Parivartini Ekadashi 2026: 22 September Date, Parana Time, Vrat Katha & Puja Vidhi

Somewhere in the middle of Ganeshotsav, when every street is still full of dhol and modak, a quieter tithi arrives. Bhagwan Vishnu has been in yoga nidra since Devshayani Ekadashi, resting on Shesha in the Ksheer Sagar. On this one day of the year, He turns — from His left side to His right. The universe is told, in the gentlest possible way, that the long sleep of Chaturmas has passed its halfway mark. This is Parivartini Ekadashi, and in 2026 it falls on Tuesday, 22 September.

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संपूर्ण एकादशी गाइड ई-बुक – सभी 26 एकादशी व्रत कथाएं, 2026 कैलेंडर, विधि और उद्यापन

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Parivartini Ekadashi 2026: Date & Timings

Parivartini Ekadashi is the Ekadashi of Bhadrapada Shukla Paksha — the bright fortnight of Bhadrapada. Because a tithi begins and ends at an instant rather than at midnight, the vrat is observed on the day the Ekadashi tithi is running at sunrise. That day in 2026 is the 22nd.

These timings are computed for Delhi. Sunrise shifts by up to an hour across India and much more for families abroad, so the parana window moves with your local sunrise — always check the sunrise time for your own city before you break the fast.

The many names of this Ekadashi

Few vrats carry as many names as this one, and each name preserves a different memory:

• Parivartini Ekadashi — from parivartan, the turning: the day Bhagwan Vishnu changes His side in yoga nidra.
• Parsva Ekadashi — from parsva, the side or flank, for the same reason.
• Vamana Ekadashi — because the vrat is dedicated to the Vamana avatar and His story is the katha of the day.
• Jaljhulani Ekadashi / Dol Gyaras — in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Braj, the deity is taken out in a palanquin or dola and offered a ceremonial bath in a river or tank.

The Story: Vamana, King Bali and Three Steps

The katha of Parivartini Ekadashi comes from the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, where Bhagwan Krishna narrates it to Yudhishthira. It is one of the most beloved stories in Sanatana Dharma, and it is not a story about defeat.

King Bali, grandson of Prahlad, was a daitya — but a righteous, generous and deeply devoted one. Through tapasya and yajna he grew so powerful that he conquered the three worlds. The devas, displaced, appealed to Bhagwan Vishnu. Vishnu did not come with a chakra or an army. He came as Vamana, a small brahmachari boy, and asked Bali for the humblest possible gift: three steps of land measured by His own feet.

Bali's guru Shukracharya recognised who this really was and warned him. Bali refused to withdraw a promise once given. He poured the water of sankalp and granted the boon. Vamana then expanded into Trivikrama — the form that strides across the universe. One step covered the earth. The second covered the heavens. For the third, there was nowhere left, and Bali bowed his head and offered it.

What Vishnu gave in return is the point of the whole katha. Bali was not destroyed; he was granted Sutala loka and the promise that Bhagwan Himself would stand as the guardian at his door. It is said that one form of Vishnu remains with Bali to this day while another rests on Shesha in the ocean of milk — and Parivartini Ekadashi is the day that connects the two. Bali's surrender is not a loss. It is the highest thing a devotee can offer.

The Puranas say that one who observes this vrat with shraddha and listens to this katha receives punya equal to an Ashvamedha yajna, and is freed of accumulated paap.

Parivartini Ekadashi Puja Vidhi

The vidhi is simple, and its power lies in doing it with attention rather than in doing it elaborately.

1. Snan and sankalp: Rise in the Brahma muhurat, bathe, and wear clean clothes — yellow or white is traditional for Vishnu puja. Take a sankalp for the vrat, stating your name, gotra and intention.
2. Prepare the sthan: Clean the puja place, spread a yellow cloth on a chowki, and install a murti or picture of Bhagwan Vishnu or Vamana. A copper kalash filled with water, topped with mango leaves and a coconut, is placed to the right.
3. Abhishek: Bathe the murti with Gangajal and panchamrit, then with clean water, and dry it gently.
4. Shodashopachar: Offer chandan tilak, roli, unbroken akshat, yellow flowers, dhoop and a pure desi ghee deepak.
5. Tulsi is essential: No Vishnu puja is complete without tulsi dal. Never pluck tulsi leaves on Ekadashi itself — pick them the previous evening and keep them ready.
6. Bhog: Offer panchmeva, fruit and kheer. Every offering must carry a tulsi leaf.
7. Path and jaap: Recite the Vishnu Sahasranama or the Parivartini Ekadashi vrat katha, and do jaap of ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय.
8. Aarti: Perform aarti with kapur on an aarti thali and blow the shankh. Keep a night jagran if you can, and repeat a short puja at sunrise on Dwadashi before parana.

Fasting Rules for Parivartini Ekadashi

Ekadashi fasting begins the evening before and ends at parana on Dwadashi. Choose the level of fast that your health and daily duties genuinely allow — a vrat kept sincerely at a lighter level is worth far more than a strict one abandoned halfway.

Children, the elderly, expecting mothers and anyone unwell should not attempt a nirjala fast. Doing the puja, hearing the katha and eating satvik food is a complete observance in itself.

What Follows in the Same Fortnight

Parivartini Ekadashi sits inside one of the busiest stretches of the Hindu year. Keep these dates together:

• 22 September (Tuesday) — Parivartini / Parsva Ekadashi
• 24 September (Thursday) — Guru Pradosh Vrat
• 25 September (Friday) — Anant Chaturdashi and the main Ganesh Visarjan
• 26 September (Saturday) — Bhadrapada Purnima; Pitru Paksha begins
• 20 November — Devutthana Ekadashi, when Bhagwan Vishnu finally wakes and Chaturmas ends

Puja Samagri Checklist

Most of what this vrat asks for is already in a Hindu home. If something is missing, arrange it a day early rather than on the morning of the vrat:

• Gangajal — ₹59
• Roli / kumkum — ₹45 and chandan powder — ₹39
• Akshat — ₹49 (for puja only, not for eating)
• Pure desi ghee — ₹179 and Bhimseni kapoor — ₹149
• Panchmeva — ₹199 for bhog
• Copper kalash — ₹599, aarti thali — ₹299, sacred shankh — ₹599
• Setting up a Vishnu altar for the first time? The Vishnuji Puja Combo brings the core items together in one place.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the exact date of Parivartini Ekadashi in 2026?
Tuesday, 22 September 2026. The Ekadashi tithi runs from 8:01 PM on 21 September to 9:44 PM on 22 September, and the vrat is kept on the 22nd because that is the day the tithi is present at sunrise.

When is the parana, and what happens if I miss the window?
Parana is on Wednesday 23 September, between 6:11 AM and 8:36 AM (Delhi). If you miss it, break the fast as soon as you can afterwards with a simple satvik meal and do not compound the error by continuing to fast into Trayodashi. Take a sankalp to be more careful next time — the intention matters more than a technical slip.

Why is it called Parivartini Ekadashi?
Because on this day Bhagwan Vishnu turns from one side to the other during His four-month yoga nidra of Chaturmas. Parivartan means turning or changing, and the same idea gives the name Parsva Ekadashi.

Is Parivartini Ekadashi the same as Vamana Jayanti?
They are adjacent and closely linked, not identical. The vrat of this Ekadashi is dedicated to the Vamana avatar and the Bali katha is read on it, while many panchangs place Vamana Jayanti itself on the Dwadashi that follows. Observing the Ekadashi vrat with Vamana puja honours both.

Can I eat rice on this day?
No. Abstaining from rice and all grains is the core rule of every Ekadashi. Traditionally it is said that the sins of the world took refuge in grain on this tithi, which is why grain is set aside. Fruit, milk, potato, sabudana and sendha namak are permitted in a phalahar fast.

Can working people or those with health issues keep this vrat?
Yes. A phalahar fast, or even a single satvik grain-free meal, is a valid observance. Anyone unwell, pregnant, elderly or on medication should not fast without food or water — do the puja, hear the katha, offer daan, and let that be your vrat.

Bhagwan Vishnu turning in His sleep is a small movement in a very long rest. That is what this vrat asks of us too — not a dramatic change, but one honest turn towards Him. Keep the fast as your body allows, hear Bali's story, offer a tulsi leaf, and let that be enough.

॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥