Mohini Ekadashi Date 2027: Vrat Katha, Puja Vidhi, Parana and the Story of the Mohini Avatar

Mohini Ekadashi is the Ekadashi of Vaishakha Shukla Paksha, kept in remembrance of Lord Vishnu’s Mohini form. During the churning of the ocean, the Lord took the form of the enchanting Mohini and made sure the nectar of immortality reached the gods. For this reason the fast is believed to free the devotee from moha, the grip of attachment and delusion.

By tradition, Lord Krishna told this story to Yudhishthira, and long before that, Sage Vashishtha told it to Lord Rama. Grieving in separation from Sita, Rama asked his guru for a fast that would end all sin and sorrow. Vashishtha answered with the glory of Mohini Ekadashi and the story of Dhrishtabuddhi, a merchant’s son from the city of Bhadravati.

Below you will find the date, parana time, full vrat katha, the Mohini avatar story, puja vidhi, mantras and fasting rules.

Mohini Ekadashi Date 2027: Tithi and Parana Time

Quick answer: Mohini Ekadashi 2026 (27 April) has passed. The next Mohini Ekadashi is on Sunday, 16 May 2027. As per the New Delhi panchang, the Ekadashi tithi runs from 6:17 PM on 15 May 2027 to 5:13 PM on 16 May, and parana can be done on the morning of 17 May 2027, roughly between 5:29 AM and 8:13 AM.

Check the table above for the date and exact parana time for your city, since the timings change with local sunrise. In 2027 the Smarta (householder) and Vaishnava (ISKCON and others) traditions keep the fast on the same day.

Mohini Ekadashi Meaning and Other Names

“Mohini” comes from “moha”. In one sense it means “the one who enchants”, a form of overwhelming beauty. Lord Vishnu took this form at the churning of the ocean, and the asuras were so captivated by it that the nectar passed to the gods.

The deeper meaning is “the one who cuts the bonds of moha”. In the katha, Vashishtha says this fast releases a person from the net of attachment. The same maya that misled the asuras is the maya this fast helps the devotee escape.

Other names of Mohini Ekadashi

• Vaishakha Shukla Ekadashi: the panchang name based on the tithi.
• Mohini Gyaras: in many Hindi-speaking areas Ekadashi is called “gyaras” in everyday speech.
• Mohini Ekadasi: the spelling used by ISKCON and many Vaishnava calendars.

Month in the Purnimanta and Amanta calendars

North India follows the Purnimanta calendar, where the month ends on the full moon, while South and West India follow the Amanta calendar, where it ends on the new moon. Krishna Paksha Ekadashis get different month names in the two systems, but Shukla Paksha Ekadashis do not.

So Mohini Ekadashi is Vaishakha Shukla Ekadashi in both calendars. In the Tamil solar calendar it usually falls in Chithirai. In the Gregorian calendar it usually comes in late April or May.

It is the third Ekadashi after the Hindu new year, after Kamada and Varuthini. Akshaya Tritiya falls a few days before it and Buddha Purnima a few days after.

Significance of Mohini Ekadashi

By tradition, Vashishtha declared that no fast in the three worlds equals Mohini Ekadashi.

Religious significance

The mahatmya says the fast destroys the sins of many lifetimes. In the katha, Sage Kaundinya says it can wipe away sins as vast as Mount Meru. This is shown through the redemption of Dhrishtabuddhi, who had spent his whole life doing wrong.

Tradition also says that the merit of pilgrimages, sacrifices and charity does not equal even one-sixteenth of the merit of Mohini Ekadashi, and that reading or hearing its katha brings merit equal to gifting a thousand cows. These are statements of faith, not arithmetic.

Spiritual message

The central message is freedom from moha. The asuras had seized the nectar, yet lost it because they were captivated by a beautiful form. In the same way, people lose their real nectar, devotion and discernment, to attachment to wealth, pleasure and ego.

The story of Dhrishtabuddhi adds a second message: no one has fallen so far that they cannot return. A few drops of Ganga water from a sage’s garment woke good sense in him: the power of good company. Even Lord Rama sought his guru’s guidance in grief, which reminds us that asking for help in hard times is wisdom, not weakness.

Mention in the Puranas

By tradition, the glory of Mohini Ekadashi appears in the Ekadashi mahatmya of the Padma Purana (Uttara Khanda). Some Vaishnava sources also connect the story with the Kurma Purana, and some articles name the Surya Purana. The core story is the same everywhere.

The Mohini avatar story is told separately in the Mahabharata, the Vishnu Purana and the eighth canto of the Shrimad Bhagavata Purana. The vrat katha and the avatar story are two different stories with one theme: victory over moha.

Mohini Ekadashi Vrat Katha: The Story of Dhrishtabuddhi

Yudhishthira’s question and Rama’s request

Yudhishthira once asked Lord Krishna, “O Janardana, what is the name of the Ekadashi in the bright fortnight of Vaishakha, how is it kept, and what is its fruit?” Krishna replied, “O King, it is called Mohini. Listen to the story that Sage Vashishtha once told Lord Rama.”

In the Treta Yuga, Rama was deeply sorrowful in separation from Sita. He asked his guru, “Tell me the best of all fasts, one that destroys every sin and every sorrow.” Vashishtha said, “Rama, you have asked for the good of the world. Mohini Ekadashi of Vaishakha Shukla frees a person from sin, sorrow and the net of moha.”

The generous merchant Dhanapala of Bhadravati

On the banks of the river Saraswati stood the city of Bhadravati, ruled by the truthful King Dyutiman of the lunar dynasty. In that city lived a wealthy Vaishya named Dhanapala, rich in grain and gold, righteous and devoted to Lord Vishnu.

For the public good he built food halls, drinking-water stations, wells, lakes and rest houses, and planted mango, jamun and neem trees along the roads. He had five sons: Sumana, Sadbuddhi, Medhavi, Sukriti and Dhrishtabuddhi.

The fall of Dhrishtabuddhi

The fifth son, Dhrishtabuddhi, lived up to his name, “the one of wicked mind”. He fell into bad company and took to gambling, drinking, eating meat and visiting prostitutes. He respected neither gods, elders nor his own parents, and wasted his father’s wealth.

One day Dhanapala saw him walking down the street with his arm around a courtesan. Ashamed and heartbroken, the father threw him out of the house, and his relatives cut him off. When he had sold everything he owned, the courtesan and his companions abandoned him too.

Theft, prison and the forest

Tormented by hunger and thirst, Dhrishtabuddhi turned to theft. At first the guards let him go because he was Dhanapala’s son. When he was caught again and again, the king had him chained, imprisoned and punished, and finally banished him from the city.

He wandered into a dense forest and began killing animals and birds to eat. In time he became a full-time hunter with bow and arrows, and his burden of sin grew heavier still.

Sage Kaundinya’s ashram and the drops of Ganga water

One day in the month of Vaishakha, weak with hunger, thirst and grief, Dhrishtabuddhi stumbled into the ashram of Sage Kaundinya. The sage was just returning from his bath in the Ganga, and a few drops of water from his wet garments fell on Dhrishtabuddhi.

At the touch of those holy drops, some past merit awoke in him and good sense returned. He folded his hands and said, “O sage, I have no wealth and no one to turn to. Please tell me a simple remedy by which I can atone for my sins and be free of this misery.”

The sage’s advice and the fruit of the fast

Moved by his sincere plea, Kaundinya said, “My son, in the bright fortnight of Vaishakha comes the Ekadashi called Mohini. Keep its fast with faith. By its power even sins as great as Mount Meru, gathered over many births, are destroyed.”

Dhrishtabuddhi kept Mohini Ekadashi with full devotion, exactly as the sage had taught. By the power of the fast all his sins were destroyed. He received a divine form and, free of all sorrow, rode on Garuda to the abode of Lord Vishnu.

Vashishtha ended by telling Rama, “This fast destroys moha and every bondage. There is no fast greater than this in the world.” Krishna told Yudhishthira that whoever reads or hears this story with faith gains the merit of gifting a thousand cows.

Variations of the story

Some tellings differ in small details: the king is sometimes named Dhritiman, the sons’ names vary, one short version calls Dhrishtabuddhi the eldest son, and some leave out the theft and prison. The core story is common to all.

Lord Vishnu’s Mohini Avatar and the Samudra Manthan

Behind the name of this Ekadashi lies the famous story of Vishnu’s Mohini avatar. Popular belief holds that the Lord took this form on Vaishakha Shukla Ekadashi itself, though the Puranas do not clearly state the tithi of the avatar.

Why the ocean was churned

According to the Puranas, a curse of Sage Durvasa drained Indra and the gods of their strength and fortune, and they began losing battles to the asuras led by King Bali. On Vishnu’s advice, the gods made a truce with the asuras and together they churned the ocean of milk to obtain amrita, the nectar of immortality.

Mount Mandara became the churning rod and the serpent Vasuki the rope. When the mountain began to sink, Vishnu took the Kurma (tortoise) avatar and held it on his back. The first thing to rise was the deadly poison halahala, which Lord Shiva drank to save the worlds, becoming Neelakantha, the blue-throated one.

The pot of nectar and the asuras’ grab

Many treasures rose, including Goddess Lakshmi. At last Lord Dhanvantari appeared carrying a pot full of amrita. The asuras snatched it and began fighting over who would drink first, and the worried gods took refuge in Vishnu.

The Mohini form and the sharing of the nectar

Then a woman of breathtaking beauty appeared among the asuras. Forgetting their quarrel, they were enchanted and asked her to share out the nectar and settle their dispute. She agreed on one condition: they must accept whatever she did. Lost in infatuation, they agreed without a thought.

Mohini seated the gods and the asuras in separate rows. Keeping the asuras charmed with sweet words and smiles, she served all the nectar to the gods. The asuras were so absorbed in her beauty that they did not notice who was getting it.

Svarbhanu, Rahu and Ketu

One asura, Svarbhanu, saw through the plan. Disguised as a god, he sat between the Sun and the Moon and drank some nectar. The Sun and Moon recognised him and told Mohini, and the Lord at once cut off his head with the Sudarshana Chakra.

But the nectar had already touched his throat, so he did not die. His head became Rahu and his body Ketu. Tradition says that out of this enmity Rahu pursues the Sun and Moon, which is linked with eclipses. After the nectar was shared, the Lord returned to his own form.

What the Mohini avatar teaches

What force could not achieve, wisdom did. The asuras held the nectar but lost it to moha. Remembering this story means recognising our own attachments and rising above them.

Lord Rama and Mohini Ekadashi

This Ekadashi is directly linked with Lord Rama, since Vashishtha told its story to Rama in his grief over Sita. Many folk traditions say Rama himself kept this fast. So many devotees worship Lord Rama along with Lord Vishnu on this day and chant Rama’s name.

Vaishakha, Summer Heat and Seva of Water

Vaishakha is considered a sacred month for bathing, charity and service, and Mohini Ekadashi falls in the middle of it, when North India is very hot. Dhanapala’s water stations and wells in the katha reflect this spirit of seva.

On this day, give water to the thirsty, keep a bowl of water out for birds, or donate earthen pots, fans, umbrellas or seasonal fruit. Giving grain to the poor is also auspicious. You do not eat grain yourself on Ekadashi, but you may give it to others.

Mohini Ekadashi Puja Vidhi (Step by Step)

This method follows common household practice. If your family or guru has a different custom, follow that.

Dashami (the day before)

1. Eat one simple sattvik meal before sunset, without onion, garlic, meat or masoor dal.
2. Observe celibacy that night and keep the next day’s fast in mind.
3. Clean the puja space and gather the samagri in advance. Pick tulsi leaves today, since tulsi is not plucked on Ekadashi.

Ekadashi morning and sankalp

1. Rise in Brahma muhurta or before sunrise and bathe, adding a little Ganga jal to the water.
2. Take water, akshat (unbroken rice) and a flower in your hand and make the sankalp: “Today I keep the Mohini Ekadashi fast for the pleasure of Lord Vishnu and for freedom from moha and sin. O Lord, help me complete it.”

Worship of Lord Vishnu

1. Spread a yellow cloth on a chowki and place an image of Lord Vishnu. You may add an image of Lord Rama or Lakshmi-Narayana.
2. Light a ghee lamp and incense, and first remember Lord Ganesha.
3. If you have a murti, bathe it with Ganga jal or panchamrit.
4. Offer yellow sandalwood, akshat, yellow flowers, a garland and cloth.
5. Offer tulsi leaves, then seasonal fruit, panchamrit and a yellow sweet or mishri as bhog, with a tulsi leaf on it.
6. Chant the mantras below and recite the Vishnu Sahasranama if you can.
7. Read or listen to the Mohini Ekadashi vrat katha.
8. End with the Om Jai Jagdish Hare Aarti and the Ekadashi Mata Ki Aarti.

Evening puja and night vigil

1. Keep remembering the Lord through the day and avoid sleeping in the daytime.
2. In the evening, light the lamp again, place a ghee lamp near the tulsi plant and do aarti.
3. If you can, keep a night vigil with bhajans, kirtan and chanting. If a full night is not possible, a few hours of kirtan with faith is also considered auspicious.

Dwadashi and parana

1. On Dwadashi morning, bathe and worship Lord Vishnu.
2. Feed or give charity to a brahmin, a person in need or a cow.
3. Break the fast with a tulsi leaf and water within the parana time shown in the table above, then eat a sattvik meal.

Puja Samagri List

• Image or murti of Lord Vishnu (and of Lord Rama, if you wish)
• Chowki and a yellow cloth
• Ghee lamp, incense and camphor
• Ganga jal and a kalash of clean water
• Panchamrit, yellow sandalwood, roli and akshat
• Yellow flowers and a garland
• Tulsi leaves (plucked on Dashami)
• Seasonal fruit and yellow sweets or mishri
• Yellow cloth or sacred thread for the Lord
• Tulsi mala for japa
• Vrat katha book and aarti book
• Items for charity: an earthen water pot, fan, umbrella, fruit or grain

Mohini Ekadashi Mantras

Chant any one or more of these with faith; 108 times on a tulsi mala is considered auspicious.

1. Dwadashakshar mantra

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya (ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय)

Meaning: I bow to Lord Vasudeva (Vishnu). This twelve-syllable mantra is the one most widely chanted on Ekadashi.

2. Ashtakshar Narayana mantra

Om Namo Narayanaya (ॐ नमो नारायणाय)

Meaning: I bow to Lord Narayana. This short mantra can be repeated silently through the day.

3. Shri Rama mantra

Shri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram (श्री राम जय राम जय जय राम)

Meaning: Victory to Lord Rama, together with Mother Sita. Since this katha was told to Rama, it suits the day well.

4. Hare Rama Maha Mantra

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare (हरे राम हरे राम राम राम हरे हरे। हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे॥)

Meaning: O Hari, O Rama, O Krishna, engage me in your devotion. It suits a night of kirtan.

5. Vishnu dhyana shloka

शान्ताकारं भुजगशयनं पद्मनाभं सुरेशं, विश्वाधारं गगनसदृशं मेघवर्णं शुभाङ्गम्। लक्ष्मीकान्तं कमलनयनं योगिभिर्ध्यानगम्यं, वन्दे विष्णुं भवभयहरं सर्वलोकैकनाथम्॥

Meaning: I bow to Lord Vishnu, peaceful in form, resting on the serpent Shesha, with a lotus at his navel; lord of the gods and support of the universe, vast as the sky, dark as a rain cloud and beautiful; beloved of Lakshmi, lotus-eyed, reached by yogis in meditation, remover of the fear of worldly life and the one lord of all worlds.

Mohini Ekadashi Fasting Rules: What to Eat and What to Avoid

Giving up grain is the main rule of every Ekadashi. Mohini Ekadashi falls in the summer heat, so do not let yourself get dehydrated, especially if you are not keeping a nirjala fast.

What you can eat

• Seasonal fruit: mango, banana, melon, watermelon, papaya, grapes
• Milk, curd, buttermilk, lassi, paneer and makhana
• Dry fruits: almonds, cashews, raisins, walnuts
• Sabudana khichdi or kheer
• Puri or roti of kuttu, singhara or rajgira flour
• Potato, sweet potato, arbi and pumpkin
• Rock salt (sendha namak), black pepper, cumin and green chilli
• Coconut water, lemon water and plain water

What to avoid

• Rice and anything made from rice
• Wheat, barley, maize and all grains
• All pulses, especially masoor and chana
• Onion, garlic and tamasic food
• Meat, fish, eggs, alcohol and ordinary salt
• Food cooked outside or in someone else’s home

Nirjala fast

In a nirjala fast both food and water are given up for the whole day. It is the hardest form, and going without water in May heat can be tough on the body. Keep it only if you are fully healthy and have done it before. If you feel dizzy, weak or unwell, drink water.

Phalahar fast

This is the most common form. No grain is eaten, but fruit, milk, dry fruits, sabudana, kuttu or singhara flour and fasting vegetables are allowed. Keep drinking water, coconut water and buttermilk.

One meal (Ekabhukta)

Those who cannot stay on fruit all day may eat one sattvik fasting meal, still without grain, pulses or ordinary salt.

Health caution: people with diabetes, blood pressure, kidney or heart conditions, pregnant or breastfeeding women, the elderly and anyone on regular medication should consult a doctor before a strict fast. They can keep the Ekadashi with full devotion through a phalahar or one-meal fast. Never skip prescribed medicine.

Mohini Ekadashi Parana: When and How to Break the Fast

Parana, breaking the fast, is done the next day during Dwadashi tithi, and doing it at the right time is part of the vrat. The main rules are:

• Within Dwadashi: break the fast after sunrise and before Dwadashi ends. Parana after Dwadashi is over is not considered proper.
• Avoid Hari Vasara: the first quarter of Dwadashi is called Hari Vasara, and parana is not done then. Wait until it ends.
• Morning is best: pratahkal (early morning) is the preferred time. Avoid madhyahna (midday); if the morning is missed, do it after midday.
• Smarta and Vaishnava: in some years the two traditions fast on different days, and the Vaishnava parana window is sometimes a little longer. Check the table above for your tradition.

How to do parana

1. Bathe on Dwadashi, worship Lord Vishnu and offer bhog.
2. Give food or charity to a brahmin, a person in need or a cow.
3. Break the fast with a tulsi leaf and a little water. Many families use milk or fruit.
4. Then eat a sattvik meal. Rice may be included, since it is not forbidden on Dwadashi.

Do’s and Don’ts on Mohini Ekadashi

Do’s

• Rise early, bathe and take the sankalp.
• Worship Lord Vishnu and Lord Rama and offer tulsi.
• Read or listen to the vrat katha with your family.
• Arrange water for thirsty people and birds.
• Donate earthen pots, umbrellas, fans, fruit or grain.
• Chant the Vishnu Sahasranama or Rama’s name.
• Sincerely repent an old mistake and resolve not to repeat it.

Don’ts

• Do not eat rice, grains, pulses, onion, garlic, meat or alcohol.
• Do not pluck tulsi leaves on Ekadashi.
• Avoid anger, lies, gossip, harsh words and quarrels.
• Stay away from gambling, intoxicants and bad habits, the very things that brought Dhrishtabuddhi down.
• Do not sleep during the day.
• Do not disrespect anyone, especially parents, elders and guests.

Mohini Ekadashi Myths vs Reality

Here is what the tradition actually says about a few common beliefs.

Myth: Mohini Ekadashi is about “vashikaran” or enchanting other people.

Reality: The name comes from the form in which the Lord turned the asuras’ own infatuation against them. The fast is about freeing your own mind from moha, not about attracting or controlling others.

Myth: The fast is of no use to someone who has done great wrong.

Reality: The katha says the opposite. Dhrishtabuddhi gambled, stole, drank and killed, yet was redeemed through sincere repentance and the fast. Tradition places sincere regret and a resolve to change at the heart of the vrat. It does not treat the fast as permission to keep doing wrong.

Myth: Without a nirjala fast, there is no merit.

Reality: Nirjala, phalahar and one-meal fasts are all accepted. Kaundinya asked Dhrishtabuddhi for faith, not for extreme austerity. In May heat, choose a form that suits your health.

Myth: If you accidentally eat something, the fast is ruined and bad luck follows.

Reality: There is no need for fear over an honest mistake. Ask the Lord’s forgiveness, chant his name and continue. Ekadashi is kept out of love and faith, not fear.

Myth: On Ekadashi you must not cook or give grain to anyone.

Reality: The person fasting does not eat grain, but food can be cooked for family members who are not fasting, especially children, the sick and the elderly. Giving grain in charity is also fine.

Myth: Fasting “detoxes” the body, so everyone should keep a strict fast.

Reality: Ekadashi is a spiritual practice, not a treatment. For people with diabetes, during pregnancy, in old age or on medication, a strict fast can do harm. Consult a doctor and keep a lighter fast.

Benefits of Mohini Ekadashi (as per Religious Belief)

These are religious beliefs drawn from tradition, not guarantees.

• Freedom from moha: the fast is believed to help release the mind from attachment, delusion and maya.
• Removal of sins: the mahatmya says it destroys the sins of many lifetimes.
• Support in grief: linked with Rama’s question, it is seen as a fast that gives patience in separation and sorrow.
• Good sense: like Dhrishtabuddhi, the devotee is believed to gain good thoughts and right judgement.
• Great merit: tradition rates its merit above pilgrimage, sacrifice and charity, and the fruit of hearing the katha as equal to gifting a thousand cows.
• Peace of mind: fasting, chanting and vigil steady the mind and build self-control.
• A step towards liberation: in the katha Dhrishtabuddhi reaches Vishnu’s abode, so the fast is seen as leading towards moksha.

Related Ekadashis and Readings

Just before Mohini comes Varuthini Ekadashi of Vaishakha Krishna, believed to protect like armour. After Mohini comes Apara Ekadashi of Jyeshtha Krishna, said to bring boundless merit. See all Ekadashi dates of the year on our Ekadashi Kab Hai page.

For the puja, also read the Om Jai Jagdish Hare Aarti, Ekadashi Mata Ki Aarti and Tulsi Mata Ki Aarti. Check the day’s tithi and auspicious timings in our Daily Panchang. For all aartis in one place, download the Aarti Sangrah PDF.

Mohini Ekadashi reminds us that however deep our moha, a moment of the Lord’s grace and good company can lift us out of it. Just as the Lord took the Mohini form to bring the nectar to the right hands, he can return to us our own nectar of devotion and discernment. On this day, give water to someone thirsty, comfort someone in sorrow and resolve to drop one bad habit. May Shri Hari bless you and your whole family. Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.

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