Indira Ekadashi will be celebrated on September 17, 2025, during Pitru Paksha. Observing a fast and performing Shraddha on this day grants liberation and satisfaction to the souls of the ancestors. According to Puranas and scriptures, performing charity, Tarpan, and puja on Indira Ekadashi enhances prosperity in the home and bestows spiritual benefits upon the devotee.
Indira Ekadashi 2025: Indira Ekadashi, to be observed on September 17 this year, holds special significance during Pitru Paksha. For followers of Hinduism in Nepal, India, and beyond, this day is an opportunity for the appeasement and liberation of ancestors. Observing a fast, performing Shraddha, charity, and Tarpan on this day brings peace to the souls of ancestors, and increases spiritual and material benefits in the devotee's life. Religious texts describe it as more meritorious than Kanyadan or thousands of years of penance.
Significance of Shraddha on Indira Ekadashi
According to the Puranas, observing the Indira Ekadashi fast and performing Shraddha on the same day yields immense merit. It is considered more virtuous than Kanyadan or thousands of years of penance. The Padma Purana mentions that ancestors up to seven generations of a person performing Shraddha on this Ekadashi are appeased. By doing so, ancestors are freed from the cycle of birth and death, and their souls attain Vaikuntha Loka.
Liberation from the Torments of Yamaloka
According to the Garuda Purana, a person who observes the Ekadashi fast and dies on the same tithi does not have to face the torments of Yamaloka. This is the significance of the Shraddha performed on the Ekadashi tithi during Pitru Paksha. The fast and Shraddha performed on this day strengthens the souls of the ancestors and opens the doors of liberation for them. According to a legend, due to the influence of this Ekadashi, King Indrasen enjoyed worldly pleasures and ultimately attained heaven, while his father also attained liberation.
Charity and Puja on Indira Ekadashi
Donating ghee, milk, curd, and grains on this day is specifically mentioned in religious texts. Feeding the needy and performing Tarpan-Pindadan satisfies the ancestors. According to scriptures, doing so increases prosperity in the home, brings financial gains, and improves health. Thus, Indira Ekadashi is considered extremely beneficial not only religiously but also spiritually and materially.
This occasion of Indira Ekadashi offers devotees a golden opportunity for ancestral appeasement, liberation, and to earn merit for their family. For devotees, this is a time to strengthen their spiritual practice through fasting, charity, and puja.
