Vaikunta Ekadashi
Also called Mokshada Ekadashi, Putrada Ekadashi (Pausha), Swarga Vathil Ekadashi
When
Sunday, 20 December 2026 in 115 days
New Delhi · change location
at sunrise. This observance is governed by arunodaya, not by the sunrise tithi — which is why the tithi named here is often not the one the festival is named for.
See the complete panchang for that day →
Governed by
Why this date?
The Shukla Paksha Ekadashi of the month of Margashirsha / Dhanurmasa. Ekadashi observance in general is governed by the tithi at ARUNODAYA — roughly ninety-six minutes before sunrise — and Vaishnava practice additionally rejects a viddha (contaminated) Ekadashi, which is the main reason Smarta and Vaishnava Ekadashi dates diverge by a day.
- Computed by the panchanga engine for your location
- Follows a written selection rule, not a copied list
- The governing period is stated, and the rule is applied to it
- The written guide has not yet been reviewed by a named scholar
Dates come from the calculation engine and are independent of the written guide. How we calculate →
What In short
The Ekadashi on which the Vaikuntha Dvara — the gate of the Paramapada — is opened in Vishnu temples, and devotees pass through it before dawn. Kept with a full fast and a night vigil.
- Deity: Vishnu
Why The reason behind it
The gate is a literal architectural feature in the great Vaishnava temples, opened one day a year. The observance is a rehearsal of passage: the fast, the vigil, and the walk through the northern gate at dawn.
Traditional basis
Padma Purana, Uttara Khanda — The Ekadashi mahatmya and the Mokshada Ekadashi narrative.
Sri Vaishnava temple tradition — The Paramapada Vasal observance at Srirangam and Tirupati is the reference practice.
How At home, step by step
- Begin the abstentions the previous evening — grains and pulses are set aside from the Dashami night meal.
- Keep the fast through Ekadashi: nirjala for those able, or fruit and milk.
- Keep the vigil; recite the Vishnu Sahasranama or the household's chosen stotra.
- Attend the temple before dawn to pass through the Vaikuntha Dvara where one is opened.
- Break the fast at the correct parana window on Dvadashi morning — this window is narrow and computed, not approximate.
ॐ नमो नारायणाय
oṁ namo nārāyaṇāya
Salutations to Narayana.
The ashtakshara. Recited in households across Vaishnava and Smarta practice.
What you'll need
- Tulsi leaves
- Fruit and milk for the phalahara
- A ghee lamp
- The Vishnu Sahasranama, if reciting
Fasting and breaking the fast
A full fast, ideally nirjala, from the Dashami evening to the Dvadashi parana. Grains, pulses, rice and beans are excluded. The parana must fall within the computed Dvadashi window — breaking outside it is held to undo the vrata, which is why the site publishes the window rather than a rough time.
Fasting guidance here describes traditional practice. It is not medical advice — if you are pregnant, diabetic, on medication or unwell, ask a doctor about your own circumstances.
Personal In your region
- North India yours
Kept as Mokshada Ekadashi; also the day of the Bhagavad Gita's telling, observed as Gita Jayanti. - Tamil Nadu (Tamil)
Srirangam's Paramapada Vasal is the largest observance; the ten preceding and ten following days form the Adhyayana Utsava. - Andhra & Telangana (Telugu)
Tirumala's Vaikuntha Dwaram observance draws the largest crowds of the temple year. - Kerala (Malayalam)
Swarga Vathil Ekadashi, with the Guruvayur observance at its centre.
For children
One day a year a special door in the temple is opened, and everyone walks through it before the sun comes up.
Common questions
- Why is my Ekadashi a day different from the temple's?
- Vaishnava practice rejects a viddha Ekadashi — one contaminated by the preceding Dashami at arunodaya — and shifts the fast to the next day, while Smarta practice may keep it. Both follow a rule. Set your sampradaya in Settings and the site will tell you when the two differ.
This guide has not yet been reviewed by a named scholar or practising priest. The dates and times on this page come from the calculation engine and are independent of it; the explanatory text is editorial and may not reflect your family's practice. Tell us if something is wrong.