The Sanskrit word Ekadasi literally means eleven. Ekadasi is the eleventh of the fifteen-day lunar month. In one of the lunar months (called the light month) the moon grows from new moon to full moon and in the following lunar month (called dark month) it diminishes from full moon to no-moon. Thus every calendar (solar) month there are two Ekadasis, the light Ekadasi that occurs on the eleventh day of the waxing moon, and the dark Ekadasi that occurs on the eleventh day of the waning moon.
2006 Ekadasi Days are:
25th March
8th and 24th April
8th and 23rd May
7th and 21st June
7th and 20th July
5th and 19th August
4th and 17th September
3rd and 17th October
1st and 16th November
1st and 16th December
Vriju, thank you so much ! Especially appreciate you writing out the remaining days. Just one question now arises. Apart from fasting on these two days, is there any particular sadhana associated with Ekadasi, or any aspect of the Godhead to be worshipped etc.?
'Upavasa' means to fast. 'Vasa' may mean to reside and 'upa' means nearby. So upavasa means "to reside nearby". So the main principle of Ekadasi is to reside near the Lord. It is not about fasting but about coming closer to the Lord. This is the actual heart of the idea. In fact, every day we should come closer to the Lord but two days have been singled out to emphasize the point. So we can call it Hari's day and everyone will be told to do certain observances. But the purpose is to reside closer to the Lord, to come near to Him. We may start with Ekadasi (two days a month) and then end up doing it every day. That is the real idea.
RE: "It is not about fasting but about coming closer to the Lord"
'Fasting' is one of the 'tools' that we use,
to come closer to the Lord.
Also, 'fasting' helps us to achieve
mastery over physical impulses; also reducing the
metabolic activities of the body; allowing the
mind to concentrate more freely on the object of our devotions.
Another tool is quiet surroundings. I think Thakurji or Swamiji once said: "One cannot meditate at the crossroads of a busy highway" [inexact quote]
Of course, activities, such as 'fasting', must be carefully managed. One must have adequate nourishment, especially when leading an active life in the modern world.
