Parama Ekadashi Date 2029: Vrat Katha, Puja Vidhi, Parana and Pancharatri Vrat

Parama Ekadashi is the Ekadashi of the Krishna Paksha (waning fortnight) of Adhik Maas, the extra lunar month also called Purushottam Maas, and it is dedicated to Lord Vishnu as Purushottam. “Parama” means the highest or the best, and tradition calls it the supremely meritorious Ekadashi of Adhik Maas. Since Adhik Maas comes roughly once every 32 to 33 months, Parama Ekadashi also comes only about once in three years.

According to tradition, the Parama Ekadashi fast removes poverty, frees one from sins and brings the Lord’s grace. Its katha is about Sumedha, a poor but righteous Brahmin of Kampilya, and his wife Pavitra, who learned this fast from sage Kaundinya. The same katha also mentions Kubera and King Harishchandra.

On this page you will find the next Parama Ekadashi date, parana time, the full vrat katha, step-by-step puja vidhi, the Pancharatri vrat, mantras, fasting rules and a clear explanation of Adhik Maas.

When is Parama Ekadashi in 2029? Date, Tithi and Parana Time

Quick answer: Parama Ekadashi 2026 (Thursday, 11 June, Adhik Jyeshtha) has passed. The next Adhik Maas is Adhik Chaitra in 2029 (16 March to 13 April 2029), and the next Parama Ekadashi is on Monday, 9 April 2029. As per the New Delhi panchang, the Ekadashi tithi runs from about 3:45 PM on 8 April 2029 to about 5:39 PM on 9 April. Parana is on the morning of 10 April 2029.

Check the exact fasting date and parana time for your city in the table above, since timings change with local sunrise. In years without an Adhik Maas there is no Parama Ekadashi. In 2029 the Smarta (householder) and Vaishnava (ISKCON and others) traditions keep the fast on the same day, but do confirm with your family or guru tradition’s panchang.

Meaning of Parama Ekadashi and Other Names

What does “Parama” mean?

In Sanskrit “parama” means the highest, the supreme. In the katha, Lord Krishna himself says this meritorious day is called Parama Ekadashi. Devotees see it as the Ekadashi that leads to the highest happiness, true wealth and finally the highest abode, the Lord’s own.

Other names of Parama Ekadashi

• Purushottami Ekadashi: many panchangs and articles use this name because it falls in Purushottam Maas.
• Kamala Ekadashi: some panchangs use this name for both Adhik Maas Ekadashis, though it more often refers to Padmini Ekadashi of the Shukla Paksha.
• Adhik Maas Krishna Ekadashi: its plain panchang name.
• With the month’s name: such as “Adhik Jyeshtha Parama Ekadashi” in 2026 and “Adhik Chaitra Parama Ekadashi” in 2029.

Note: Parama Ekadashi and Rama Ekadashi of Kartik Krishna Paksha sound alike but are different. Rama comes every year; Parama comes only in Adhik Maas.

Month in the Purnimanta and Amanta calendars

Parama Ekadashi has no fixed month. It falls in the Krishna Paksha of whichever month is doubled that year: Adhik Jyeshtha in 2026 and Adhik Chaitra in 2029. Because Adhik Maas runs from new moon to new moon, its name is the same in the Purnimanta (North Indian) and Amanta (South and West Indian) calendars.

In Adhik Maas the Shukla Paksha comes first and the Krishna Paksha after it. So Padmini Ekadashi comes first, and Parama about fifteen days later, a few days before the extra month ends.

Significance of Parama Ekadashi

Religious significance

A normal year has 24 Ekadashis, and a year with Adhik Maas adds two: Padmini and Parama. In the mahatmya, Krishna says that just as the Brahmin is best among two-legged beings, the cow among four-legged ones and Indra among the gods, Adhik Maas is best among months. As the last Ekadashi of this month, Parama carries special weight.

Devotees believe this fast destroys sins, removes poverty from the home and brings happiness in this life and a good destination after it. The kathas say its merit equals that of all pilgrimages and sacrifices.

Spiritual message

The Parama katha is about holding on to dharma even in poverty. Sumedha and Pavitra barely had enough to eat, yet they welcomed their guest with love. True wealth is a generous heart, and the Lord’s grace often comes through service and the company of the wise.

The second message is patience and right guidance. The katha’s own summary says that wealth does not come just by wishing for it; it needs sincere effort, self-control and trust in God together.

Mention in the Puranas

By tradition, the Parama Ekadashi katha is linked to the Skanda Purana, where Lord Krishna tells its glory to Yudhishthira. Some Hindi retellings have Arjuna asking, and some do not name a Purana at all.

Parama Ekadashi Vrat Katha

Yudhishthira’s question

Yudhishthira asked Lord Krishna, “O Janardana, which Ekadashi falls in the dark fortnight of the extra month? How is it observed, and which deity is worshipped?” Krishna said, “O King, this meritorious day is called Parama Ekadashi. On it, Lord Vishnu should be worshipped with incense, lamp, food offerings and flowers. Hear the story the sages told in the city of Kampilya.”

The poor Brahmin of Kampilya

Long ago, a righteous Brahmin named Sumedha lived in Kampilya with his wife Pavitra, who was devoted and full of the spirit of service. Because of some deed in a past life, they lived in deep poverty. Sumedha begged for alms but often came home empty-handed, and many nights they slept hungry.

Yet whatever little there was, Pavitra fed guests first and went hungry herself. She never complained to her husband about her hardship.

The plan to go abroad and Pavitra’s advice

One day Sumedha said sadly, “Dear one, even the rich here give me nothing. Hard work is praised everywhere, so I want to go to a distant land to earn money.”

Pavitra replied gently, “Swami, a person receives what he sowed through charity and deeds in past lives. What is written for us will reach us here too. Please do not leave me. Let us stay and worship the Lord.” Sumedha listened and gave up the plan.

Sage Kaundinya arrives

Some time later the great ascetic Kaundinya came to their home. The couple joyfully offered him a seat and served him a meal from whatever they had, and the sage was pleased.

Pavitra then folded her hands and said, “O sage, we are very poor. I stopped my husband from going away, trusting that the Lord would show us a way, and today you have come. Please tell us how our poverty can end.”

Kaundinya’s advice

The sage said, “In the dark fortnight of the extra month comes Parama Ekadashi, which removes both sin and poverty. Fast on that day, worship Lord Vishnu and keep a night vigil with singing and kirtan.”

He gave two examples. “Kubera, king of the Yakshas, kept this fast, and Lord Shiva, pleased, made him the lord of wealth. The truthful King Harishchandra kept it after his wife and son had been sold, and he regained his wife, son and kingdom.”

He then praised the Pancharatri vrat, a five-day discipline connected with this Ekadashi, and said husband and wife should keep it together as their strength allows. Its rules are given in the Pancharatri section below.

The fast and the end of poverty

When Adhik Maas came, Sumedha and Pavitra kept the Parama Ekadashi fast and then the five-day Pancharatri vrat with full faith. As it ended, Pavitra saw a prince coming towards their house.

Inspired by Lord Brahma, the prince gave them a fine, well-furnished house and a whole village for their livelihood. The couple lived happily, kept up charity and devotion, and finally reached Lord Vishnu’s abode.

Krishna told Yudhishthira, “Whoever keeps Parama Ekadashi with faith, by tradition, gains the merit of all pilgrimages and sacrifices. Even a poor person should keep at least one fast in Adhik Maas.”

Variants of the katha

• Who asks: Yudhishthira in ISKCON texts; Arjuna in some Hindi retellings.
• The wife’s name: Pavitra in most texts; some just call her “the Brahmin’s wife”.
• How wealth came: in ISKCON and many Hindi texts a prince inspired by Brahma gives a house and a village; some simpler retellings only say their poverty slowly ended by the Lord’s grace.
• Kubera: most texts say Shiva made Kubera lord of wealth (treasurer of the gods). One article links it to Shiva becoming lord of Kailash, which is not the common reading.
• Start of the Pancharatri vrat: some texts tie it to the Ekadashi; ISKCON’s English text says the vow is taken on Dwadashi.

Parama Ekadashi Puja Vidhi (Step by Step)

Preparation on Dashami (the day before)

1. Eat one simple sattvic meal before sunset. Avoid rice, masoor, urad, chana, onion and garlic.
2. Avoid meat, alcohol and tamasic food completely.
3. Observe celibacy and keep the mind on the Lord.
4. Clean the house, keep puja items ready and pick tulsi leaves on this day.

Ekadashi morning and sankalp

1. Wake in Brahma muhurta and remember Lord Vishnu.
2. Bathe with a little Ganga jal in the water. Holy baths are especially valued in Adhik Maas, so bathe in a sacred river if you can.
3. Wear clean clothes, yellow if possible.
4. Holding water, akshat and a flower, take the sankalp: “I (your name) will keep the Parama Ekadashi fast of Adhik Maas Krishna Paksha, as per my strength, for the pleasure of Lord Purushottam and the well-being of my home.”

Worship of Lord Vishnu (as Purushottam)

1. Place an idol or picture of Lord Vishnu, Shri Krishna or Lakshmi-Narayana on a yellow cloth.
2. Bathe the Lord with Ganga jal or sprinkle it, then offer sandal, roli, akshat and yellow flowers.
3. As the katha says, worship with incense, lamp, naivedya (food) and flowers. Light a ghee lamp.
4. Offer fruit, panchamrit and sweets with tulsi leaves.
5. Remember Goddess Lakshmi too, since this fast is also linked with prosperity at home.
6. Chant “Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya”, read or hear the katha and recite the Vishnu Sahasranama.
7. Finish with the Om Jai Jagdish Hare aarti.

Evening puja and night vigil

1. Do aarti again in the evening and keep a lamp near the tulsi plant.
2. Kaundinya asked for a night vigil with singing, kirtan and dance. Spend the night in naam jap, bhajan and reading the Gita or Bhagavatam.
3. If you cannot stay up all night, do bhajan for at least a few hours. No rule is above your health.

Dwadashi and parana

1. On Dwadashi morning, bathe and worship the Lord.
2. Feed a Brahmin or someone in need and donate grain, clothes, books or dakshina.
3. Break the fast with tulsi leaf within the parana time shown in the table above.
4. If you are keeping the Pancharatri vrat, continue it as per your tradition.

Puja Samagri List

• Idol or picture of Lord Vishnu, Shri Krishna or Lakshmi-Narayana
• Chowki (low stool) and yellow cloth
• Ganga jal, clean water and a kalash
• Tulsi leaves (picked on Dashami)
• Yellow flowers and a garland
• Sandalwood paste, roli, turmeric, akshat (unbroken rice)
• Ghee lamp, cotton wicks, incense, camphor
• Panchamrit (milk, curd, ghee, honey, sugar)
• Seasonal fruit, coconut, sweets or homemade sattvic bhog
• Betel leaf, betel nut, cloves, cardamom
• Vishnu Sahasranama, Bhagavad Gita or vrat katha book
• Grain, clothes, sesame, ghee or dakshina for charity

Parama Ekadashi Mantras

No ancient mantra specific to Parama Ekadashi is found; the well-known Vishnu mantras are chanted. A popular Krishna mantra for Purushottam Maas, which tradition links to sage Kaundinya of this very katha, is also given below.

1. Dwadashakshara mantra

ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय॥ (Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya)

Meaning: Salutations to Lord Vasudeva, who dwells in all beings. It is the most chanted mantra of Ekadashi and of Adhik Maas. Chant a mala of 108 if you can.

2. Vishnu Gayatri mantra

ॐ नारायणाय विद्महे वासुदेवाय धीमहि। तन्नो विष्णुः प्रचोदयात्॥ (Om Narayanaya Vidmahe Vasudevaya Dhimahi, Tanno Vishnuh Prachodayat)

Meaning: We contemplate Narayana and meditate on Vasudeva; may Lord Vishnu guide our intellect. In the katha, Pavitra’s wisdom helped her husband make the right choice.

3. Vishnu Dhyana mantra

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, with a lotus at his navel, lord of the gods and support of the universe, vast as the sky and dark as a rain cloud, beloved of Lakshmi, lotus-eyed, reached by yogis in meditation, remover of worldly fear and sole lord of all the worlds.

4. Purushottam Maas Krishna mantra

गोवर्धनधरं वन्दे गोपालं गोपरूपिणम्। गोकुलोत्सवमीशानं गोविन्दं गोपिकाप्रियम्॥ (Govardhanadharam Vande Gopalam Goparupinam, Gokulotsavam Ishanam Govindam Gopikapriyam)

Meaning: I bow to Shri Krishna, who lifted Govardhan, protector of the cows, who took the form of a cowherd, the joy of Gokula, the Lord of all, Govinda, beloved of the gopis. In Vaishnava tradition, sage Kaundinya is said to have chanted it daily in Adhik Maas.

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

Keep the Parama Ekadashi fast according to your age, health and ability. The katha itself says that those who cannot keep the full fast should keep it as their strength allows.

What you can eat

• Seasonal fruit such as banana, apple, papaya, watermelon, melon and orange
• Milk, curd, buttermilk, makhana
• Sabudana, kuttu (buckwheat) or singhara (water chestnut) flour dishes
• Boiled potato, sweet potato, arbi
• Sendha (rock) salt, black pepper, cumin
• Coconut water, lemon water, dry fruits

What to avoid

• Rice and anything made from rice
• Wheat, barley, maize and other grains, and all pulses
• Onion, garlic, meat, fish, eggs and alcohol
• Regular (iodised) salt if you are on a phalahar fast

Nirjala fast

A nirjala fast means no food and no water from Ekadashi sunrise until parana. It is the strictest form and only for people in good health. Adhik Maas can fall in hot months such as April or June, so take special care against dehydration.

Phalahar fast

Most householders keep a phalahar fast: no grains, but fruit, milk, water and fasting foods are allowed.

One meal (ekabhukta)

If you cannot fast all day, take one sattvic fasting meal, such as sabudana khichdi or kuttu roti with potato. Rice, grains and pulses are still avoided.

Health caution: People with diabetes, blood pressure, heart or kidney conditions, pregnant or breastfeeding women, the elderly, children and anyone on regular medicines should consult their doctor before any strict fast, and especially before a five-day Pancharatri fast. Do not skip medicines. A phalahar or one-meal fast with sincere puja is fully valid.

Parama Ekadashi Parana: When and How to Break the Fast

An Ekadashi fast is complete only with a proper parana. The main rules:

• Do parana within Dwadashi tithi; breaking the fast after Dwadashi ends is not considered proper.
• Do not break the fast during Hari Vasara, the first quarter of Dwadashi tithi.
• Morning (pratahkal) is the best time; avoid midday (madhyahna).
• Smarta and Vaishnava parana times can differ; follow your tradition.

The exact parana time depends on your city’s sunrise, so please do not guess. See your city’s parana time in the table above.

How to do parana

1. Bathe, worship Lord Vishnu and offer bhog.
2. Feed a Brahmin, a poor person or a cow. Hospitality is central to this katha, so feed someone before you eat.
3. Break the fast first with a tulsi leaf or prasad.
4. Then eat a light sattvic meal. After a nirjala fast, start with a little water and eat slowly.

Dos and Don’ts on Parama Ekadashi

Dos

• Worship Lord Vishnu as Purushottam and read or hear the katha.
• Recite the Vishnu Sahasranama, Bhagavad Gita or Shrimad Bhagavatam.
• Honour any guest who comes, as Sumedha and Pavitra did.
• Donate grain, clothes, sesame, ghee, water or books.
• Light lamps near the tulsi and in the home shrine in the evening.
• Keep a night vigil, or at least a few hours of bhajan.
• Worship together as a couple, as the two did in the katha.

Don’ts

• Do not eat rice, grains, pulses or tamasic food.
• Do not pluck tulsi leaves on Ekadashi.
• Avoid anger, lies, gossip, harsh words and quarrels.
• Do not insult anyone who is poor or in need.
• Avoid daytime sleep.
• Do not force a nirjala or five-day fast when unwell.
• Do not begin new ceremonies such as weddings, griha pravesh or mundan in Adhik Maas.

Parama Ekadashi Myths and Reality (Myth vs Reality)

Myth: Keep Parama Ekadashi and money will come by itself, no effort needed.

Reality: Sumedha and Pavitra prospered after the fast, so devotees keep it hoping for relief from money troubles. But the katha’s own summary says wealth does not come by wishing alone; it needs sincere effort. See the fast as faith and discipline, not a substitute for work.

Myth: Parama and Rama Ekadashi are the same.

Reality: They are different. Rama Ekadashi comes every year in Kartik Krishna Paksha, while Parama comes only in the Krishna Paksha of Adhik Maas, about once in three years.

Myth: Adhik Maas is inauspicious, so no religious work should be done.

Reality: New ceremonies such as weddings and griha pravesh are postponed. But for puja, japa, fasting, charity and katha it is considered the finest month, because Lord Vishnu gave it his own name.

Myth: Without the Pancharatri vrat, Parama Ekadashi gives no fruit.

Reality: The Pancharatri vrat is an extra, demanding discipline that the katha praises. The katha also says each should do what they can. The Ekadashi fast alone, kept with faith, is considered complete.

Myth: Eating something by mistake breaks the fast and brings bad luck.

Reality: There is no need to fear. Ask the Lord’s forgiveness, chant his name and complete the day with restraint. Tradition values devotion above all.

Myth: Long fasting “detoxes” the body, so everyone should go five days without water.

Reality: Ekadashi and Pancharatri are spiritual practices, not treatments. Five days without water can be seriously dangerous to health. Consult a doctor before any long or strict fast.

What is Adhik Maas (Purushottam Maas)?

Why Adhik Maas happens

In the Hindu calendar, months follow the moon and the year follows the sun. Twelve lunar months take about 354 days, while the solar cycle is about 365 days. The roughly 11 days left over each year add up to about a month in three years.

An extra lunar month is added to close this gap, so festivals do not drift away from their seasons. On average this happens about once every 32.5 months.

How the extra month gets its name

Normally the sun enters a new zodiac sign (a sankranti) during each lunar month. A lunar month with no sankranti becomes the Adhik Maas. It takes the name of the regular month that follows it: first comes the “Adhik” month, then the “Nija” month of the same name, as with Adhik Chaitra and then Nija Chaitra in 2029.

Vishnu’s name “Purushottam”

By tradition, each month has a presiding deity, but the extra month had none. Called “Mal Maas”, it found no god willing to be its lord, so it took refuge with Lord Vishnu.

Vishnu accepted it and gave it his own name, Purushottam, the Supreme Being, with the boon that devotion, japa and charity in this month would bear manifold fruit. Vaishnava tradition adds that Vishnu took the month to Goloka, where Shri Krishna gave it his name and qualities. Chapter 15 of the Bhagavad Gita is called “Purushottama Yoga”, and many devotees read it daily in this month.

Dos and don’ts of Adhik Maas

• Do: worship Vishnu and Krishna, japa, reading the Gita, Bhagavatam and Vishnu Sahasranama, deep daan, holy baths, charity, sattvic food and service.
• Avoid: weddings, engagements, griha pravesh, mundan, the sacred thread ceremony and starting major new ventures. Necessary work such as medical treatment or repaying debts is not stopped.

Recent and next Adhik Maas

Recent extra months were Adhik Ashwin in 2020, Adhik Shravan in 2023 and Adhik Jyeshtha in 2026 (17 May to 15 June). The next is Adhik Chaitra in 2029, so the next Parama Ekadashi also falls in 2029.

What is the Pancharatri Vrat?

A special tradition of Parama Ekadashi is the Pancharatri (five-night) vrat. Sage Kaundinya calls it excellent, and Sumedha and Pavitra kept it along with Parama Ekadashi. The kathas describe its merits like this:

• One who fasts five days without water goes to heaven with parents and spouse.
• One who eats only once in the evening for five days is also said to reach heaven.
• Bathing and feeding Brahmins for five days is said to equal feeding the whole world.
• Gifts of sesame, a pot of ghee, a water pot or a horse each carry their own merit.
• Five days of celibacy also carry special merit.
• Husband and wife, and if they wish both sets of parents, keep it together as their strength allows.

Texts differ on exactly when the Pancharatri vrat begins, so ask your family or guru tradition. Today most people do not go five days without water; they keep it through phalahar, one meal a day, celibacy, japa and charity. Health comes first.

Charity and Prayers for Prosperity on Parama Ekadashi

Because this katha is about poverty ending, many devotees pray for their family’s finances on this day. Tradition suggests these simple practices, to be followed as matters of faith:

• Worship Goddess Lakshmi along with Lord Vishnu and offer tulsi.
• Donate grain, clothes or a meal as you can, as Pavitra gave her share to guests.
• Serve cows or donate fodder to a gaushala.
• Recite the Vishnu Sahasranama.
• Keep peace at home, and let husband and wife sit together for the puja.

Padmini vs Parama Ekadashi

Point	Padmini Ekadashi	Parama Ekadashi
Paksha	Shukla Paksha of Adhik Maas	Krishna Paksha of Adhik Maas
Order	Comes first	About fifteen days later
Katha	King Kritavirya, Queen Padmini, Mata Anasuya	Brahmin Sumedha, his wife Pavitra, sage Kaundinya
Main prayer	Children, freedom from sin	Relief from poverty, freedom from sin
Special practice	Four-prahar night vigil	Pancharatri vrat tradition

Benefits of Parama Ekadashi (Religious Belief)

According to tradition and the katha, keeping Parama Ekadashi with faith is believed to bring the following. See them as matters of faith, not guarantees:

• Relief from poverty and financial hardship.
• Release from sins committed knowingly or unknowingly.
• As per the katha, merit equal to all pilgrimages and sacrifices, and to offering pinda to the ancestors at Gaya.
• Devotion in Adhik Maas is believed to bear manifold fruit.
• Peace at home and greater love between husband and wife.
• By tradition, finally reaching Lord Vishnu’s abode.

Related Ekadashis and Readings

About fifteen days before Parama comes Padmini Ekadashi in the Shukla Paksha of Adhik Maas, with the katha of Queen Padmini and Mata Anasuya; keeping both Adhik Maas Ekadashis is considered especially meritorious. See the dates of every Ekadashi of the year on our Ekadashi dates page.

For the day’s puja, also read the Om Jai Jagdish Hare aarti, the Ekadashi Mata ki aarti and the Tulsi Mata ki aarti. For daily tithi and muhurat, see the daily panchang, and download all aartis together in our Aarti Sangrah PDF.

Parama Ekadashi reminds us that a generous heart, respect for guests and trust in the Lord make life truly rich, even when means are few. This chance comes only about once in three years, so feed someone who is hungry, light a lamp and spend some time in naam jap. May Lord Purushottam and Goddess Lakshmi fill your home with happiness, peace and prosperity. Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.

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