How the vrat dates are worked out
Every vrat is tied to a tithi (lunar day), and a tithi rarely lines up with a calendar day, so the fasting date depends on your city’s sunrise, sunset or moonrise:
- Ekadashi: observed on the day Ekadashi prevails at sunrise (Smarta tradition), moved by a day when Ekadashi or Dwadashi spans two sunrises or none (see the Ekadashi rules). Parana, the breaking of the fast, is on the next day after Hari Vasara (the first quarter of Dwadashi) and before Dwadashi ends.
- Pradosh Vrat: Trayodashi prevailing at sunset; worship is in the Pradosh period just after sunset. On a Monday it is Soma Pradosh, on a Saturday Shani Pradosh.
- Sankashti Chaturthi: Krishna Chaturthi prevailing at moonrise, when the fast is broken after sighting the Moon. Vinayaka Chaturthi is Shukla Chaturthi at midday.
- Masik Shivaratri: Krishna Chaturdashi prevailing at midnight (Nishita). Purnima and Amavasya fasts follow the tithi at the relevant time of day.
For the full year of Ekadashi dates with Parana times, see the Ekadashi calendar. Some families follow the Vaishnava rule for Ekadashi, which can place it a day later. Major festivals will be added after they are checked against published calendars.