What is - EKADASHI?

Ekadashi is the 11th day of each half of the month in the Vedic lunar calendar. The word is of Sanskrit origin and it actually means "11". Roughly said, Ekadashi occurs twice a month. Hindus, especially devotees of Lord Krishna, fast on this day.

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The fast itself does not have to be very strict. The key point is to praise the Lord Krishna and devote the day to chanting, praying, reading religious texts and similar acts. The fast is done by avoiding eating grains, beans and anything made from this sort of food - bread, pasta etc. All the fruits (fresh and dried) are allowed along with some vegetables, spices and other things. Therefore, some people would pick to fast on fruits and water, some only on water while those who can - might even go without water. Some people would also avoid grains or any kind of food a day or two before Ekadashi so that there would not be any remains of this particular kind of food in the stomach/guts.

As it was mentioned already - the key point is to praise the Lord Krishna and devote the day to chanting, praying, reading religious texts and similar acts. By doing a fast, a person dedicates more time to that during the day. The fast is like an instrument how to do it rather than just being the purpose to itself. Ekadashi is the day devoted to God and ourselves as well. On this day some might go to temple or local Hare Krishna community and celebrate Ekadashi by singing and chanting, while others do it in silence of their minds in nature or at home.

Of course, being a Krishna devotee is not a "must" for doing Ekadashi. Many people of other religions do it as well and praise God or simply devote the day to themselves - as we are all one God's creation, each of us carries a divine light inside. Those people would rather meditate, do yoga, pray or simply pay more attention to respect other people around themselves and do good deeds than chanting Lord Krishna's name. Being a better person and do good things for a good cause is always right.

Ekadashi starts from midnight and continues the whole day till the sunrise of the day after. There is usually a certain point of time when you should stop the fast by eating a bit of grains. The rest of the day is up to you. It is always good to check a website of your local Hare Krishna community to see the exact date and time of Ekadashi for your time zone. Along with that it is also recommended to plan out the meals a day or two before Ekadashi according to the allowed food.

 Have you ever fasted on Ekadashi?
Let us know about your experience!

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