About Vaikunta Ekadashi
Vaikunta Ekadashi is the Ekadashi Vishnu devotees hold above all others, kept in the solar month of Margazhi. In 2026 it falls on Sunday, 20 December 2026. Devotees fast, stay awake through the night and queue before dawn to pass through the Vaikunta Dwaram, the northern gate of Vishnu temples that opens on this day.
There are 24 Ekadashis in a normal year, one on the eleventh lunar day of each fortnight, and Vishnu devotees fast on many of them. Vaikunta Ekadashi is the one that fills temples. A common belief, linked in the tradition to the Vishnu Purana, holds that keeping this one fast counts as keeping all 24. In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana it is called Mukkoti Ekadasi, the Ekadashi of the three crore gods, who are said to gather to see Vishnu on this day. In Kerala it is Swargavathil Ekadasi, the Ekadashi of the door to heaven.
Why the date jumps around
Most Hindu festivals follow the lunar month. Vaikunta Ekadashi follows the solar one. It is the Ekadashi of the bright fortnight that falls while the sun is in Dhanu, the Tamil month of Margazhi, roughly 16 December to 14 January. Because the lunar month and the solar month slide past each other, the day lands in Margashirsha in some years and in Pausha in others.
The side effect surprises people every few years. A calendar year can have no Vaikunta Ekadashi, one, or two. Drik Panchang lists one on 20 December 2026, none at all in 2027, and then two in 2028, on 8 January and 27 December. So if someone tells you "it's in January this time", they may well be right.
The gate to Vaikunta
Vaikunta is Vishnu's heaven. The story most often told is that Vishnu opened its gates on this day for two demons who asked that anyone who saw him come out through that door should also reach Vaikunta. Another story, from the Padma Purana, is of the demon Mura and the goddess who rose from Vishnu's body to kill him while he rested. Vishnu named her Ekadashi and promised that those who fasted on her day would be freed of their sins.
In practice the day centres on one door. Many Vishnu temples in the south have a gate on the northern side, the Vaikunta Dwaram, called Paramapada Vasal or Sorgavasal in Tamil. It stays shut all year and opens before dawn on Vaikunta Ekadashi. The deity is carried through it first, and then devotees follow, often after queuing all night.
| Temple | What happens |
|---|---|
| Srirangam, Ranganathaswamy temple | The high point of a 21-day festival: ten days of Pagal Pathu, then ten of Ra Pathu. Namperumal, the festival image, passes through the Paramapada Vasal before dawn, and the public follows from early morning to late at night. |
| Tirumala, Venkateswara temple | The Vaikunta Dwaram, the passage around the sanctum, stays open for ten days from Vaikunta Ekadashi. Darshan is by token, issued online by lottery since 2025. |
| Bhadrachalam, Sita Ramachandraswamy temple | Uttara Dwara Darshanam: Rama is shown to devotees at the northern gate in the early hours, after a Teppotsavam on the Godavari, with the deities on a swan-shaped float. |
| ISKCON temples | Kirtan through the night, a full fast and Vishnu sahasranama readings. |
How the fast is kept
The fast starts the evening before. Many people eat only one meal on Dashami, the tenth day, and nothing heavy after it.
- Dashami, the day beforeOne simple meal, usually at midday, and no rice at night.
- EkadashiA full fast for those who can, or fruit, milk and water. Rice and grains are avoided by everyone keeping the vrat, even those who eat.
- The nightA vigil, jagaranam: reading the Vishnu Sahasranamam, singing, or sitting in the temple until the gate opens.
- Dwadashi, the next morningThe fast is broken in the parana window after sunrise, often with a meal of many vegetables. In Tamil homes it often includes agathi keerai and nellikai (amla).
The elderly, children, pregnant women and people with diabetes or other health conditions are not expected to fast completely. Most families simply keep it lighter.
It is not a state public holiday in Tamil Nadu, so most offices and schools work.
- Ekadashi
- The eleventh day of each lunar fortnight, a fast day for Vishnu devotees
- Vaikunta Dwaram
- The northern gate of a Vishnu temple, opened on this day; also Paramapada Vasal or Sorgavasal
- Mukkoti
- "Three crore", the gods said to gather to see Vishnu; the Telugu name for the day
- Jagaranam
- The night vigil before the gate opens
- Parana
- Breaking the fast on Dwadashi morning, in a set time window
- Namperumal
- The festival image of Ranganatha at Srirangam
What to write
Keep it devotional and short. "Om Namo Narayanaya" on its own is a complete greeting for a Vaishnava friend.
Vaikunta Ekadasi wishes, Amma and Appa. Hope the darshan was smooth and the fast wasn't too hard on you. Break it slowly tomorrow.
వైకుంఠ ఏకాదశి శుభాకాంక్షలు. (Vaikunta Ekadasi subhakankshalu. Good wishes on Vaikunta Ekadasi.)
வைகுண்ட ஏகாதசி வாழ்த்துகள். (Vaikunda Ekadasi vazhthukkal. Wishes on Vaikunta Ekadasi.)
Hope the queue moves quickly and you get a peaceful darshan through the Vaikunta Dwaram. Govinda.
Wishing you a quiet, strong Ekadashi. No lunch invites from me today; tomorrow's breakfast is on me.
Wishing you and your family a blessed Vaikunta Ekadashi. Take it easy today if you were up for the dawn darshan.
ವೈಕುಂಠ ಏಕಾದಶಿಯ ಶುಭಾಶಯಗಳು. (Vaikunta Ekadashiya shubhashayagalu. Good wishes on Vaikunta Ekadashi.)
Thinking of you on Vaikunta Ekadashi. Many believe the gate opens for all who have gone before us. Praying for her, and for you.
Do
- Wish people the evening before or early in the morning, before they leave for the temple.
- Offer fruit or milk, not a meal, to someone who is fasting.
- If you visit a temple, follow the token or ticket system and the dress code.
Avoid
- Don't serve rice or invite a fasting colleague to a team lunch on the day.
- Don't post or forward unofficial "darshan token" links; book only on the temple's own site.
- Don't push an elderly or unwell relative to keep a full fast. A lighter fast is accepted.
For more Ekadashis, see Dev Uthani Ekadashi, when Vishnu is said to wake in Kartik. Earlier in the season, Tamil homes keep Karthigai Deepam, and Pongal follows at the end of Margazhi.
How to wish someone on Vaikunta Ekadashi
A Vaikunta Ekadashi wish is devotional and quiet: wish the person a good darshan, a fast kept without trouble and Vishnu's blessing. \"Vaikunta Ekadasi subhakankshalu\" is the usual Telugu greeting and \"Vaikunta Ekadasi vazhthukkal\" the Tamil one. Don't send food photos or invite someone to a meal on the day, and keep it short for anyone who has been in a darshan queue since midnight.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, Tamil or Telugu + Kannada or Malayalam.
When is Vaikunta Ekadashi in 2026 and 2028?
Vaikunta Ekadashi is set by the Hindu lunisolar calendar, so it falls on a different date each year. In 2028 it falls 19 days later than in 2026.
- 2026
- 2028
Frequently asked questions
When is Vaikunta Ekadashi in 2026?
Vaikunta Ekadashi 2026 falls on Sunday, 20 December 2026.
Why is Vaikunta Ekadashi called Mukkoti Ekadasi?
Mukkoti means three crore in Telugu. The tradition holds that the 33 crore gods gather to see Vishnu at the gate of Vaikunta on this day, so in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana it is known as Mukkoti Ekadasi.
Why is there no Vaikunta Ekadashi in 2027?
Vaikunta Ekadashi is fixed to the solar month of Margazhi, mid-December to mid-January, not to a lunar month. In 2027 the Ekadashi that falls in that window comes on 8 January 2028, so calendar year 2027 has none, while 2028 has two, in January and December.
What is the Vaikunta Dwaram?
The Vaikunta Dwaram, called Paramapada Vasal or Sorgavasal in Tamil, is a gate on the northern side of many Vishnu temples. It opens only for Vaikunta Ekadashi. Passing through it after the deity is believed to bring the devotee closer to Vaikunta, Vishnu's heaven.
Can you eat rice on Vaikunta Ekadashi?
No, not if you are keeping the vrat. Rice and grains are avoided on every Ekadashi, and most strictly on this one. People who cannot fast fully eat fruit, milk, nuts or dishes made without grain, and break the fast on Dwadashi morning.
How long is the Vaikunta Dwara Darshan at Tirumala?
Tirumala keeps the Vaikunta Dwaram open for ten days, starting on Vaikunta Ekadashi. Darshan in that period is by token. Since 2025 the temple board issues the tokens online, by electronic draw, rather than at counters in Tirupati.
What is the Srirangam Vaikunta Ekadasi festival?
At the Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam, Vaikunta Ekadashi is the peak of a 21-day festival split into Pagal Pathu and Ra Pathu. Before dawn the festival image, Namperumal, is carried through the Paramapada Vasal, and devotees follow through the gate for the rest of the day.
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