Nirjala Ekadashi 2027: Date, Timings, Fasting Rules, Vrat Vidhi and the Katha

Nirjala Ekadashi is the most sacred and rigorous of all the twenty-four Ekadashis of the year, kept with a strict fast without even a drop of water, hence its name, 'nir-jala', waterless. It is believed that by observing this single, hardest fast with devotion, one gains the blessings of keeping all the Ekadashi fasts of the whole year. In 2027, Nirjala Ekadashi falls on Monday, 14 June. Here, from one born in Braj, is the complete guide to Nirjala Ekadashi 2027: the date, the timings, the fasting rules, how to observe the vrat and the famous katha of Bhima. Plan your visit with our Mathura Vrindavan tour packages.

Key takeaways

• Nirjala Ekadashi 2027 is on Monday, 14 June, in the Shukla Paksha of Jyeshtha.

• It is the most sacred and rigorous of the year's 24 Ekadashis.

• It is kept with a strict waterless fast: no food and not a drop of water.

• Keeping it is believed to grant the merit of all the Ekadashi fasts of the year.

• The parana (breaking the fast) on 15 June 2027 is from 1:45 PM to 4:33 PM.

• It is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and linked to Bhima, so it is also called Bhimaseni Ekadashi.

I am Gurudutt, born in Gokul in the Mathura district, guiding pilgrims through Braj since 2018, more than 50,000 of them. In Krishna's land, every Ekadashi is kept with great devotion and Nirjala Ekadashi, the hardest and holiest of all, most of all. Here I give you the essentials for Nirjala Ekadashi 2027: the exact date and timings, the fasting rules, how to observe the vrat step by step and the beautiful story behind it.

Nirjala Ekadashi 2027 date and timings

Here are the key date and timing details for Nirjala Ekadashi in 2027.

Nirjala Ekadashi 2027 date and timings. The parana time varies by a few minutes with your city; confirm locally.

The fast is kept on Ekadashi, 14 June and broken (parana) the next day, on Dwadashi, 15 June, within the window above (Hari Vasara ends at 8:13 AM that morning). As these timings depend on the local sunrise, they vary slightly from city to city, so confirm the exact parana time for your place.

The significance: why Nirjala Ekadashi is the greatest

There are twenty-four Ekadashis in a year (two each month), all sacred to Lord Vishnu and kept by fasting. Nirjala Ekadashi, in the month of Jyeshtha, is held to be the greatest of them all, for two reasons: it is the most rigorous, kept entirely without water in the heat of June; and, by the blessing given to Bhima (as the katha below tells), observing this one hardest fast with devotion is believed to grant the full spiritual merit of keeping all twenty-four Ekadashis of the year. So for those who cannot keep every Ekadashi, Nirjala Ekadashi is the one supreme fast that stands for them all.

Nirjala Ekadashi fasting rules (vrat niyam)

The fast of Nirjala Ekadashi is the strictest of all. These are its rules.

1. No water or food: a complete fast, without any food and without a single drop of water, from sunrise on Ekadashi until sunrise on Dwadashi.

2. No swallowing even ritual water: during worship, even the water used for aachman (ritual sipping) should not be swallowed.

3. Strict discipline: avoid lying, anger and negative thoughts; keep the mind pure and calm.

4. Devotion through the day: spend the day chanting the names and mantras of Vishnu.

5. Night vigil: devotees keep a vigil (jagran) at night, in prayer and remembrance of the Lord.

A word of care: this is a very demanding fast, especially in June's heat. The elderly, the unwell, pregnant women, children and anyone for whom a waterless fast is unsafe should not attempt it or should keep a gentler fast; devotion matters more than severity and one's health is itself a trust. Consult a doctor if in any doubt.

How to observe the fast (vrat vidhi)

Here is how the Nirjala Ekadashi vrat is traditionally observed, step by step.

How to observe the Nirjala Ekadashi vrat, step by step.

The offering of yellow flowers and clothes and the donation of water-pots, are especially dear to this fast; giving water to the thirsty, when one has gone without it oneself, is its most fitting charity.

The Nirjala Ekadashi katha: the story of Bhima

The famous story behind Nirjala Ekadashi concerns Bhima, the mighty second of the five Pandava brothers. Bhima was a great devotee of the Lord, but he had an enormous appetite and found it impossible to go without food, so he could not keep the regular Ekadashi fasts twice a month as his family did and this grieved him, for he feared he would lose their merit. He went to the sage Vyasa and asked whether there was some way to gain the blessings of all the year's Ekadashis without fasting so often. Vyasa advised him to observe just this one Ekadashi, the Shukla Ekadashi of Jyeshtha, but to keep it with the utmost rigour, entirely without water. Bhima, though it was hard for one of his appetites, kept this single waterless fast with full devotion and by it attained the merit of all twenty-four Ekadashis of the year. This is why Nirjala Ekadashi is also known as Bhimaseni Ekadashi or Pandava Ekadashi, after Bhima, who showed that one supreme act of devotion can stand for many.

Nirjala Ekadashi in Vrindavan and Braj

In Krishna's Braj, every Ekadashi is kept with special devotion, for it is sacred to Lord Vishnu, of whom Krishna is the supreme form. On Nirjala Ekadashi, the temples of Vrindavan, including the beloved Banke Bihari and the great ISKCON, are alive with worship, kirtan and fasting devotees and Tulsi, so dear to Vishnu and to this fast, is offered everywhere. To keep Nirjala Ekadashi in Vrindavan, among the temples and the chanting, is deeply blessed, though June is very hot, so plan with care. See the Mathura Vrindavan festivals calendar and we can arrange your pooja and seva.

The honest bit

Honest words from one born in Braj. Nirjala Ekadashi is the holiest of fasts, but also the hardest and I must say plainly: a waterless fast in the June heat is genuinely demanding and not for everyone. The scriptures themselves are gentle here; the elderly, the sick, pregnant women, children and anyone for whom going without water is unsafe should not keep the strict fast, but may keep a lighter one (with water or fruit) with equal devotion, for the Lord looks at the heart, not the severity. Keep your health, which is itself the Lord's gift. On the timings, the parana window (1:45 to 4:33 PM on 15 June 2027) is the widely-followed one, but it shifts by a few minutes with your city, so confirm locally. Kept with devotion and good sense, Nirjala Ekadashi is a beautiful and powerful observance.

Why Experience My India is the right choice

I was born in Gokul in the Mathura district, where the Ekadashis are kept with deep devotion. Guiding since 2018, more than 50,000 pilgrims, 4.5 stars on Google, WhatsApp first, 8 AM to 9 PM daily. For a visit around Nirjala Ekadashi or any Ekadashi, we bring you to the temples of Vrindavan at the right hours, arrange your Vishnu puja, Tulsi offering and charity, guide your fast and darshan and look after you in the June heat, with a local's care and no touts. One clear fare and never a charge for free darshan.

Tip from Gurudutt: if you keep Nirjala Ekadashi, remember its heart beneath the hardship. The fast without water is not mere endurance; it is meant to turn the whole of your longing, for even a drop of water, into longing for God. And its truest charity is the giving of water to the thirsty, having gone without it yourself: so on the parana, give water-pots and cool drinks and fruit to those in need. Kept this way, with the body a little emptied and the heart a little fuller, Nirjala Ekadashi becomes not a trial but a sweetness and that sweetness is deepest of all in the land of Krishna.

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