Nirjala Ekadashi 2027
Nirjala Ekadashi 2027 falls on Monday, Monday, June 14, 2027. Observed on: jyeshtha shukla 11.
Exact date, puja muhurat & city-wise timings for Nirjala Ekadashi 2027
Key Information
Festival Date
Monday, June 14, 2027
2027 Calendar Context
Weekday
Monday
Vikram Samvat
2084
Shaka Samvat
1949
This year Nirjala Ekadashi falls on a Monday, 10 days earlier than 2026 (2026-06-24) — typical lunar-calendar drift.
Falling on a Monday brings a Chandra emphasis — lunar rites and milk/rice offerings carry extra weight, especially for the moon-sensitive nakshatras.
The 2026 observance fell on Wednesday, 2026-06-24 — this year arrives 10 days earlier in the Gregorian calendar, the familiar 11-day shift of the unmodified lunar year.
Looking ahead to 2028, Nirjala Ekadashi will fall on Friday, 2028-06-02 (11 days earlier than this year). So planning ritual schedules across years means anchoring to the tithi rather than the Gregorian date.
Astronomical context for Nirjala Ekadashi 2027
On Monday, June 14, 2027, sunrise in Delhi (the reference city for this page) falls at 05:22 IST and sunset at 19:19 IST — a daylight span of 13h 57m. Across the six pan-Indian cities tabulated below, sunrise on this date varies from 04:51 (Kolkata) at the eastern edge to 06:00 (Mumbai) in the west — a 69-minute difference that drives the city-by-city muhurat shift you see in the table.
For Nirjala Ekadashi 2027, the central rite of udaya tithi (sunrise) depends on the Jyeshtha Shukla 11 being present during that window on 2027-06-14 — confirmed across 6 reference cities in this year's computation pass. Cities further east (Kolkata, Chennai) see the window open ~15-25 minutes before Delhi; cities west of Delhi (Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore) see it start later by a similar margin.
City-Wise Timings for Nirjala Ekadashi 2027
| City | Sunrise | Sunset |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi | 5:22 AM | 7:19 PM |
| Mumbai | 6:00 AM | 7:16 PM |
| Bangalore | 5:53 AM | 6:46 PM |
| Chennai | 5:42 AM | 6:35 PM |
| Kolkata | 4:51 AM | 6:21 PM |
| Pune | 5:57 AM | 7:11 PM |
Why This Date?
Nirjala Ekadashi follows the Udaya Tithi rule – the festival is observed on the day when the required tithi prevails at sunrise. This is the default Dharmasindhu convention for festivals without a special time-window requirement.
Deity
Lord Vishnu (Krishna form, worshipped as Hari)
Legend & History
Bhima, the second Pandava brother and a colossal warrior whom the Mahabharata calls vrika-jathara ("wolf-stomach"), could not bring himself to fast on Ekadashi — his hunger overpowered every attempt. … Read full legend →Show less ↑
Bhima, the second Pandava brother and a colossal warrior whom the Mahabharata calls vrika-jathara ("wolf-stomach"), could not bring himself to fast on Ekadashi — his hunger overpowered every attempt. While his brothers and Draupadi observed all 24 yearly Ekadashis faithfully, Bhima suffered the anxiety of one who knows his missed observances may cost him Vishnu's grace and Vaikuntha (Vishnu's eternal abode). He approached Sage Vyasa — the Pandavas' grandfather and family guru — and confessed his predicament. Vyasa, smiling, told him: "There is one Ekadashi in the entire year — Jyeshtha Shukla Ekadashi, falling at the peak of Indian summer — when observing a complete waterless (nirjala) fast from sunrise of Ekadashi to sunrise of Dwadashi earns the merit of all twenty-four Ekadashis combined. This is the supreme Ekadashi." Bhima accepted the vow. Through the searing summer day his throat parched, his tongue cracked, his body trembled. Near sunset he collapsed unconscious. Lord Vishnu Himself, pleased with the warrior's sincerity, appeared, revived him with a single drop of celestial water, and declared: "Any devotee — strong or weak, prince or pauper, young or old — who observes Nirjala Ekadashi with sincere intent earns the same supreme merit and the path to my abode." For this reason the day bears three classical names: Nirjala (waterless), Pandava Ekadashi (for the Pandava prince's vow), and Bhimseni / Bhima Ekadashi (after the warrior himself). The story is preserved in the Padma Purana's Bhavishyottara Khanda, the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, and the Mahabharata's Anushasana Parva.
How to Observe
The vrat is the strictest in the Hindu calendar. Begin preparations on Dashami evening with a light sattvic meal; from sunrise of Ekadashi to sunrise of Dwadashi, observe a complete fast with no food and no water – not even a drop. Through the day: bathe before sunrise, perform Vishnu puja with tulsi leaves and yellow flowers (Vishnu's preferred offering), recite the Vishnu Sahasranama, the Bhima episode from the Padma Purana, or the Bhagavad Gita, and meditate on Lord Vishnu seated on Sheshanaga in Kshira Sagara. Donate water-pots (kalash filled with cool water), hand-fans (vyajana), sugar cane juice, sandal paste, and grains to brahmins and the thirsty – the classical "jala-daana." Avoid sleep during the day. Break the fast at sunrise on Dwadashi within the parana muhurta: take a few drops of sesame-infused water (til-jal) as the symbolic first liquid, then a simple meal of fruits, rice, curd, and ghee. Many traditional families also set up public piaau (water-pot stations) for travellers throughout the summer following Nirjala Ekadashi.
Significance
Nirjala Ekadashi marks the peak of Indian summer (Jyeshtha month, May-June) when the sun is most intense – and a complete waterless fast is the most demanding austerity possible in the Hindu year. The Padma Purana, Brahma Vaivarta Purana, and Mahabharata all extol this as the supreme Ekadashi: a single sincere observance grants the merit of all 24 yearly Ekadashis combined. Tradition holds that devotees who cannot maintain all 24 observances may substitute this one and still secure Vaikuntha – precisely the boon Bhima sought. Beyond the personal merit, the day institutionalises one of Hinduism's most beautiful summer practices: jala-daana, the charity of water. Devotees set up kalash-stations, distribute cool water and sugar cane juice, and feed the thirsty for weeks afterward, transforming the personal austerity into communal compassion. This is also why Nirjala is often called the "King of Ekadashis" – not for the merit count alone, but because it embodies the entire arc of Hindu vrata: voluntary suffering, divine intervention, blessed reward, and the merit shared back with the community.
Fasting
Nirjala (waterless) Ekadashi – no food and no water from sunrise of Ekadashi to sunrise of Dwadashi (parana). The strictest fast of the Hindu year, Bhima's own challenge. Pregnant women, nursing mothers, the very young, the elderly, the sick, and those with medical conditions are exempted by classical tradition – the Brahma Vaivarta Purana specifically advises against waterless fasting for pregnant women. Modified vrats (fruits + milk only, or sips of water) preserve the spiritual merit without endangering health. The point of the fast is sincere devotion, not self-harm; substitution is encouraged where needed.
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