Devutthana Ekadashi 2026: Date, Parana Time, Puja Vidhi and Significance
Devutthana Ekadashi is the day on which, according to tradition, Lord Vishnu wakes from his four-month sleep and the Chaturmas period ends. In 2026, most households observe the fast on Friday, 20 November, on Kartik Shukla Ekadashi. The day is also known as Prabodhini Ekadashi, Dev Uthani Ekadashi and Kartiki Ekadashi, and it marks the reopening of the Hindu wedding season and other auspicious beginnings.
When Is Devutthana Ekadashi in 2026?
Devutthana Ekadashi 2026 falls on Friday, 20 November 2026 for most households. It is observed on the eleventh day (Ekadashi) of the bright fortnight (Shukla Paksha) of the month of Kartik. Families following the Vaishnava (Gauna) tradition fast on Saturday, 21 November 2026 instead, which is also the day of Tulsi Vivah. The two dates are not a mistake: they come from different traditional rules applied to the same tithi, explained below.
Devutthana Ekadashi 2026 Date and Timings
The timings below follow the India (IST) reference used by mainstream panchang publishers, based on Drik Panchang. Tithi times shift by a few minutes from city to city, so check a local panchang for your exact timings.
| Event | Date and Time (IST) |
|---|---|
| Devutthana Ekadashi (Smarta, most households) | Friday, 20 November 2026 |
| Devutthana Ekadashi (Vaishnava, Gauna) | Saturday, 21 November 2026 |
| Hindu date | Kartik Shukla Ekadashi |
| Also known as | Prabodhini Ekadashi, Dev Uthani Ekadashi, Kartiki Ekadashi |
| Ekadashi tithi begins | 7:15 AM, Friday, 20 November 2026 |
| Ekadashi tithi ends | 6:31 AM, Saturday, 21 November 2026 |
| Hari Vasara ends | 12:07 PM, Saturday, 21 November 2026 |
| Parana for the Friday fast | Saturday, 21 November 2026, in the afternoon (see city table below) |
| Parana for the Saturday (Vaishnava) fast | Sunday, 22 November 2026, in the morning (check a local panchang for the exact window for your city) |
Why Are There Two Dates, 20 and 21 November?
The Ekadashi tithi runs from 7:15 AM on Friday, 20 November to 6:31 AM on Saturday, 21 November, so it touches both days. Which day is kept as the fast depends on sunrise and on tradition. Most household (Smarta) panchangs keep the fast on Friday, 20 November. Vaishnava and ISKCON calendars keep the Gauna fast on Saturday, 21 November. In some eastern and southern cities, where the sun rises before the tithi ends on Saturday morning, local panchangs also give Saturday. None of these is wrong: follow your family tradition or your local temple calendar. If your local panchang gives a morning parana window for 21 November, follow that window rather than the afternoon windows in the table below, which are the Drik Panchang windows for the Friday fast.
What Is Devutthana Ekadashi?
Devutthana means the waking of the gods. According to tradition, Lord Vishnu entered Yoga Nidra, his cosmic sleep, on Devshayani Ekadashi in the month of Ashadh, and wakes on Devutthana Ekadashi in Kartik, four months later. Those four months are Chaturmas, a period during which weddings and other major auspicious ceremonies are traditionally paused. When Vishnu wakes, that pause ends, and the wedding season and other auspicious work resume. The day also begins Bhishma Panchak, the five-day period from Kartik Shukla Ekadashi to Kartik Purnima, linked to Bhishma Pitamah of the Mahabharata. Many devotees observe these five days with extra prayer, charity and simple food. Tulsi Vivah, the ceremonial wedding of the Tulsi plant to Shaligram or Vishnu, follows on Saturday, 21 November, and Kartik Purnima, also observed as Dev Deepawali, falls on Tuesday, 24 November.
How Is Devutthana Ekadashi Observed?
Keep the fast: Most devotees fast on Friday, 20 November, avoiding grains, and break the fast (parana) on Saturday afternoon after Hari Vasara ends. Some keep a nirjala fast (without water) for part of the day, while others keep a simpler fruit and milk fast. Follow your family tradition and your health.
Wake Vishnu in the morning: Bathe early, clean the puja place, and offer prayers to Vishnu and Lakshmi. In many homes, a conch is blown and the sound of bells marks the waking, and lamps are lit around the house.
Worship Tulsi: Tulsi is honoured through the day and into the evening, when Tulsi Vivah is celebrated in many homes on Saturday. Offer water, flowers, incense and a lamp to the Tulsi plant.
Read and recite: Read the Vishnu Sahasranamam, the Bhagavad Gita, or the story (katha) of Devutthana Ekadashi, and chant the names of Vishnu.
Give charity: Donate food, clothes, lamps or money to the needy and to Brahmins, and feed the poor, as charity on Ekadashi is considered especially meritorious.
Parana Times by City (Friday Fast)
These are the Drik Panchang parana windows for the Friday fast, on Saturday, 21 November 2026. They apply only where the Friday fast is kept and Hari Vasara ends late morning. Check a local panchang if your city is not listed.
| City | Parana on Saturday, 21 November 2026 (IST) |
|---|---|
| New Delhi | 1:11 PM to 3:18 PM |
| Mumbai | 1:31 PM to 3:45 PM |
| Hyderabad | 1:09 PM to 3:25 PM |
| Chennai | 1:04 PM to 3:21 PM |
| Bengaluru | 1:14 PM to 3:32 PM |
| Kolkata | 12:28 PM to 2:40 PM |
Devutthana Ekadashi and the Days Around It
| Date | Observance |
|---|---|
| Friday, 20 November 2026 | Devutthana Ekadashi (Smarta fast), Bhishma Panchak begins, Chaturmas ends |
| Saturday, 21 November 2026 | Vaishnava Devutthana Ekadashi, parana for the Friday fast, Tulsi Vivah |
| Tuesday, 24 November 2026 | Kartik Purnima, Dev Deepawali, Guru Nanak Jayanti (Gurpurab) |
See our Tulsi Vivah 2026 guide, our Dev Deepawali 2026 guide, our Gurpurab 2026 guide, and our Maghar month page for the desi month that follows Kartik.
Devutthana Ekadashi Dates in Coming Years
| Year | Day | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Friday (Smarta), Saturday (Vaishnava) | 20 and 21 November 2026 |
| 2027 | Wednesday | 10 November 2027 (tentative, confirm with a local panchang closer to the time) |
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Devutthana Ekadashi in 2026?
Devutthana Ekadashi 2026 falls on Friday, 20 November 2026 for most households. Families following the Vaishnava tradition fast on Saturday, 21 November 2026.
What are the Devutthana Ekadashi 2026 timings?
The Ekadashi tithi runs from 7:15 AM IST on Friday, 20 November 2026 to 6:31 AM IST on Saturday, 21 November 2026. For the Friday fast, Drik Panchang gives parana on Saturday afternoon, for example 1:11 PM to 3:18 PM in New Delhi, after Hari Vasara ends at 12:07 PM.
Is Devutthana Ekadashi the same as Prabodhini Ekadashi?
Yes. Devutthana Ekadashi, Prabodhini Ekadashi, Dev Uthani Ekadashi and Kartiki Ekadashi are names for the same observance, the Kartik Shukla Ekadashi on which Lord Vishnu is believed to wake from Chaturmas.
Why do some calendars give 21 November instead of 20 November?
The tithi runs from Friday morning to Saturday morning, so it touches both days. Most household panchangs keep the fast on Friday, while Vaishnava calendars and some eastern and southern local panchangs keep it on Saturday. Follow your family tradition or local temple calendar.
How should Devutthana Ekadashi be observed at home?
Fast on Ekadashi if that is your family practice, pray to Vishnu and Lakshmi, honour Tulsi, read the Vishnu Sahasranamam or the Ekadashi katha, light lamps around the house, and break the fast at the parana time given by your local panchang.
When is Devutthana Ekadashi in 2027?
Devutthana Ekadashi in 2027 falls on Wednesday, 10 November 2027, according to one calendar source. Confirm the date with a local panchang closer to the time, as regional calendars can differ by a day.
