describe the auspicious influence of this holy fast day, which removes all sins. Nārada Munī once asked Lord Brahmā about this same topic. ‘O regent of all,’ said Nāradajī, ‘O you who sit upon a lotus throne, please tell me the name of the Ekādaśī that occurs during the dark fortnight of the month of Śravaṇa. Please also tell me which Deity is worshiped on that holy day, the process one must follow to observe it, and the merit it awards.”
“Lord Brahmā replied, ‘My dear son Nārada, for the benefit of all humanity I shall happily tell you everything you wish to know, for just hearing the glories of Kāmikā Ekādaśī bestows merit equal to that obtained by one who performs a horse sacrifice. Certainly, great merit is attained by one who worships, and who also meditates on the lotus feet of, four-armed Lord Gadadhara, who holds conchshell, disc, club and lotus in His hands and who is also known as Śrīdhara, Harī, Viṣṇu, Mādhava, and Madhusūdana. And the blessings achieved by a person who worships Lord Viṣṇu exclusively are far greater than those achieved by one who takes a sacred bath in the Ganges at Kāśī [Vārānāsī] , in the forest of Naimiṣāraṇya, or at Puṣkara, where I am worshiped. But one who observes Kāmikā Ekādaśī and also worships Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa achieves greater merit than one who has darśana of Lord Kedāranātha in the Himalayas, or one who bathes at Kurukṣetra during a solar eclipse, or one who donates the whole earth in charity, including its forests and oceans, or one who bathes in the Gaṇḍakī River or Godāvarī River on a full moon day that falls on a Monday when Leo and Jupiter are conjoined.”
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Śravaṇa amāvasyā
2026-08-12

Hariyali Teej, On this day Rādhārāṇī prepared sweets for Lord Kṛṣṇa.
2026-08-15
****Hariyali Teej****
On this day the Gopīs of Vraja desired to arrange a nice and comfortable swing on outskirts using a tree branch and place Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa on it and swing Them while singing devotional songs aloud which depicted the pastimes of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa with Rādhārāṇī. On this day Rādhārāṇī also prepared sweets for Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Putradā Ekādaśī Vrataṁ – Śravaṇa śukla pakṣa
2026-08-24
BREAKING THE FAST ON THE NEXT DAY. THE SWING FESTIVAL OF LORD SRI SRI RAHDA GOVINDAJI STARTS ON THIS DAY AND ENDS ON FULL MOON DAY. FASTING FROM LEAFY VEGETABLES ENDS HERE. YOGURT AND BUTTERMILK FAST BEGINS HERE AND LASTS FOR NEXT 30 DAYS.
Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja said, “O Madhusūdana, O killer of the Madhu demon, please be merciful to me and describe to me the Ekādaśī that occurs during the light fortnight of the month of Śravaṇa [July-August] .”
The Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, replied, “Yes, O king, I shall happily narrate its glories to you, for j ust by hearing about this sacred Ekādaśī one attains the merit of performing a horse sacrifice.”
“At the dawn of Dvāpara-yuga there lived a king by the name of Mahijita, who ruled the kingdom of Māhiṣmatī-purī. Because he had no son, his entire kingdom seemed utterly cheerless to him. A married man who has no son gains no happiness in this life or the next. For a long time this king tried very hard to obtain an heir, but to no avail. Seeing his years advancing ever onwards, King Mahijita became increasingly anxious. One day he told an assembly of his advisers : ‘I have committed no sin in this life, and there is no ill-gotten wealth in my treasury. I have never usurped the offerings to the demigods or brāhmaṇas. When I waged war and conquered kingdoms, I followed the rules and regulations of the military art , and I have protected my subjects as if they were my own children. I punished even my own relatives if they broke the law, and if my enemy was gentle and religious I welcomed him. O twice-born souls, although I am a religious and faithful follower of the Vedic standards, still my home is without a son. Kindly tell me the reason for this.”
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Śravaṇa pūrṇimā (full moon day) - Raksabandhanam
2026-08-28
Śravaṇa Purnima (Full moon day, The Lord’s swing festival of Lord Sri Sri Radha Govindji ends on this day) – Balaram Rasayatra day. Raksabandhanam(tying of Raakhee)
