Quick answer

Vaikuntha Ekadashi 2026 in Nepal: Sunday 20 December 2026. The same day is Mokshada Ekadashi and Gita Jayanti. The fast is kept on Sunday across Nepal, and parana (breaking the fast) is on Dwadashi morning, Monday 21 December. Check the parana window for your town on Drik Panchang or your Nepali patro.

Vaikuntha Ekadashi, also called Mukkoti Ekadashi or Swarga Dwar Ekadashi, is the Ekadashi on which devotees believe the gates of Vaikuntha open. In Nepal, where Lord Vishnu is worshipped as Narayana and as Krishna in temples across the valley and beyond, this Margashirsha Ekadashi is widely observed as Mokshada Ekadashi, the Ekadashi of liberation. For the South Indian celebrations at Tirumala and Srirangam, see our main Vaikuntha Ekadashi 2026 guide.

Key dates for Nepal

ObservanceDate
Utpanna EkadashiFriday 4 December 2026
Dashami (preparation day)Saturday 19 December 2026
Vaikuntha / Mokshada Ekadashi and Gita JayantibSunday 20 December 2026
Dwadashi paranaMonday 21 December 2026 - check Drik Panchang or your patro

Nepal Standard Time is UTC+5:45, fifteen minutes ahead of India. The fasting day is the same as in India; the tithi times and parana window are slightly different. Nepali calendars are prepared by the national calendar committee and local astrologers, and families in Nepal normally follow their own patro and family priest. For the earlier fast in the month, see our Utpanna Ekadashi 2026 guide.

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Significance of the day in Nepali tradition

Vaikuntha Ekadashi is regarded as the greatest of the 24 Ekadashis. The Padma Purana and other scriptures describe it as the day when the gates of Vaikuntha open, allowing sincere devotees to reach Lord Vishnu's abode. Its other name, Mokshada, means the giver of liberation.

  • It is believed to lead to moksha and freedom from the cycle of birth and death.
  • Keeping this one fast is said to bring the merit of all the Ekadashis of the year.
  • It is Gita Jayanti, the day Lord Krishna spoke the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna at Kurukshetra.
  • Devotees pray for purification, health, family harmony and protection from obstacles.

Because the day is also Gita Jayanti, many Nepali households and ISKCON communities read the Bhagavad Gita aloud, and some recite all eighteen chapters. Our Gita Jayanti 2026 guide has ideas for prasad and tulsi offerings.

Vrat katha: the sacred story

According to the Padma Purana, the fierce demon Mura tormented the devas and challenged Lord Vishnu. After a long battle, Vishnu rested in a cave called Himavati. When Mura found Him and tried to attack, a brilliant goddess emerged from the Lord's body and destroyed the demon. Pleased, Vishnu named her Ekadashi and granted the boon that whoever fasts on her day with devotion would conquer sin and attain Vaikuntha.

The story of King Ambarisha is also told: a devoted keeper of Ekadashi, he was protected by Vishnu's Sudarshana chakra when the sage Durvasa, angered over the timing of the king's parana, sent a demon against him. In many Nepali homes the katha is read aloud on Ekadashi evening, with the family gathered around the lamp.

Pooja vidhi for devotees in Nepal

  1. Dashami, Saturday 19 December: eat one sattvic meal and avoid grains, beans and non-vegetarian food.
  2. Ekadashi, Sunday 20 December: wake in Brahma Muhurta, bathe (with a few drops of Ganga jal if available) and wear clean clothes.
  3. Sankalpa: "For the pleasure of Sri Hari Vishnu, I shall observe the Ekadashi vrat with devotion."
  4. Decorate the altar with an image of Vishnu, Narayana or Sri Krishna.
  5. Offer tulsi leaves picked the day before, flowers, fruit, panchamrit, incense and a ghee diya.
  6. Chant Om Namo Narayanaya 108 times or more, the Vishnu Sahasranama or the Hare Krishna mahamantra.
  7. Read chapters of the Bhagavad Gita or the Vishnu Purana.
  8. Spend the day in japa, meditation and bhajans; avoid worldly entertainment.
  9. Visit a Vishnu temple if you can, and join the evening aarti.
  10. Keep jagaran at night, singing Hari naam and bhajans.
  11. Dwadashi, Monday 21 December: break the fast within the parana window with sattvic food, and give annadaan or a donation.

Fasting rules

  • Avoid: rice, wheat and all grains, pulses, onion, garlic and tamasic food.
  • Commonly allowed (phalahar): fruit, milk, curd, nuts, sabudana, potatoes, sweet potatoes (sakarkhand) and other root vegetables, with rock salt.
  • Nirjala: a complete fast without water, only for experienced devotees in good health.
  • Gentler options: children, the elderly, pregnant women and anyone on medication should keep a light fruit-and-milk fast.

December mornings are cold, especially in the hills; warm milk and fruit help those on a partial fast. For fast-friendly dishes, see our Ekadashi fasting recipes guide.

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Vishnu temples to visit in Nepal

Nepal has some of the most ancient Vishnu shrines in the Hindu world. On Ekadashi, devotees visit them for darshan and prayer:

  • Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu: the great reclining Vishnu (Jalakeshwar) lying on the serpent Shesha in a sacred pond, at the foot of the Shivapuri hills. It is one of the most popular places for Ekadashi darshan in the valley.
  • Changu Narayan, near Bhaktapur: among the oldest temples in the Kathmandu Valley and part of the Kathmandu Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site, dedicated to Vishnu as Narayana.
  • Krishna Mandir, Patan Durbar Square: the stone shikhara temple to Krishna in Lalitpur, a natural place to remember Gita Jayanti.
  • ISKCON Nepal: ISKCON's centres in the Kathmandu Valley and other cities observe Ekadashi and Gita Jayanti with kirtan, Gita reading and grain-free prasadam.
  • Local Narayan mandirs: almost every town and tole has a Narayan or Krishna shrine where neighbours gather for bhajan-kirtan.

These temples are crowded on major Ekadashis, especially when the day falls on a weekend. Go early, dress modestly, follow temple rules and check locally whether any special puja or queue arrangement is planned for 2026.

  • Om Namo Narayanaya and Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya
  • Vishnu Gayatri: Om Narayanaya Vidmahe Vasudevaya Dhimahi Tanno Vishnu Prachodayat.
  • Stotras: Vishnu Sahasranama, Narayana Kavacham, Purusha Suktam.
  • Bhajans: Achyutam Keshavam, Hare Ram Hare Krishna, Narayan Narayan Jai Jai Govinda Hare.
  • Mahamantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare.

The importance of tulsi

Tulsi is the plant most dear to Lord Vishnu and is honoured as a form of Goddess Vrinda. No Vishnu pooja is complete without tulsi leaves, but they are not plucked on Ekadashi itself, so collect them the day before. Many Nepali homes keep a tulsi math in the courtyard; watering it and walking around it in the morning is a simple daily devotion.

Parana: breaking the fast

Parana is done on Dwadashi morning, Monday 21 December 2026, after sunrise and before Dwadashi ends, avoiding Hari Vasara (the first quarter of Dwadashi). Check the exact window for your town on Drik Panchang or in your patro. Break the fast with water or fruit, then a simple meal with rice that has been offered to the Lord, and share prasad with family and neighbours.

Health and spiritual benefits

A day of fasting rests the digestion, sharpens concentration and builds self-control. Spiritually, the fast, chanting and night vigil loosen attachment and turn the heart towards Hari. Earlier in the season, Prabodhini Ekadashi 2026 marks Vishnu's awakening; Mokshada Ekadashi is often seen as the time to bring that devotion to its fullest.

Frequently asked questions

When is Vaikuntha Ekadashi 2026 in Nepal?

Vaikuntha Ekadashi 2026 is observed in Nepal on Sunday 20 December 2026, according to Drik Panchang. In Nepal the day is more commonly called Mokshada Ekadashi, and it is also Gita Jayanti.

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Is Vaikuntha Ekadashi the same as Mokshada Ekadashi?

Yes, in 2026 they fall on the same day: Margashirsha Shukla Ekadashi. South Indian Vaishnavas call it Vaikuntha or Mukkoti Ekadashi because it falls in Dhanurmasa, while in Nepal and north India it is known as Mokshada Ekadashi.

Should I follow Drik Panchang or the Nepali patro?

Drik Panchang gives Sunday 20 December for Nepal. Nepali calendars prepared by the national calendar committee and local pandits are the standard reference in Nepal; if your family patro or temple gives different guidance, follow your own tradition.

Which temples in Nepal are best for Vaikuntha Ekadashi?

Vishnu temples such as Budhanilkantha in Kathmandu, Changu Narayan near Bhaktapur and Krishna Mandir in Patan Durbar Square are popular on Ekadashi, along with ISKCON centres. Expect crowds and check local arrangements before you go.

When do I break the fast in Nepal?

Parana is on Dwadashi morning, Monday 21 December 2026. Nepal Standard Time is 15 minutes ahead of India, so check the parana window for Kathmandu, Pokhara or your own town on Drik Panchang or your patro.

Editor's note (5 October 2026)

This guide has been updated for 2026. The date (Sunday 20 December 2026 for Nepal) follows Drik Panchang; we have removed the old date and tithi times. Temple descriptions are kept general, and no 2026 temple programmes had been announced at the time of writing. Please check parana times for your town on Drik Panchang or your patro, and follow your family tradition where it differs.