Putrada Ekadashi

Overview

Putrada Ekadashi is observed within the broader Hindu tradition of Ekadashi vratas, which fall on the eleventh lunar day (tithi) of each fortnight in the Hindu calendar. The name Putrada is generally associated in popular religious literature with the bestowing of progeny, particularly sons, and the observance is traditionally connected with devotional practices addressed to Vishnu. The vrata is referenced in regional almanacs (panchangas) and in vernacular religious handbooks across several Indian linguistic communities, with localised variations in ritual detail, fasting norms, and accompanying narratives.

Background

Ekadashi observances form a recurring feature of the Hindu ritual calendar. They are typically marked by fasting, abstention from certain foods (notably grains and pulses, according to many traditions), wakeful devotional activity, and the recitation or hearing of narratives associated with the particular Ekadashi in question. Each Ekadashi in the lunar fortnight is conventionally given a distinct name, and a body of devotional literature has developed around these names, often in the form of mahatmya (glorification) texts that recount the spiritual benefits attributed to the observance.

Significance

The cultural significance of the observance extends beyond ritual fasting. It often involves communal listening to narratives, temple visits, and the maintenance of household devotional routines. The observance also offers a window onto broader patterns in Hindu religious life: the structuring of time around lunar reckoning, the integration of fasting with devotional storytelling, and the layered relationship between pan-Indian textual traditions and regional practice. Editors are advised to present significance in a measured, descriptive register, attributing claims to specific traditions or sources, and avoiding language that suggests a single normative form of the observance valid across all communities.

References

To be supplied by editors. Recommended categories of source include: scholarly works on Hindu festivals and the ritual calendar; critical editions and translations of relevant Puranic literature, where applicable; reputable encyclopaedic entries; recognised panchanga publications; and ethnographic or journalistic accounts of contemporary practice. Each factual claim added to the article should be supported by a specific citation, and contested points should be referenced to more than one source where possible.