Ēkādaśī (“Eleventh”), also spelled as Ēkādaśi, is the eleventh lunar day (tithi) of each of the two lunar phases which occur in an vedic calendar month - the Shukla Pakṣa (the period of the brightening moon also known as the waxing phase) and the Kṛṣṇa Pakṣa (the period of the fading moon also known as the waning phase) It is according to the Vedic medical texts of Ayurveda and is mentioned in detail in many original treatises such as Charaka Samhita and Susruta Samhita
In Sanatan Dharma, Ekadashi holds great importance
Ekadashi is favourite tithi of Lord Krishna and devotees observe “upvas” to be closer to Krishna
In Nepal and India, Ekādaśī is considered a day to cleanse the body, aid repair and rejuvenation and is usually observed by partial or complete fast
High protein and carbohydrate-containing foods such as beans and grains are not consumed by observant people during the fast as it is a day to cleanse the body
Instead, only fruit, vegetables, and milk products are eaten
This period of abstinence starts from sunrise on the day of Ekādaśī to sunrise on the following day
Rice is not eaten on Ekadashi
The timing of each Ekādaśī is according to the position of the moon
The Indian calendar marks progression from a full moon to a new moon as divided into fifteen equal arcs
Each arc measures one lunar day, called a tithi
The time it takes the moon to traverse a particular distance is the length of that lunar day
Ekādaśī refers to the 11th tithi, or lunar day
The eleventh tithi corresponds to a precise phase of the waxing and waning moon
In the bright half of the lunar month, the moon will appear roughly 3/4 full on Ekādaśī, and in the dark half of the lunar month, the moon will be about 3/4 dark on Ekādaśī
There are usually 24 Ekādaśīs in a calendar year
Occasionally, there are two extra Ekādaśīs that happen in a leap year
Each Ekādaśī day is purported to have particular benefits that are attained by the performance of specific activities
Bhagavata Purana (skandha IX, adhyaay 4) notes the observation of Ekādaśī by Ambarisha, a devotee of Lord Vishnu