{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "The Year's Toughest Fast Falls Today: No Food, No Water, and the Reward of Every Ekadashi Rolled Into One",
  "summary": "Nirjala Ekadashi, observed in the bright half of the Jyeshtha month, is being marked today with a fast so strict that devotees give up even water. Belief holds that this single vrat earns the merit of all the Ekadashis of the entire year.",
  "content": "Among the many Ekadashi fasts that Hindu tradition holds dear, the one that falls in the bright fortnight of the Jyeshtha month, Nirjala Ekadashi, is placed above all the rest. Religious belief says this single observance is so rewarding that keeping it earns merit equal to all the Ekadashis observed across an entire year. This year, the occasion is being marked today. It is also counted among the hardest fasts of the year, because the devotee neither eats grain nor drinks a single drop of water from sunrise until the next day's parana. It is this complete abstention from water that gives the day its name, Nirjala. The day is dedicated to the worship of Bhagwan Vishnu and Mata Lakshmi.\n\nAccording to astrologer Pandit Deepak Sharma, the Nirjala Ekadashi fast should be kept with full ritual and a firm resolve. After a morning bath, one should meditate on Bhagwan Vishnu and take the vow of the fast. Spending the rest of the day remembering the lord's name, performing puja and singing bhajans and kirtans is considered auspicious. He explained that the scriptures say this fast frees a person from sins, brings peace of mind and spiritual progress, and increases happiness, prosperity and good fortune in life.\n\nWhy Yellow Offerings Please Bhagwan Vishnu\nBelief holds that yellow is the colour dearest to Bhagwan Vishnu. That is why offering yellow flowers, bananas, mangoes, besan ladoos, saffron kheer or other yellow dishes is considered auspicious on this day. Devotees keeping the fast are advised to chant the mantra \"Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya\" as often as possible.\n\nThe Special Merit of Serving Water\nOne of the central messages of Nirjala Ekadashi is tied to water conservation and the service of offering water. Devotees who themselves give up water spend this day handing out cool water, sherbet and sweetened drinks to passersby. Religious belief holds that giving water to thirsty people in the searing heat brings merit equal to a great act of charity.\n\nCharity Multiplies the Fast's Reward\nThe scriptures attach special importance to giving grain, clothes, water vessels, umbrellas, hand fans and dakshina to the needy on this day. Charity offered with devotion and a spirit of service is said to be deeply pleasing to Bhagwan Vishnu, multiplying the reward of the fast many times over. Religious scholars say Nirjala Ekadashi is not merely a festival of fasting, but a spiritual celebration that teaches the value of restraint, service, charity and water.\n\nWhat this means for you\n• For devotees: Those keeping the fast abstain from both food and water from sunrise until the next day's parana, so taking care of health in the intense heat matters.\n• For everyone: Handing out cool water, sherbet and sweet drinks to passersby on this day is held to earn merit equal to a great charity, something anyone can do.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. When is Nirjala Ekadashi being observed this time?\nNirjala Ekadashi of the bright fortnight of the Jyeshtha month is being marked today.\n\n2. Why is it called Nirjala Ekadashi?\nBecause devotees take neither grain nor even water from sunrise until the next day's parana. This complete abstention from water gives it the name Nirjala.\n\n3. Whom is this fast dedicated to?\nThe fast is dedicated to the worship of Bhagwan Vishnu and Mata Lakshmi.\n\n4. Why is Nirjala Ekadashi considered the greatest?\nBelief holds that this single fast earns merit equal to all the Ekadashis observed across the entire year.\n\n5. What offering should be made to Bhagwan Vishnu on this day?\nYellow is said to be dear to Vishnu, so yellow offerings such as yellow flowers, bananas, mangoes, besan ladoos and saffron kheer are considered auspicious.\n\n6. Which mantra should be chanted on this day?\nThose keeping the fast are advised to chant the mantra \"Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya\" as often as possible.\n\n7. Which charity is considered special on Nirjala Ekadashi?\nSpecial importance is given to donating grain, clothes, water vessels, umbrellas, hand fans and dakshina to the needy on this day.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/religion/sala-ki-sabase-kathina-ekadashi-aja-bina-pani-pie-rakha-jata-hai-yaha-vrata-aura-milata-hai-salabhara-ki-ekadashiyon-ka-phala-2881",
  "category": "Religion",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-25",
  "tags": [
    "Nirjala Ekadashi",
    "Nirjala Ekadashi 2026",
    "Ekadashi Vrat",
    "Bhagwan Vishnu",
    "Jyeshtha Shukla Paksha",
    "Water Service",
    "Hindu Fast"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}