Ashadhi Ekadashi 2026 – The Great Pandharpur Pilgrimage
आषाढी एकादशी
When is Ashadhi Ekadashi in 2026?
Ashadhi Ekadashi falls on Saturday, 25 July 2026. Also called Devshayani Ekadashi, it is the eleventh lunar day of the bright fortnight of Ashadha, when lakhs of warkaris reach Pandharpur to see Vitthal and Rukmini. On the same day Vishnu is believed to begin his four-month cosmic sleep, opening the sacred period of Chaturmas.
Ashadhi Ekadashi is the spiritual high point of the Warkari tradition of Maharashtra and northern Karnataka. Falling on the eleventh day of the bright half of Ashadha (25 July in 2026), it marks the moment lakhs of pilgrims, called warkaris, complete a weeks-long walk to the Vitthal-Rukmini temple at Pandharpur. Palanquins carrying the sandals of the saints Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram lead the crowds, who sing abhangs and repeat the name “Vitthal, Vitthal”. The same tithi is Devshayani Ekadashi, when Vishnu is said to lie down for four months of cosmic sleep.
Ashadhi Ekadashi 2026-2028: Dates & Calendar
The next Ashadhi Ekadashi is on 25 July 2026. The date shifts each year because it follows the Hindu lunar calendar, always landing on the eleventh day of the bright fortnight of Ashadha, usually in July.
| Year | Date | Day | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 25 July | Saturday | Next occurrence – Wari reaches Pandharpur |
| 2027 | 14 July | Wednesday | Ashadha Shukla Ekadashi |
| 2028 | 2 July | Sunday | Ashadha Shukla Ekadashi |
The fast is traditionally broken the next morning at Parana time, on Dwadashi. The great palkhi processions of Dnyaneshwar (from Alandi) and Tukaram (from Dehu) time their arrival at Pandharpur for this day.
Why Ashadhi Ekadashi Is Celebrated
Ashadhi Ekadashi is celebrated as the culmination of the Pandharpur Wari and as Devshayani Ekadashi, the day Vishnu begins his four-month sleep.
The climax of the Wari
For centuries, Warkari pilgrims have walked from towns across Maharashtra to Pandharpur, timing their journey to arrive on this Ekadashi. The walk itself, done singing and barefoot in the monsoon, is treated as the devotion; reaching Vitthal on Ashadhi is its reward.
Devshayani Ekadashi
On this tithi Vishnu is believed to enter yoga-nidra, a cosmic sleep lasting four months until Prabodhini (Dev Uthani) Ekadashi around November. This opens Chaturmas, a period of restraint, fasting and heightened worship.
Devotion over hierarchy
The Warkari path, shaped by saints such as Dnyaneshwar, Namdev, Eknath and Tukaram, teaches that sincere love of Vitthal matters more than caste or ritual status. Ashadhi Ekadashi is when that idea gathers its largest living crowd.
Deities & Figures Worshipped
The day centres on Vitthal, a form of Vishnu or Krishna, worshipped alongside his consort Rukmini at Pandharpur.
Vitthal (Vithoba)
Vitthal, also called Vithoba or Panduranga, is the presiding deity of Pandharpur, shown standing on a brick with hands on his hips. Warkaris regard him as a gentle, approachable form of Vishnu-Krishna who waits patiently for his devotees.
Rukmini (Rakhumai)
Rukmini, worshipped as Rakhumai, has her own shrine beside Vitthal. Pilgrims seek the darshan of both, honouring them as the divine couple of Pandharpur.
The Warkari saints
The sandals (paduka) of Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Tukaram travel in silver palanquins at the front of the pilgrimage. Their abhangs form the songs sung along the entire route.
Key Rituals, Step by Step
Observance blends the communal Wari with the personal Ekadashi fast and Vishnu worship at home.
- Join or honour the Wari. Warkaris walk for weeks behind the palkhis of Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram, converging on Pandharpur from many directions.
- Sing abhangs and take the name. Along the way and in Pandharpur, devotees sing the abhangs of the saints and repeat “Vitthal, Vitthal”, often with cymbals, mridang and the ektari.
- Keep the Ekadashi fast. Observers avoid grains and pulses for the day; many take only fruit, milk or water, and some keep a full fast until Parana.
- Worship Vishnu-Vitthal. A clean home shrine, a diya, tulsi leaves and offerings of fruit are placed before an image of Vitthal or Vishnu, with recitation of Vishnu names.
- Seek darshan at Pandharpur. Those who reach the temple queue for the darshan of Vitthal and Rukmini and, by tradition, touch their head to Vitthal’s feet.
- Take a holy dip. Many bathe in the Chandrabhaga (the local name for the Bhima river) at Pandharpur before darshan.
- Begin Chaturmas resolves. Devotees adopt a vow for the four-month Chaturmas period, such as giving up a particular food or a daily reading.
- Break the fast at Parana. The next morning on Dwadashi, the fast is ended within the prescribed Parana window.
Special Foods of Ashadhi Ekadashi
As a fasting day, the food is vrat-friendly and grain-free, though the Wari itself is fed by simple communal meals.
Sabudana khichadi
Tapioca pearls cooked with peanuts, cumin and green chilli are the classic Maharashtrian fasting dish, eaten on Ekadashi because sabudana counts as a permitted vrat food.
Rajgira & fruit
Amaranth (rajgira) ladoo and chikki, along with fresh fruit, milk and dry fruits, sustain those keeping the fast without grains.
Varicha bhat
Bhagar or samo (barnyard millet), cooked like rice with a peanut and coconut curry, is a common fasting meal on Ekadashi in Maharashtra.
Pilgrim langar meals
Along the route, villages and volunteers serve simple food to warkaris. On the day itself many pilgrims keep the fast, so offerings are light and shared.
Regional Names & Variations
The same tithi is observed under different names across India, though Pandharpur gives it its most distinctive form.
Maharashtra
Known as Ashadhi Ekadashi or Ashadhi Wari, this is the largest observance. The Pandharpur pilgrimage and the palkhis of Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram define the day.
Karnataka
Warkaris from northern Karnataka join the walk to Pandharpur, and Vitthal (Vithoba) is worshipped in Kannada Bhakti tradition as well.
North India
Across the north the day is kept as Devshayani or Hari Shayani Ekadashi, with a Vishnu fast marking the start of Chaturmas rather than a mass pilgrimage.
Odisha & the east
It follows soon after the Puri Rath Yatra, and the Ekadashi fast for Vishnu-Jagannath is observed as the four-month period begins.
Ashadhi Ekadashi Do's and Don'ts
A short guide to keeping the day with care, whether walking the Wari or fasting at home.
Do
- Keep the Ekadashi fast sincerely, within your health limits.
- Worship Vitthal or Vishnu with a diya, tulsi and fruit.
- Sing or listen to abhangs and take the divine name.
- Bathe early and wear clean clothes before worship.
- Give food, water or shade to pilgrims if the Wari passes near you.
Avoid
- Do not eat rice, wheat or pulses if you are keeping the fast.
- Avoid onion, garlic and non-vegetarian food on the day.
- Do not break the fast before the correct Parana time on Dwadashi.
- Avoid harsh speech, anger and quarrels during worship.
- Do not treat the Wari as a spectacle; respect the pilgrims’ devotion.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Ashadhi Ekadashi in 2026?
Ashadhi Ekadashi is on Saturday, 25 July 2026. It falls on the eleventh day of the bright fortnight of the Hindu month of Ashadha and marks the day warkaris reach Pandharpur to see Vitthal.
When is Ashadhi Ekadashi in 2027 and 2028?
Ashadhi Ekadashi is on Wednesday, 14 July 2027 and Sunday, 2 July 2028. The date changes each year because it follows the Hindu lunar calendar, always on Ashadha Shukla Ekadashi, usually in July.
Why is Ashadhi Ekadashi celebrated?
Ashadhi Ekadashi is celebrated as the climax of the Pandharpur Wari, when lakhs of warkaris complete a weeks-long walk to the Vitthal-Rukmini temple. It is also Devshayani Ekadashi, the day Vishnu is believed to begin four months of cosmic sleep.
Which god is worshipped on Ashadhi Ekadashi?
Vitthal, also called Vithoba or Panduranga, is worshipped on Ashadhi Ekadashi, together with his consort Rukmini. Vitthal is regarded as a form of Vishnu or Krishna and is the presiding deity of Pandharpur.
What is the Pandharpur Wari?
The Pandharpur Wari is a centuries-old pilgrimage in which warkaris walk for weeks to Pandharpur, carrying the palkhis (palanquins) of the saints Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram. They sing abhangs and repeat “Vitthal, Vitthal”, arriving in time for Ashadhi Ekadashi.
What is Devshayani Ekadashi and Chaturmas?
Devshayani Ekadashi is another name for Ashadhi Ekadashi, marking the day Vishnu begins a four-month sleep. That period, called Chaturmas, lasts until Prabodhini Ekadashi around November and is kept with fasting, restraint and devotion.
How is the Ashadhi Ekadashi fast observed?
Those keeping the fast avoid grains and pulses for the day, taking only fruit, milk, water or permitted vrat foods such as sabudana. The fast is broken the next morning on Dwadashi within the prescribed Parana time.
Where is Ashadhi Ekadashi most celebrated?
Ashadhi Ekadashi is most closely tied to Pandharpur in Maharashtra, drawing warkaris from across Maharashtra and northern Karnataka. Elsewhere in India the same day is kept as Devshayani Ekadashi with a Vishnu fast.
May Vitthal keep his eyes on all who walk to him. Vitthal, Vitthal.