Toli Ekadashi 2026: Date, Devshayani Vrat, Puja & Mantra
Toli (Devshayani) Ekadashi 2026 (~25 July): the day Vishnu enters yoga-nidra & Chaturmasam begins — vrat, puja vidhi, story, mantra and diaspora guide.
Toli (Devshayani) Ekadashi 2026 (~25 July): the day Vishnu enters yoga-nidra & Chaturmasam begins — vrat, puja vidhi, story, mantra and diaspora guide.
Toli Ekadashi — known across India as Devshayani or Shayani Ekadashi — is the sacred day when Lord Vishnu enters yoga-nidra and Chaturmasam begins. In 2026 it falls around 25 July (Ashada Shukla Ekadashi). It is one of the most important observances of Ashada Masam 2026.
Toli Ekadashi 2026 Date
- Date: ~25 July 2026 (Ashada Shukla Ekadashi) — confirm the exact day with your local panchang
- Also called: Devshayani / Shayani / Hari Shayani Ekadashi; the first Ekadashi of Chaturmasam
- Abroad: observed ≈ the India date; the Ekadashi tithi can fall a day earlier/later by local sunrise
Significance
In the Telugu states this Ekadashi is called "Toli Ekadashi" — toli meaning "first" — because it opens the Chaturmasam, the four most sacred months. On this day Lord Vishnu reclines on Adishesha in yoga-nidra until Prabodhini Ekadashi in Karthika. The Ekadashi fast is held to purify body and mind and to earn the special grace of Sri Hari.
Story & Scriptural Basis
The Bhavishyottara and Padma Puranas narrate the glory of Devshayani Ekadashi. A well-known account tells of King Mandhata, whose kingdom suffered a long drought until, on a sage’s advice, he and his people observed this Ekadashi with devotion and the rains returned. The day is also linked to Vishnu’s rest after the Vamana avatar and his promise to King Bali.
Vrat & Puja Vidhi
- Bathe early and take a sankalpam for the Ekadashi vrat and a Chaturmasam niyama.
- Worship Lord Vishnu with Tulasi leaves, flowers, a ghee lamp and naivedya.
- Keep a full or partial fast — avoid rice and grains; take fruit, milk and water as needed.
- Spend the day in japa, Vishnu Sahasranama and jagarana (night vigil).
- Break the fast (parana) the next morning on Dwadasi after worship.
Mantra
Vishnu: ॐ नमो नारायणाय · oṃ namo nārāyaṇāya · ఓం నమో నారాయణాయ — chant 108 times. Recite the Vishnu Sahasranama where possible.
How the Diaspora Observes Toli Ekadashi
ISKCON and Vishnu/Venkateswara temples across the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, the UAE and Germany hold Ekadashi programs and Tulasi worship, many livestreamed. At home, keep the fast around your work day, light a lamp before Vishnu, chant the Narayana mantra, and resolve a simple Chaturmasam discipline.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Toli Ekadashi 2026?
Toli (Devshayani / Shayani) Ekadashi falls around 25 July 2026 (Ashada Shukla Ekadashi). The exact day can shift ±1 by local sunrise — confirm with your panchang.
Why is it important?
It is the first Ekadashi of Chaturmasam — the day Lord Vishnu enters yoga-nidra for four months — and one of the most significant Vishnu vratas of the year.
What do you eat on Toli Ekadashi?
Observers keep a full or partial fast, avoid rice and grains, and eat fruit, milk and permitted foods; the fast is broken (parana) the next morning on Dwadasi.
What is the right way to observe it?
Worship Vishnu with Tulasi, chant Om Namo Narayanaya, keep the Ekadashi fast and jagarana, and take a Chaturmasam niyama (a vow of restraint for the four months).
Key Takeaways
- Toli Ekadashi 2026: ~25 July (Ashada Shukla Ekadashi).
- Vishnu enters yoga-nidra; Chaturmasam begins.
- Observe with the Ekadashi fast, Tulasi worship and the Narayana mantra.
See the Ashada Masam 2026 guide and Chaturmasam 2026.
