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Vaikunta Ekadasi 2026

calendar20th Dec 2026
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Vaikunta Ekadasi
The one day in the year when the Paramapada Vasal — the 'gate to paradise' beside Vishnu's sanctum — is unlocked at Srirangam and other Vishnu temples. Falls in Margazhi (Dec–Jan). Devotees fast and walk through the gate behind the deity, believing it secures moksha.
Vaikunta Ekadasi 2026 falls on 20th December 2026.
Panchanga
Panchanga For 20th Dec 2026
Upcoming Dates For Vaikunta Ekadasi
20th Dec 2026
Sunday
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9th Dec 2027
Thursday
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About
At Srirangam, the festival image of Ranganatha is carried through the Paramapada Vasal into the 1000-pillared hall at dawn; lakhs of pilgrims file through the same gate after him, since tradition holds that whoever passes it reaches Vaikuntha after death. The gate stays open only for the ten days of Pagal Pathu, the day-time half of the temple's great Margazhi festival, which Vaikunta Ekadasi opens. The fast itself rests on a Padma Purana story: Goddess Ekadashi, born from Vishnu's body, killed the demon Mura on this tithi — so skipping food on Ekadashi is itself a form of worship. The same day is observed as Mukkoti Ekadashi at Tirumala and as Swarga Vathil Ekadashi in Kerala, where Vishnu temples open a side door usually kept shut all year.
PRARTHANA FOR VAIKUNTA EKADASI
Vishnu Vandana
1. Vishnu Vandana
Panduranga Japa
2. Panduranga Japa
Prarthanas & mantras for Vaikunta EkadasiListen to devotional prarthanas and chants for Hindu festivals

Festival Pooja & Pandit Booking

Want a Pandit-led pooja for this festival at home, or online if you live abroad? Dharmayana connects you with verified Pandits for all major Hindu festivals — Diwali, Navratri, Shivratri, Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi and more.

You can book:

  • Festival pooja at home with a verified Pandit
  • Online / virtual pooja with live video and digital prasad
  • Same-day sankalp for time-sensitive festivals

Bookings, samagri lists and Pandit assignment are all handled inside the Dharmayana app — choose the festival, pick a date and the rest is taken care of.

Prarthana, Mantras & Vrat Katha

Every festival has its own prarthanas, stotras and vrat kathas. Reading or listening to them on the festival day is the simplest way to observe the tradition at home.

Inside the Dharmayana app you can listen to:

  • 1000+ prarthanas, mantras and stotras with clear audio
  • Festival-specific kathas — Lakshmi, Durga, Shiva, Ganesha, Krishna
  • Multilingual versions: Sanskrit, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and more

Browse the full collection of prarthanas or get the app to play them on the festival morning without ads.

Festival Date, Tithi & Muhurat

Hindu festivals are tied to a specific Tithi, not a fixed date — so the day shifts every year and even varies slightly across cities.

Open the Panchanga for the festival day to see the exact Tithi, Nakshatra, Yoga, Karana and Shubh Muhurat for pooja in your location.

The Dharmayana app keeps track of all upcoming festivals on the Hindu calendar and reminds you in advance.

Personalised Astrology Around Festivals

Festivals are also a good time to look at your kundali — many families plan sankalp, donations or new beginnings around them.

Inside the app you can:

  • Generate your personal Vedic kundali
  • Talk to a Jyotisha for guidance around career, relationships or health
  • Run kundali matching before fixing a marriage during the festival season

All of this is available inside the Dharmayana app — no fixed schedule, use it whenever you need it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Hindu festivals — like Diwali, Navratri, Mahashivaratri, Holi and Janmashtami — mark sacred moments tied to deities, seasons and lunar/solar cycles. Each festival has its own story, vrat, prarthana and rituals, and is timed using the Panchanga so the date moves slightly every year against the Gregorian calendar.

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