Sacred calendar · The recurring fast
Ekadashi at Arunachala: the twice-monthly fast
One of the most faithfully kept of all Hindu observances ~ a twice-monthly day of fasting and devotion on the eleventh lunar day. Ekadashi, the value of its recurring discipline, and its place in the sacred rhythm of the hill.
The short version
- What
- A twice-monthly observance on the 11th lunar day (tithi) ~ a day of fasting and devotion.
- The practice
- A complete or grain-free fast, extra prayer and scripture; the body lightened for worship.
- Its value
- Regularity ~ a returning discipline twice a month that shapes a life over time.
- At Arunachala
- Kept alongside Pradosham and Pournami; a quieter day given to meditation and restraint.
Among the recurring holy days that thread the Hindu month, Ekadashi is one of the most widely and faithfully kept ~ a twice-monthly day of fasting and devotion that millions observe across India. While it is more associated with the worship of Vishnu than of Shiva, it belongs to the shared rhythm of sacred time that anyone living at Arunachala comes to know, and it has its place in the fuller calendar of the hill. For the practitioner drawn to a disciplined spiritual life, Ekadashi offers a gentle, regular structure ~ a returning day, twice a month, given to fasting, restraint, and turning toward God.
What Ekadashi is
Ekadashi means simply “the eleventh” ~ it falls on the eleventh lunar day (tithi) of each fortnight, once in the waxing moon and once in the waning, so it comes around roughly every two weeks. It is traditionally a day of fasting ~ many keep a complete fast, others abstain from grains and certain foods ~ and of increased devotion, prayer, and the reading or hearing of scripture. The fast is understood not merely as abstinence but as a support for the mind: by lightening and disciplining the body, the practitioner frees and steadies the attention for worship and inward turning. Each of the twenty-four Ekadashis of the year has its own name and story, and some ~ like Vaikunta Ekadashi ~ are especially great.
A returning day, twice a month, given to fasting and restraint ~ the body lightened so the attention can steady and turn inward.
The value of the recurring fast
What makes Ekadashi valuable, especially for the serious seeker, is precisely its regularity. The great festivals come once a year; but Ekadashi returns, faithfully, twice a month, and in doing so it builds something the occasional observance cannot ~ a rhythm, a discipline, a structure of return. To keep Ekadashi is to accept a gentle, repeating demand: twice a month, to fast, to simplify, to give the day more fully to practice. Over time this rhythm shapes a life. It is one of the traditional ways in which the householder and the seeker alike weave spiritual discipline into ordinary time ~ not by retreating from life, but by marking its returning days as holy.
Ekadashi at Arunachala
For those living at or long-visiting Arunachala, Ekadashi becomes a natural part of the sacred rhythm alongside the Pradosham twilight and the monthly Pournami walk. Many keep the fast quietly, giving the day to extra meditation, temple visits, or simply a lighter, more inward way of being. The town’s temples and some ashrams mark the day. It is a reminder that the spiritual life at the hill is not only the great peaks of festival and full moon, but also these quieter, recurring disciplines ~ the twice-monthly fasts and twilights that keep the practitioner steadily turned, through all the ordinary weeks, toward the one thing that matters.
Ekadashi falls twice a month on the eleventh tithi, so its dates shift through the year; the exact tithi timings (and the rules for breaking the fast the next morning, on Dwadashi) are given in any Tamil panchang. For the fuller rhythm of the hill, see the sacred calendar and the Pournami calendar.
Frequently asked questions
What is Ekadashi?
Ekadashi (meaning 'the eleventh') is a twice-monthly Hindu observance falling on the eleventh lunar day of each fortnight, once in the waxing and once in the waning moon. It is traditionally a day of fasting ~ complete, or free of grains and certain foods ~ and of increased devotion and scripture, the fast serving to lighten and steady the mind for worship. It is more associated with Vishnu, and some Ekadashis, like Vaikunta Ekadashi, are especially great.
Why is Ekadashi observed?
Because its regularity builds spiritual discipline. Unlike the great annual festivals, Ekadashi returns faithfully twice a month, offering a gentle, repeating structure of fasting and inward turning that shapes a life over time. It is a traditional way for both householders and seekers to weave spiritual discipline into ordinary time, marking its returning days as holy.
How is Ekadashi kept at Arunachala?
For residents and long-stayers, Ekadashi becomes part of the sacred rhythm alongside the Pradosham twilight and the monthly Pournami walk. Many keep the fast quietly, giving the day to extra meditation, temple visits, or a lighter, more inward way of being. Some temples and ashrams mark the day.
When is Ekadashi?
Ekadashi falls twice each month on the eleventh tithi of the lunar fortnight, so its dates shift through the year. The exact tithi timings, and the rules for breaking the fast the following morning on Dwadashi, are given in any Tamil panchang.
Last updated 22 January 2026. Following the documented record preserved by Sri Ramanasramam and his devotees; where an account is traditional, it is told as such.