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Amalaki Ekadashi is a Hindu or sacred festival celebrated on the 11th day of the shukla paksha of Phalguna month (February-March).
Followers also observe the day as Amla Ekadashi, worshipping Lord Vishnu in the form of the Amla tree (gooseberry).
Amla has special significance in mythology; believers hold that Lord Vishnu created the Amla tree.
It is said that lord vishnu resides in every part of the Amla tree. Followers honor the tree as per Amalaki ekadashi puja rituals after they keep fasting.
The celebration holds the virtue of truthfulness, and its key rituals consist of fasting, praying, and chanting sacred verses.
Hence, it’s thought that observing fast helps the devotees to get rid of problems, cleanses the soul, and obtains salvation.
The article gives a detailed, calendar-accurate timing for Amalaki ekadashi 2026 observance falling in February 2026, along with tithi, parana timing, and traditional ritual timing.
The auspicious timing for rituals and parana is below in 2026:
Tithi Timings:
Amalaki Ekadashi Parana Time:
The timing helps the devotees to accurately observe the fast and complete the puja according to the scriptures.
A sacred festival of Amalaki Ekadashi, or Amla Ekadashi, is important for Hindus. It is believed that by observing this Ekadashi, the person gets the abode of lord Vishnu, Vaikunth.
The traditions and significance of Amalaki ekadashi are described in ‘Brahmanda Purana’ and were even conveyed by Sage ‘Valmiki’.
There are countless stories and tales in the Hindu puranas that describe the greatness of keeping Amalaki ekadashi fast.
The day is more auspicious and marked with special rituals and prayers. Even the day after the celebration, identified as ‘Govinda Dwadashi’, is considered to be highly auspicious.
The day of this ritual is believed to be more important owing to its connection with the other Hindu festivals.
The Ekadashi occurs betweenMaha Shivratri and Holi. Pleasing the Amla tree on the day is a symbolic expression of detailed Hindu events.
During the festival,Goddess Lakshmi is also honoured as she is called an omnipresent Goddess.
It’s also a known belief that lord krishna, with his consort, Goddess radha also lives near the tree. Followers worship the tree to achieve good health and wealth.
Moreover, the spiritual energy of the day is strengthened by its link with the waxing phase of the moon, which shows growth, renewal, and positive changes.
It is also believed that receiving blessings on the day does not benefit only the one but also their ancestors and future generations.
When the recitation of Vishnu’s name resonates, and sacred rituals are performed, followers experience a profound sense of divine grace.
Amalaki Ekadashi is not only a day of rituals but a celebration of eternal truth that leads humanity, reminding us to adopt the virtues of selflessness, gratitude, and prosperity with the divine order of the universe.
The puja vidhi of Amalaki Ekadashi included detailed rituals to worship lord vishnu and the Amla tree to seek blessings for health, prosperity, and liberation.
The procedure below is performed to observe puja during Amalaki Ekadashi.
The puja of Amalaki ekadashi begins with cleaning the house and puja space. Arrange a clean mat or cloth to set up a small puja altar and keep the idol or picture of lord Vishnu.
If possible, perform the puja near the Amla tree that is the centre of the puja.
Wake up early in the morning and take a bath, ideally before sunrise, to cleanse your body and soul. Wearing fresh and clean clothes after a bath shows physical and mental purity.
When the puja space is clean and ready, light a small oil lamp and place it in front of Lord Vishnu’s image or the Amla tree. Light incense sticks to create a serene atmosphere as it is said to symbolize the removal of ignorance and darkness.
Offer sacred items to lords like fresh flowers, tulsi leaves, which are highly sacred to lord vishnu.
If possible, perform the puja near the Amla tree, adorn the tree with flowers and sacred threads. Tulsi leaves are considered to hold divine cleansing powers.
The puja includes the recitation of sacred mantras dedicated to lord vishnu. The followers usually chant the Vishnu Sahasranama (1,000 names of Vishnu) or the ‘Hare Krishna’ maha mantra.
Chanting the mantras cleanses the mind and strengthens the devotee’s connection with the divine.
Followers can read or listen to scriptures such as Bhagwad gita, the Vishnu Purana, or stories of Amalaki Ekadashi from the Brahmanda Purana.
Fasting is an important part of Amalaki ekadashi, which is performed to encourage self-discipline and spiritual enhancement. The followers can observe the nirjala vrat or consume only fruits or milk.
The practice helps to cleanse the body and mind, allowing the followers to concentrate on spiritual activities.
Devotees perform arti in the evening, waving a lit oil lamp in front of lord vishnu’s image while singing devotional songs or hymns. Arti creates a spiritual, uplifting environment.
The puja of Amalaki ekadashi is completed with Parana, when devotees break the fast on Dwadashi morning at an auspicious time, basically after sunrise.
Devotees can break the fast with light or sattvic food like fruits, milk, or simple grains to show gratitude to lord vishnu for the strength to complete the fast.
Following the easy steps, followers not just keep the traditional rituals of Amalaki ekadashi but also strengthen their bond with the divine.
Amalaki Tree Mantra
“Om Amalakiya Namah”
Meaning: the mantra is chanted to honor the Amalaki tree, which shows reverence and gratitude believed to embody the presence of Bhagwan Vishnu.
Vishnu Mantra
“Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya”
Meaning: “I bow down to Bhagwan Vasudeva (another name for Vishnu), the preserver of the universe.”
There are multiple stories associated with Amalaki ekadashi, but one Vrat katha that is recited by the follower during the puja of ekadashi is below:
The story was described by Sage Vashistha to King Mandhata. During the ancient kingdom of Vaidisha, King Chitrasena and his ministers were pious followers of Bhagwan Vishnu.
On the day of Amalaki ekadashi, the king and his people went to the forest to honour the Amla tree. They observed fasting, stayed awake, and sang bhajans.
A hungry and wicked hunter is keeping an eye on them from a distance. His plan was to steal their food, but he decided to wait.
While waiting, he listened to the tales of lord vishnu and experienced the devotion. Unknowingly, he fasted the whole day and stayed awake all night.
The next day, the hunter went home and ate food. After one year, when the hunter died, his soul was not taken by the god of death, as unknowingly he kept Ekadashi fast, hence reborn as King Vasuratha, a righteous ruler.
Hence, the story tells that even an unintentional observance of the Ekadashi fast grants the devotees moksha.
| Do’s | Don’ts |
| Wake early and bathe before sunrise | Don’t eat rice or rice-based dishes |
| Worship Lord Vishnu and the Amla tree (or Amla fruit, if a tree is not accessible) | Don’t consume onion, garlic, or tamasic food |
| Observe a fruit-and-milk or nirjala fast, as per your capacity | Don’t eat meat, eggs, or consume alcohol |
| Chant Vishnu Sahasranama or the mantras associated with the day | Don’t engage in arguments, gossip, or negative speech |
| Offer charity such as food, clothes, or Amla fruit to those in need | Don’t cut hair or nails during the vrat |
| Read or listen to scriptures such as the Bhagavad Gita or Vishnu Purana | Don’t sleep during the day if observing a strict vrat |
| Break the fast (Parana) after sunrise, within the Dwadashi Tithi | Don’t delay Parana beyond the prescribed window, or do it during Hari Vasara |
Amalaki Ekadashi 2026 is the auspicious festival dedicated to lord Vishnu to bless with health, divine blessings, and purity.
The festival offers an opportunity for followers to link with the deity by observing a fast, worshipping the Amla tree, and performing spiritual discipline.
As devotees chant the sacred hymns, the auspicious day becomes a moment of deep devotion and reflection, reminding us that true peace and satisfaction come from faith, gratitude, and catering our actions to the divine presence.
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Yes, anyone can observe the fasting of Amalaki ekadashi, apart from age or gender, with sincerity and devotion. Fast can be performed in multiple ways based on one’s capacity, either nirjala or by consuming fruits or water.
On the day of ekadashi fasting, an individual worships amla but prevents eating grains. Amla is often consumed after the day on Dwadashi to break fast.
Parana is the time period on the next day of Dwadashi when the fast is broken, usually after sunrise, before the completion of Brahma muhurat.
Amalaki ekadashi vrat vidhi includes observing fast, worshipping the amla tree, offering prayers to lord vishnu, reciting mantras, and breaking the fast on Dwadashi morning.
The ekadashi reverses the amla tree and is considered to improve prosperity and negate sins when performed with devotion.