Question 1

Why is Nirjala Ekadashi kept without water?

Accepted Answer

The Mahabharata story explains it: Bhima could not keep the twenty-four Ekadashi fasts of the year, so Vyasa gave him one — this one — to keep in full, without food or water, from sunrise to the next day's sunrise, carrying the merit of all the rest. It falls in the hottest month of the year, which is precisely what makes it the hardest, and why it is also called Bhimseni Ekadashi.

Question 2

What is Ganga Dussehra and how is it different from Dussehra?

Accepted Answer

They are unrelated apart from the number ten in both names. Ganga Dussehra falls on Jyeshtha Shukla Dashami and marks the day the Ganga descended to earth; "dus-hara" here means the removal of ten kinds of sin. Vijayadashami, commonly called Dussehra, falls on Ashwin Shukla Dashami about four months later and marks Rama's victory over Ravana.

Question 3

Why does Vat Savitri fall on different days in different states?

Accepted Answer

Because of the Amanta and Purnimanta reckonings. The observance is fixed to a Tithi in Jyeshtha, but North India, following Purnimanta months, keeps it on Jyeshtha Amavasya, while Maharashtra, Gujarat and the southern states, following Amanta months, keep it on Jyeshtha Purnima — about a fortnight apart. Both are the same vrat, honouring Savitri's recovery of Satyavan from Yama beneath a banyan tree.

Question 4

How long does the month of Jyeshtha last?

Accepted Answer

A lunar month runs about 29.5 days — the time the Moon takes to return to the same phase relative to the Sun. Because that figure is not a whole number of days and the Moon's speed varies, Jyeshtha does not begin at the same clock time each year, and its length can differ by several hours from one year to the next. The begin and end timestamps listed above are computed for your own location rather than quoted from a fixed table.

Question 5

Why do the Amanta and Purnimanta dates for Jyeshtha differ?

Accepted Answer

They are two different conventions for where a month starts. An Amanta month runs New Moon to New Moon and is the standard across South and West India — Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Gujarat. A Purnimanta month runs Full Moon to Full Moon and is standard across North India. The Purnimanta Jyeshtha therefore begins about a fortnight earlier and its dark fortnight (Krishna Paksha) comes first, while in the Amanta reckoning the bright fortnight comes first. The two systems agree on which Tithi a given day is; they disagree only on which month to file it under. Use the toggle above to switch between them.

Question 6

Can Jyeshtha occur twice in one year?

Accepted Answer

Yes, though rarely. Twelve lunar months fall about eleven days short of a solar year, so roughly every 32 or 33 months an extra month — Adhika Maas, also called Mala Maas or Purushottama Maas — is inserted to keep the lunar calendar aligned with the seasons. The extra month takes the name of the month that follows it, so an Adhika Jyeshtha is followed by a Nija (true) Jyeshtha. Rites of passage such as weddings, sacred-thread ceremonies and house-warmings are traditionally deferred out of the Adhika month, while recitation, charity and pilgrimage are held to be especially meritorious in it.

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