(April 12-13, 2022)
Chaitra Shukla Ekadashi is known as Kamada Ekadashi. On the before day of the fast, the fasting person should eat Barley, Wheat, and Moong in the mid-day and engage in Ekadashi fasting. He should not eat food in the evening and should remember the name of the Lord. On the Ekadashi, after taking bath in the morning, the fasting person should make the following resolution.

ममाखिल-पाप-क्षयपूर्वक परमेश्वर प्रीति-कामनया कामदैकादशी-व्रतं करिष्ये।

After that Lord Vishnu should be worshipped. In the evening the Lord should cradling. Haribhajan and Kirtan should be done after awakening in the night. The fasting should be done on the day of Ekadashi and listen to the story. Parana should be done on the second day i.e. on Dwadashi.

Fasting Story

In ancient times, the kingdom named Bhogipur was ruled by King Pundarik. Many musicians and people proficient in other arts lived in the court of the king. Among them were also Gandharva-Gandhavarni named Lalit and Lalita. Once the king called Lalit, but he did not come. Enraged by this, the king cursed Lalit to become a Demon. Due to the effect of the curse, Lalit Gandharva became a Demon and started wandering here and there. Seeing this his wife was very upset. She made many efforts to free her husband from the Demon Yoni, but all failed. In those days Lalita heard about a sage named Rishyinga. He was very brilliant and was doing penance on Vindhya Parvat. Lalita went to him on Vindhya Parvat and prayed to free her husband from the Demon Yoni. The sage asked him to observe Kamada Ekadashi fast. Lalita started the fast of 'Kamada Ekadashi' according to the method prescribed by the sage. Due to the effect of the fast, her husband Lalit got freed from the Demon Yoni and entered the Gandharva Yoni.