Ekadashi Vrat Kab Hai 2026: Dates & Parana

Deep Dive Analysis

Ekadashi Vrat Kab Hai 2026: Remaining Dates at a Glance

If you are asking when the next Ekadashi vrat is, the answer for Delhi is Tuesday, 6 October 2026, which is Indira Ekadashi, and the fast is opened on 7 October once Hari Vasara is over. Six more follow before the year ends: Papankusha on 22 October, Rama on 5 November, Devutthana on 20 or 21 November, Utpanna on 4 December and Mokshada on 20 December. Calendar 2026 carries 24 Ekadashis in all, counting the Adhik Maas pair Padmini and Parama. For a live city-wise view open the daily Panchang, and for the biggest one of the season see our Devutthana Ekadashi 2026 page.

What Is Ekadashi and Why It Comes Twice a Month

Ekadashi is the eleventh tithi of a lunar fortnight, so it appears once in the bright half (Shukla paksha) and once in the dark half (Krishna paksha). A tithi is simply the time the Moon takes to gain 12 degrees on the Sun; Ekadashi begins when that gap reaches 120 degrees in the bright half and 300 degrees in the dark half. The day is dedicated to Vishnu, and the practice is a fast with a lighter, grain-free diet, prayer and an early parana the next morning. If you are new to tithis, our Panchang and Choghadiya explainer and the Moon sign guide show how the Moon drives the whole calendar.

How We Calculate Ekadashi Dates for Delhi

We do not copy dates from another calendar. For every Ekadashi we compute the exact moment the Sun-Moon angle crosses 120 or 300 degrees and the moment it crosses 132 or 312 degrees, using astronomical ephemeris code for Delhi (28.61 N, 77.21 E), and then read the tithi at local sunrise. We spot-checked the headline dates against JPL DE440 through Open Ephemeris: on 6 October 2026 at 02:08 IST the Sun-Moon angle is 299.9998 degrees, and on 23 August 2026 at 02:01 IST it is 120.001 degrees. For the upcoming dates from October to December, published calendars agree with our tithi times within about two minutes. Sunrise is taken as the upper limb with standard refraction, so a few minutes of difference from a printed panchang is normal.

Ekadashi Dates Left in 2026: Tithi Windows for Delhi

Here is the full run of the rest of the year with the tithi window in IST. Indira: 6 October 02:08 to 7 October 00:35. Papankusha: 21 October 14:13 to 22 October 14:49. Rama: 4 November 11:04 to 5 November 10:36. Devutthana: 20 November 07:16 to 21 November 06:32. Utpanna: 3 December 23:04 to 4 December 23:45. Mokshada: 19 December 22:10 to 20 December 20:15. The vrat day is the one whose sunrise falls inside the window, which gives 6 October, 22 October, 5 November, 4 December and 20 December. Devutthana is the odd one out, and we explain it below. Pair these dates with the Shubh Muhurat guide before booking anything.

Indira Ekadashi 2026: Tuesday, 6 October

Indira Ekadashi is the Krishna paksha Ekadashi of Ashwin and falls inside Pitru Paksha, which is why families link it with remembering ancestors. The tithi starts at 02:08 IST on 6 October and ends at 00:35 IST on 7 October, so the whole daytime of 6 October is Ekadashi in Delhi (sunrise 06:16). Parana is on Wednesday, 7 October, any time after 06:17 once Hari Vasara has ended, and well before Dwadashi ends at 23:17. Because it sits inside the ancestor fortnight, many households pair it with simple water offerings; read our Pitru Paksha 2026 guide and the Pitru Paksha festival page for the shraddha calendar.

Papankusha Ekadashi 2026: Thursday, 22 October

Papankusha Ekadashi is the Shukla paksha Ekadashi of Ashwin and comes right after Dussehra. The tithi runs from 14:13 IST on 21 October to 14:49 IST on 22 October. Sunrise in Delhi on 22 October is 06:26, inside the tithi, so 22 October is the vrat day. Parana is on Friday, 23 October from 06:26, to be finished before Dwadashi ends at 14:37. Since the tithi begins in the afternoon of the 21st, anyone who eats a heavy meal after sunset on the 21st should still keep the evening light, which is the practical meaning of avoiding Dashami contact. Our Dussehra 2026 page and Sharad Navratri page cover the days just before.

Rama Ekadashi 2026: Thursday, 5 November

Rama Ekadashi is the Krishna paksha Ekadashi of Kartik and arrives just before Diwali. The tithi begins at 11:04 IST on 4 November and ends at 10:36 IST on 5 November. Sunrise on 5 November is 06:35, so that is the vrat day, even though the tithi starts late morning on the 4th; many panchangs therefore print 5 November. Parana is on Friday, 6 November from 06:36 and must be completed before Dwadashi ends at 10:31, so this is a short morning window. Plan the household cooking for Diwali week around it, and read our Diwali 2026 page and the Diwali astrology guide for the dates that follow.

Devutthana Ekadashi 2026: Why 20 and 21 November Both Appear

Devutthana (also called Prabodhini) Ekadashi ends Chaturmas and is the gate to wedding season. The tithi runs from 07:16 IST on 20 November to 06:32 IST on 21 November. Sunrise on 20 November is about 06:47, which is 29 minutes before the tithi starts, and sunrise on 21 November is about 06:48, which is 16 minutes after it ends (some printed panchangs show up to 06:52), so no sunrise touches Ekadashi at all. That is why calendars differ: some publish 20 November because the tithi covers the day, others take 21 November. Our festival page uses the Dwadashi-day reading for the Smarta observance. Follow your family's tradition or kul purohit, and see Devutthana Ekadashi 2026 and the Vivah Muhurat 2026 list for the wedding season that follows.

Utpanna Ekadashi 2026: Friday, 4 December

Utpanna Ekadashi is the Krishna paksha Ekadashi of Margashirsha and is traditionally the day the Ekadashi fast itself is said to have begun. The tithi runs from 23:04 IST on 3 December to 23:45 IST on 4 December. Sunrise on 4 December is 06:58, inside the tithi, making 4 December the vrat day. Parana is on Saturday, 5 December from 06:59, and Dwadashi does not end until 00:53 on 6 December, so you have the full day. For beginners this is the easiest Ekadashi of the winter to start with, because the day is short and the weather is mild. If you want a first-time plan, the Janmashtami fasting rules show a similar light-fast pattern.

Mokshada Ekadashi 2026: Sunday, 20 December

Mokshada Ekadashi is the Shukla paksha Ekadashi of Margashirsha, and it is the day linked with the Gita in popular practice. The tithi runs from 22:10 IST on 19 December to 20:15 IST on 20 December. Sunrise on 20 December is 07:08, inside the tithi, so 20 December is the vrat day. Parana is on Monday, 21 December from 07:09, comfortably before Dwadashi ends at 17:37. The date sits close to Geeta Jayanti, so check our Geeta Jayanti 2026 page if your family reads the Gita that week, and note that this is the last Ekadashi of calendar 2026.

Ekadashi Dates in 2027: First Quarter Preview

Early 2027 brings these vrat days on our Delhi sunrise rule: Saphala on 3 January, Pausha Putrada on 19 January, Shattila on 2 February, Jaya on 17 February, Vijaya on 3 March (the tithi touches two sunrises, 3 and 4 March), Amalaki on 18 March, Papmochani on 2 April. Treat these as provisional until about two weeks before each date, because we recompute the tithi window and the parana time then. The wedding calendar for the same months is on our Vivah Muhurat 2027 page, which is worth reading alongside these fasting days.

Ekadashi Dates Already Passed in 2026

For reference, the earlier 2026 vrat days were Shattila on 14 January, Jaya on 29 January, Vijaya on 13 February, Amalaki on 27 February, Papmochani on 15 March, Kamada on 29 March, Varuthini on 13 April, Mohini on 27 April, Apara on 13 May, Padmini on 26 or 27 May, Parama on 11 June, Nirjala on 25 June, Yogini on 10 July, Devshayani on 25 July, Kamika on 9 August, Putrada on 23 August, Aja on 7 September and Parivartini on 22 September. Padmini touches two sunrises, and Yogini touches none, so both carry the same two-date note as Devutthana. The Chaturmas months in between are discussed on the Janmashtami festival page.

Smarta vs Vaishnava Ekadashi: Why Two Dates Appear

Smarta households generally keep the day on which Ekadashi is present at sunrise, while Vaishnava traditions are stricter about the tithi being free of any Dashami contact and often keep the later day when two days compete. This is why a calendar can show 22 October for many families and a different day for a Vaishnava sampradaya in a year when the tithi straddles two sunrises. Neither is wrong; they follow different rule sets. If your family has a guru or a temple tradition, follow it. If you have no tradition, the Smarta sunrise reading we use here is the simplest default, and you can compare it with the Pitra Dosh remedy guide for ancestor-linked fasts.

Dashami Viddha Rule: When Ekadashi Is Set Aside

Classical practice asks that the Ekadashi you fast on is not mixed with the preceding Dashami. The Uttarakalamrita says a Dashami-tainted Ekadashi should be left aside as if it were poison, that the fast is then kept on Dwadashi with parana after it, and that this is the Vaishnava-accepted view when the Ekadashi is free of Dashami contact ^[2]. Trikaal Vaani's reading: when Ekadashi begins late in Dashami's last hours and also runs through the next sunrise, take the sunrise day, and avoid eating a full meal in the final hours of Dashami. It is a rule about discipline of the evening before, not a cause for anxiety.

When Ekadashi Touches Neither Sunrise

Sometimes a short Ekadashi starts after one sunrise and ends before the next, so neither day holds it. Devutthana 2026 and Yogini Ekadashi 2026 are examples. The Uttarakalamrita covers the choice between two days and the case where the Ekadashi is absent on the following day, pointing to the Dwadashi observance in that situation ^[1]. In practice this means two honest answers exist, and printed panchangs split. Our approach is to publish both the tithi window and the sunrise reading, name the Smarta day, and tell you to follow your family or kul purohit. Use the daily Panchang for your own city, because a few minutes of sunrise can move the call.

Ekadashi Parana Rules: Dwadashi, Hari Vasara and Timing

Parana means breaking the fast. The usual rule is to eat after sunrise on Dwadashi, after Hari Vasara (the first quarter of Dwadashi tithi) is over, and before Dwadashi ends. If Dwadashi ends very early in the morning, as with Rama on 6 November, the window is short and the first meal should be taken soon after sunrise. Start with water, a tulsi leaf if your tradition uses it, then a light grain meal. Do not break the fast at midnight or in the middle of Hari Vasara. The countdown to your own sunrise is in the Panchang page, and the choghadiya basics are explained in the Choghadiya guide.

What to Eat and Avoid on Ekadashi

The traditional pattern avoids rice, wheat, pulses and most grains, and also onion, garlic and non-vegetarian food, with fruit, milk, curd, sabudana, kuttu or singhara flour, sendha namak and potatoes commonly used. A simple home plan is fruit and milk in the morning, a kuttu roti with potato in the afternoon, and tea or water through the day. Keep oil light and meals small. The point is a quieter body and mind rather than a strict test, so eat to stay steady. Compare with the vrat food notes in our Ganesh vrat niyam guide and use the Dhanteras 2026 page for the festive menu week.

Nirjala, Phalahari and Sattvic Fasting: Choosing Your Level

There are three common levels. Nirjala means no food and no water and is meant for a healthy adult keeping the single Nirjala Ekadashi each year. Phalahari means fruit, milk and nuts only. Sattvic or anna-tyaga means a simple vegetarian meal without grains. Most people do best with the middle path. Choose the level the night before, not mid-day when you are hungry, and tell your family so lunches are not a negotiation. If you are unsure which level suits your body, think of your daily routine, your medication timing and your sleep rather than copying someone else. The Moon sign guide explains why people differ in appetite and mood.

Who Should Not Fast on Ekadashi

Children, pregnant women, new mothers, elderly people, people on regular medication, people with diabetes or acidity, and anyone recovering from illness should not keep a hard fast. Tradition itself allows a lighter observance such as a fruit meal, charity or extra prayer in place of fasting, and many families do exactly that. Do not skip medicines for a vrat. If a doctor has told you to eat on a schedule, keep to it and keep the spirit of the day through japa, a small donation or an hour of silence. The devotion matters more than the plate, and a gentle day is a complete vrat.

Ekadashi Puja Vidhi at Home in Eight Steps

Rise before sunrise and bathe. Place a clean lamp and an image of Vishnu or Shaligram. Offer water, yellow flowers, a tulsi leaf and a little fruit. Read or hear the vrat katha of that Ekadashi. Chant the Vishnu name or mantra you know, for 11 or 108 repetitions. Keep the day free of arguments and screens as far as you can. In the evening, light a lamp near the tulsi plant. Break the fast the next morning after Hari Vasara and offer a first portion to someone else. Pair the day with the Janmashtami vrat rules if you want a longer sample routine.

Ekadashi and the Moon: The Jyotish Logic

In Jyotish the tithi is a lunar measure, and the Moon (Chandra) governs mind, appetite and sleep, so a day that lightens the body is thought to settle the mind. The eleventh tithi marks the moment the Moon is about a third of the way round from the Sun, so brightness is high in Shukla paksha and fading in Krishna paksha. Our Trikaal Vaani reading is simple: use Ekadashi as a scheduled day of lighter eating and quiet thinking, not as a way to fix a chart. Read how the Moon sits in your own chart through the Rashi calculator and the Nakshatra guide.

Ekadashi During Chaturmas and Adhik Maas 2026

Chaturmas runs from Devshayani Ekadashi (25 July 2026) to Devutthana Ekadashi (20 or 21 November 2026), the four months in which Vishnu is said to rest and weddings pause. Calendar 2026 also had an Adhik Maas in Jyeshtha, which added the extra pair Padmini (26 or 27 May) and Parama (11 June), making 26 lunar-year Ekadashis though 24 fall in the calendar year. For the long Chaturmas lists of fasts and rules see the Guru Purnima page and the Navratri astrology guide, both of which fall inside this season.

Ekadashi and Pitru Paksha: The Indira Link

Indira Ekadashi is the only Ekadashi that sits inside the ancestor fortnight, and the old teaching is that a fast kept with the ancestors in mind is offered to them. In practice this means a simple vrat, a few drops of water offered at a tulsi plant, and a small donation made in the name of a parent or grandparent. It does not replace tarpan or shraddha on the proper tithi. If you wish to do tarpan at home, read the Amavasya tarpan remedies and the Sarva Pitru Amavasya guide, and note the next Amavasya on the Amavasya significance page.

Ekadashi, Devutthana and the Wedding Calendar

Weddings traditionally pause after Devshayani Ekadashi and resume after Devutthana, so this single Ekadashi opens the season. For Delhi the first muhurats follow soon after the Tulsi Vivah evening, and our Vivah Muhurat 2026 page lists the dates. If a wedding is on your mind, the Kundali Milan tool and the Shubh Muhurat calculator are the next stops. Do not fix a date only because Devutthana is over; check Panchak, Bhadra and the couple's own charts as well.

A Gentle Ekadashi Upay Anyone Can Start Today

What to do: a light Phalahari day with one lamp and eleven repetitions of a Vishnu name. When: the next Ekadashi, Tuesday 6 October, from sunrise until parana on Wednesday morning. Cost: free to twenty rupees, for fruit and a flower. For how many days: one Ekadashi first, then every Ekadashi for a month if it suits you, which is about two vrats. Why for you: it steadies the Moon, which sets mood and sleep in every chart, and it gives a fixed pause in a busy fortnight. No gemstone, no fear and no long recital is needed; stop if you feel unwell and eat.

Common Mistakes About Ekadashi Dates

Four mistakes appear every year. People use a date from another city, forgetting that sunrise changes the call. They break the fast during Hari Vasara. They treat the tithi start time as the vrat start, though the day is counted from sunrise. And they assume every calendar is equal when two sunrises are in play. A better habit is to note the tithi window, your local sunrise and parana time on one line of a notebook the week before. Use the daily Panchang for your city and the Choghadiya guide to avoid breaking the fast at an awkward hour.

How to Check Ekadashi for Your City

Pick your city on the Panchang page, find the tithi at sunrise, and read the Ekadashi start and end. If the tithi is present at sunrise, that day is your vrat day. If it begins after sunrise and ends before the next, apply your family tradition. Add the Dwadashi end to know your last parana moment. Cities far east or west of Delhi see sunrise earlier or later by up to an hour, which can shift the call. We compute for Delhi by default, and you can open the Panchang for yours or ask the Shubh Muhurat calculator for dates tuned to a birth chart.

Your Birth Tithi and Ekadashi: A Personal Check

If you were born on an Ekadashi, or the Moon was in the eleventh tithi in your chart, the day carries extra weight for you in popular practice, though no rule demands more than the ordinary observance. You can read your birth tithi and nakshatra from a chart in a minute with the Janam Kundali calculator and the Nakshatra calculator guide. For a step-by-step reading of what you find, use our Kundali reading guide and the Dasha calculator.

Quick Reference: Ekadashi Vrat Days 2026-27

Calendar for Delhi, vrat day first: Indira 6 Oct 2026; Papankusha 22 Oct; Rama 5 Nov; Devutthana 20 or 21 Nov; Utpanna 4 Dec; Mokshada 20 Dec; Saphala 3 Jan 2027; Pausha Putrada 19 Jan; Shattila 2 Feb; Jaya 17 Feb; Vijaya 3 or 4 Mar; Amalaki 18 Mar; Papmochani 2 Apr. Save this block on your phone and recheck two weeks before each date, because we update parana windows then. For a purnima and amavasya calendar to keep beside it, see the Purnima astrology page and the Kartik Purnima 2026 page, which fall between these Ekadashis.

Karva Chauth, Diwali and Ekadashi: Planning the Festival Month

October and November are crowded: Indira, Karva Chauth, Papankusha, Dhanteras, Diwali, Rama and Devutthana arrive in about six weeks. If you fast for several of them, space your effort: take Phalahari on Indira, a full vrat on Karva Chauth if that is your family custom, and a light day for Rama before Diwali cooking begins. Open the Karva Chauth 2026 page and the Dhanteras 2026 page next to this one. This prevents the common mistake of stacking two hard fasts within one week.