The 24 Ekadashi fasts (two per month) were strictly observed by devotees of Vishnu.
The year saw a Total Solar Eclipse on February 26, 1998, which necessitated specific ritual purifications in many Hindu households. The Role of the Panchang 1998 hindu calendar
The Hindu calendar is lunisolar. To synchronize the lunar year (roughly 354 days) with the solar year (365 days), an extra month, called or Purushottam Maas , is inserted approximately every three years. The 24 Ekadashi fasts (two per month) were