Vaishnava Ekadashi

Partial Solar Eclipse in Lucknow Begins: 10:26  Ends: 13:58  Duration: 3 hours, 32 minutes Sutak Starts - 3 hours before eclipse Start Time Activities to be done : 1) Singing Kirtans and Bhajans,                                        2) Chanting of the Holy Names of the Lord especially the Hare Krishna Mahamantra                                        3) Reading of Srimad-Bhagavad Gita or Srimad Bhagavatam.                                        4) Hearing about the glories and pastimes of the Lord.                                        5) Donation According to the Bhagavad-gita, anything done without the transcendental objective of pleasing Lord Visnu - whether it be sacrifice, charity, or penance - has no spiritual value.  Activities NOT to be done : 1) Eating - Should be stopped at least 3 hours before the start of grahan.                                                2) Sleeping - One should not sleep from 3 hours before the start of grahan.                                

Yudhisthira Maharaj said, "Oh Supreme Lord, I have heard the glories of the Nirjala Ekadasi, which occurs during the light fortnight of the month of Jyeshtha (May - June). Now I wish to hear from You about the suddha Ekadasi that occurs during the dark fortnight of the month of Ashadha (June - July). Kindly describe to me all about it in detail, Oh killer of the Madhu demon (Madhusudana)."  The Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna, then replied, "Oh king, I shall indeed tell you about the best of all fasting days, the Ekadasi that comes during the dark part of the month of Ashadha. Famous as Yogini Ekadasi, it removes all kinds of sinful reactions and awards supreme liberation. "Oh best of kings, this Ekadasi delivers people who are drowning in the vast ocean of material existence and transports them to the shore of the spiritual world. In all the three worlds, it is the chief of all sacred fasting days. I shall now reveal this truth to you by narrating a history r