Vrat & Upavas 2026

A Vrat is a vow of devotion — a disciplined observance undertaken on a specific tithi (lunar day) to honour a deity, mark a sacred occasion, or seek a particular blessing. An Upavas (literally “to stay near” the divine) is the fasting component of that vow: abstaining from food, or from grains and specific foods, to turn attention inward.

Together, Vrat and Upavas form one of the most widely practised traditions in Hindu life — observed weekly, fortnightly, monthly or annually depending on the fast. Each is timed to the Panchang: a specific tithi, paksha (lunar fortnight) or nakshatra, which is why the exact date shifts every year on the Gregorian calendar. Most vrats are also accompanied by a katha — a story recited or read that explains the fast's origin and the merit it is believed to bring.