The story behind Mohini Ekadashi
The vrat is observed by abstaining from grains and beans from the previous evening, fasting through Ekadashi, and worshipping Lord Vishnu (often as Madhusudhana, Govinda, or Vishnu himself) with tulsi…
The vrat is observed by abstaining from grains and beans from the previous evening, fasting through Ekadashi, and worshipping Lord Vishnu (often as Madhusudhana, Govinda, or Vishnu himself) with tulsi, prasad of fruit and sweets, and reading or hearing the Mohini Ekadashi katha. The fast is broken on Dwadashi morning after offering charanamrita and prasad to Vishnu. Like all ekadashis, this vrat is said to wash away accumulated paap (sin) and to multiply the merit of any daan offered.
Gau Seva on Mohini Ekadashi is among the most beloved offerings of the day. The cow — like Vishnu's Mohini avatar — is the embodiment of nourishment and grace; offering food to Gaumata while observing the ekadashi vrat is understood as a direct offering to Vishnu. Many traditional families offer green fodder or jaggery to a cow on this day, particularly after breaking the fast on Dwadashi morning.