Vrat · Kartika Shukla Dashami
Prabodhini (Kartiki) Ekadashi 2026
Today Vishnu wakes from his four months' sleep, and Chaturmas ends. In Maharashtra it's the Kartiki yatra to Vitthal at Pandharpur, and the wedding season is about to open.
Next date
Times are for Mumbai. The app gives times for your city.
Quick facts
- Also known asPrabodhini Ekadashi, Dev Uthani Ekadashi, Hari Prabodhini
- WherePandharpur and all of Maharashtra; Dev Uthani Ekadashi in the north
- Puja forVishnu; in Maharashtra, Vitthal
- In one lineVishnu wakes: Chaturmas ends, the Kartiki yatra fills Pandharpur, and weddings can begin again.
Prabodhini (Kartiki) Ekadashi, in a little more detail
- 01
About the festival
Kartika Shukla Ekadashi is Prabodhini, the Ekadashi of waking. Vishnu, asleep on Shesha in the ocean of milk since Ashadhi Ekadashi, is believed to wake today.
The four months in between are Chaturmas, and they end today. Many people keep a vow through Chaturmas, and no weddings are held in it. Now they start again.
So today is a fresh start for everything that was put on hold. There's a time to rest and a time to work. When the season turns, you get up and begin again: that's the meaning of the day.
- 02
Why Vishnu sleeps four months
King Bali, Prahlad's grandson, was famous for his generosity. Vishnu came to him as Vamana, a small boy, and asked for just three steps of land. With two steps he covered heaven and earth. Asked where the third should go, Bali offered his own head, and Vishnu sent him down to Patala.
Pleased with his devotion, Vishnu gave Bali a boon, and Bali asked him to stay with him. That left Vaikuntha empty. So Lakshmi went down to Patala, took Bali as her brother, and asked for her husband back.
In the end they agreed: every year Vishnu would rest with Bali for four months, while Shiva ran the world. Those four months are Chaturmas. On Kartiki Ekadashi Vishnu wakes and returns, and the auspicious work of the world starts again.
- 03
In Maharashtra and beyond
After Ashadhi, Pandharpur's biggest yatra is the Kartiki. Varkaris gather the day before and stay up all night singing bhajans and kirtans on the banks of the Chandrabhaga, and the temple stays open round the clock.
Before dawn the state government's official mahapuja is done at the Vitthal temple, by the Chief Minister or a minister, with a Varkari couple beside them. It is also Sant Namdev's birth anniversary; the temple's first step is known as Namdev's step.
At home it's the Ekadashi fast, a visit to Vitthal, and the fast broken on Dwadashi. Many homes start getting ready for Tulsi's wedding today, since Tulsi Vivah runs from today to Kartika Purnima. In many places the sugarcane harvest also begins today with a puja.
In the north this is Dev Uthani Ekadashi. In Gujarat pilgrims walk the Lili Parikrama around Girnar, in Rajasthan the Pushkar fair begins, and in Nepal it's Thulo Ekadashi.
How to do the puja
In short: A light meal on Dashami, the fast and the Name on Ekadashi, and parana after sunrise on Dwadashi.
- 1Eat light the day before, on Dashami.One simple meal is enough. Nothing heavy at night, so your stomach is light on Ekadashi.
- 2Pick the tulsi leaves for the puja the day before.In many homes tulsi is not plucked on Ekadashi.
- 3Bathe in the morning on Ekadashi and make your sankalp for the fast.Decide in your mind: no water at all, water only, fruit and milk, or one fasting meal.
- 4Worship Vishnu or Vitthal.Offer a lamp, incense, sandalwood paste, flowers and tulsi leaves, with fruit or milk as naivedya.
- 5Keep the fast you chose through the day.Leave out rice, wheat, jowar, bajra and dals. Offer your fasting food to God first, then eat.
- 6Spend the day with the name.The Haripath, the Vishnu Sahasranama, bhajans, or the story of that Ekadashi on this page.
- 7In the evening, light the lamp again and do the aarti.Many stay up singing bhajans (jagran). If you work tomorrow, a little while is enough.
- 8Break the fast after sunrise on Dwadashi.If your panchang gives a parana time, keep to it. Offer naivedya first, then eat.
What you needTick as you go
0 of 9 ready
Frequently asked questions
What changes after today?
Chaturmas ends today, so the vows taken for it are complete. Tulsi Vivah begins from Kartiki Ekadashi, and the Kartiki yatra to Pandharpur ends today.
What can I eat on the fast?
It depends on the fast you keep: nothing, water only, fruit and milk, or one fasting meal. A fasting meal can have sabudana, vari bhagar, sweet potato, potato and peanuts. No grains and no dals.
Can I drink water?
Yes, unless you keep it nirjala. The strictest fast has no water until sunrise on Dwadashi, but most people keep a lighter one.
When do I break the fast?
After sunrise on Dwadashi: this is the parana. If the first part of Dwadashi, the harivasar, runs past sunrise, wait until it ends. Your panchang gives the time.
Why does Ekadashi sometimes have two dates?
When a tithi is lost or doubled, the Smarta and Bhagwat (Warkari) traditions follow different rules, so their Ekadashis can fall on different days. Follow your family’s tradition.
Who need not fast?
The sick, pregnant women and anyone with a health problem need not fast, nor young children and the very old. They can have milk and fruit and keep the day with prayer. If you have a medical condition, ask your doctor first.
What if I break the fast by mistake?
Don't worry. Ask God's forgiveness, spend the rest of the day in prayer, and keep the next Ekadashi well.
Dates in 2026
2 times this year, timed for Mumbai.
Dates by city in 2026
Every date is the same in every city listed.
Dates in 2027
1 times in 2027, timed for Mumbai.
Set a reminder in the app
The app sends a notice the day before and on the day, even offline.