Vrats 2026 — Hindu fasting calendar
Major vrats (fasts) of 2026: Ekadashi fasts, Pradosh fasts, Navaratri fasts, Monday-Saturday fasts, and other traditional fasting days
What a vrat is
A vrat (व्रत) is a Hindu religious fast—a day of restricted food and focused spiritual practice. There are many vrats in the Hindu calendar, anchored to specific tithis, days of the week, lunar months, or special events. The most universal are Ekadashi vrats (24 in a year), Pradosh vrats (24), and the Navaratri vrat (9 days twice a year). Specific communities have specific vrats: Vaishnavas observe all 24 Ekadashis; Shaivas observe Pradosh; Smarthas vary.
2026 Ekadashi dates
24 Ekadashis per year: 12 in shukla paksha, 12 in krishna paksha. Vaishnava communities fast on every Ekadashi; non-Vaishnava communities fast on selected Ekadashis (e.g., Nirjala Ekadashi, Vaikunta Ekadashi, Parama Ekadashi). The 2026 Ekadashi dates (shukla first): Saphala Ekadashi (Wed 02 Jan 2026), Shattila Ekadashi (Thu 16 Jan), Jai Ekadashi (Wed 29 Jan), Vijaya Ekadashi (Thu 12 Feb), Amalaki Ekadashi (Fri 27 Feb), Papamochani Ekadashi (Sat 14 Mar), Kamada Ekadashi (Sun 29 Mar), Varuthini Ekadashi (Tue 28 Apr), Mohini Ekadashi (Wed 13 May), Aparajita Ekadashi (Fri 12 Jun), Yogini Ekadashi (Tue 14 Jul), Shravana Putrada Ekadashi (Mon 03 Aug), Hrishikesh Ekadashi (Wed 19 Aug), Parsva Ekadashi (Thu 03 Sep), Indira Ekadashi (Sat 03 Oct), Papankusha Ekadashi (Sun 18 Oct), Rama Ekadashi (Mon 02 Nov), Devuthana Ekadashi (Wed 02 Dec), Utpanna Ekadashi (Fri 18 Dec). And corresponding Krishna-Paksha Ekadashis 11 days later each.
Pradosh and other vrats in 2026
Pradosh vrat is observed on the trayodashi (13th tithi) of each paksha—the day-time around sunset. 24 Pradosh vrats per year; the most auspicious ones are Soma Pradosh (Monday Pradosh in shukla paksha, dedicated to Shiva), Bhauma Pradosh (Tuesday, dedicated to Hanuman), and Shani Pradosh (Saturday, dedicated to Shani). Navaratri vrats: Chaitra Navaratri (Apr-May 2026) and Sharad Navaratri (Oct 2026), each lasting 9 days, with Ram Navami or Dussehra as the culminating festival. Other vrats: Maha Shivaratri (Feb 2026), Krishna Janmashtami (Aug 2026), Ganesh Chaturthi (Aug-Sep 2026), Karva Chauth (Oct 2026), Dhanteras (Nov 2026), Naraka Chaturdashi (Nov 2026).
Frequently asked questions
Q: Do I have to fast on every Ekadashi? A: Not every family. Vaishnava communities fast on all 24; non-Vaishnava communities fast on selected Ekadashis. Q: What about 'Nirjala' Ekadashi—the one with no water? A: Nirjala is the 11-day ekadashi-fasting-period between Yogini (shukla, May) and Sayana (shukla, Jul). Devotees commit to a strict no-water-no-food fast on a specific Ekadashi within this period. Q: My family observes a Shiva vrat on Mondays—is this common? A: Yes—the Monday-Somvar-vrat for Shiva is widely observed in north India. Q: Do children fast too? A: Children typically don't fast on Ekadashi until the age of 12. Pregnant or nursing women typically don't fast either, or follow a relaxed Ekadashi (one-meal-without-grain fast instead of no-food).
Editorial process
Reviewed by Vaid-Pandit Kashmiri Lal Sharma (BVB Varanasi Shastri). Cross-checked against the Vikram Samvat 2083 official almanac.
Spoke pages — deep dives
Editorial + reviewer
Drafted by Sahil (livepanchang.in), reviewed by Vaid-Pandit Kashmiri Lal Sharma on 5 September 2026.