Vaikuntha Ekadashi 2026 — Date (20 December), Tirumala Vaikunta Dwara Darshan, Fasting & NRI Guide

Quick answer: Vaikuntha Ekadashi 2026 falls on Sunday, 20 December 2026 in India, the UK, the Gulf, Singapore, Malaysia and Australia. In the USA and Canada, Smarta households observe it on Saturday, 19 December and Vaishnava (ISKCON / Sri Vaishnava) households on Sunday, 20 December. At Tirumala the Vaikunta Dwaram (Swarga Vasal) opens on the Ekadashi itself; TTD has not yet announced the 2026 darshan schedule.

Vaikuntha Ekadashi — called Mukkoti Ekadashi in the Telugu states — is the Shukla Ekadashi of Margashirsha (Dhanurmasam / Margazhi), the same day North Indian calendars mark as Mokshada Ekadashi and Gita Jayanti. Devotees fast, keep vigil and pass through the north-facing "gateway to Vaikuntha" in Vishnu temples.

Vaikuntha Ekadashi 2026 — key dates

Tirumala: Vaikunta Dwara darshan

At Tirumala the Vaikunta Dwaram — the passage around the sanctum — is opened in the early hours of Vaikuntha Ekadashi, and TTD keeps it open for ten days. In the last cycle it ran from Vaikunta Ekadasi on 30 December 2025 to 8 January 2026, with token-based darshan on the first days and Sarva Darshan afterwards. For 2026, TTD has not yet announced the dates, token quotas or ticket releases; expect the darshan to begin on 20 December and to follow a similar ten-day pattern, but book only through TTD’s official channels once the schedule is published.

• Tokens and tickets: TTD releases special-entry (₹300) and SRIVANI quotas online, and issues free tokens at counters in Tirupati — dates are announced a few weeks ahead.
• Crowds: the first three days are the busiest. If you have flexibility, the later days of the ten-day window are easier.
• Koil Alwar Thirumanjanam: the temple-cleansing ritual is held in the week before Vaikuntha Ekadashi, when darshan may be restricted for some hours.

Other temples

• Srirangam: the Paramapada Vasal is opened on Vaikuntha Ekadashi during the long Vaikunta Ekadasi festival (Pagal Pathu and Ra Pathu).
• Bhadrachalam, Simhachalam, Mannargudi, Guruvayur and ISKCON temples: special Uttara Dwara darshan, all-night bhajans and Gita recitation.
• Abroad: Sri Venkateswara temples in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia and Singapore usually hold Vaikunta Dwara darshan and all-night programmes — check your temple’s December calendar.

How to observe the Vaikuntha Ekadashi fast

1. Take only a light, grain-free meal on Dashami evening (19 December in India).
2. On Ekadashi, fast completely (nirjala) or take fruit, milk and water only — choose what your health allows.
3. Avoid rice and grains for the whole day; this is the core of every Ekadashi vow.
4. Keep vigil (jagaran) with Vishnu Sahasranama, the Bhagavad Gita (it is also Gita Jayanti) and bhajans.
5. Break the fast on Dwadashi morning within the parana window, ideally after offering food to Vishnu.

Ideas for fasting meals: Ekadashi fasting recipes. Elderly devotees, pregnant women, children and anyone on medication should keep a light phalahar vow instead of a waterless fast.

Mantras for the day

• Om Namo Narayanaya
• Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya
• Vishnu Sahasranama (the thousand names of Vishnu)
• Bhagavad Gita, chapter 12 or 15 — traditional on Gita Jayanti

Vaikuntha Ekadashi for NRIs

• Check which date your temple follows — in North America, Smarta and Vaishnava calendars differ by a day this year.
• If you cannot visit a temple, set up a small altar facing north, light a ghee lamp and recite Vishnu Sahasranama.
• TTD streams the Vaikunta Ekadasi rituals on SVBC; Srirangam’s Paramapada Vasal opening is also widely streamed.
• Planning a trip to Tirumala in December? Book only after TTD announces the 2026 schedule, and avoid unofficial agents.

Frequently asked questions

When is Vaikuntha Ekadashi 2026?

Sunday, 20 December 2026 in India and most countries. In the USA and Canada, Smarta households observe it on Saturday, 19 December and Vaishnava households on Sunday, 20 December.

When does the Vaikunta Dwaram open at Tirumala?

On Vaikuntha Ekadashi itself, in the early hours. TTD keeps it open for ten days; the 2026 schedule has not yet been announced.

Is Vaikuntha Ekadashi the same as Mokshada Ekadashi?

In 2026, yes — both fall on 20 December, which is also Gita Jayanti. South Indian calendars call it Vaikuntha (Mukkoti) Ekadashi, North Indian calendars Mokshada Ekadashi.

What is the next Ekadashi after Vaikuntha Ekadashi?

Saphala Ekadashi in early January 2027. Before it, Utpanna Ekadashi falls on 4 December 2026.

Related guides

• Gita Jayanti 2026
• Utpanna Ekadashi 2026 (4 December)
• Prabodhini Ekadashi 2026 (20 November)
• Karthika Masam 2026
• Ekadashi fasting recipes

Editor’s note (4 October 2026): dates follow Drik Panchang. TTD has not yet announced the 2026 Vaikunta Dwara darshan schedule; we will update this guide when it does.