Vaikuntha Ekadashi is the Ekadashi of the bright half that falls in Dhanurmasa, the month of dawn worship. Before sunrise the Vaikuntha Dwara, a doorway decorated as the gate of Vishnu's heaven, is opened in every Vishnu temple of Karnataka, and people who have waited since midnight pass through it. The fast of the day is kept without grain, and by Madhvas without water.
The story
The day is called Mukkoti Ekadashi in the south: thirty million gods are said to come to see Vishnu.
Karnataka has three island temples of the sleeping Vishnu along the Kaveri. Srirangapatna is Adi Ranga, the first; Shivanasamudra the middle; and Srirangam, downstream in Tamil Nadu, the last.
How it is kept
- Vaikuntha DwaraPassing through the gate behind the deity.
- UpavasaNo rice or grain; Madhvas take nothing at all.
- JagaraneA night of bhajans.
- Dhanurmasa pujaHuggi is offered before sunrise every day of the month.
Why this date
Vaikuntha Ekadashi is the Ekadashi of the bright half that falls while the Sun is in Dhanus. Some calendar years have none and some two.
Vaikuntha Ekadashi in other years
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Friday | |
| 2026 | Sunday | |
| 2028 | Saturday | |
| 2029 | Sunday |
More Kannada festivals
15 DecemberSubrahmanya Shashthiಸುಬ್ರಹ್ಮಣ್ಯ ಷಷ್ಠಿ
24 NovemberKartika Hunnimeಕಾರ್ತಿಕ ಹುಣ್ಣಿಮೆ
15 January 2027Makara Sankrantiಮಕರ ಸಂಕ್ರಾಂತಿ
13 February 2027Ratha Saptamiರಥಸಪ್ತಮಿ
8 NovemberDeepavaliದೀಪಾವಳಿ
6 March 2027Maha Shivaratriಮಹಾ ಶಿವರಾತ್ರಿ
Where to see Vaikuntha Ekadashi
In Karnataka
- Ranganathaswamy Temple, SrirangapatnaKarnatakaAdi Ranga, on the Kaveri near Mysuru.
- Kote Venkataramana Temple, BengaluruKarnatakaBeside Tipu Sultan's summer palace; one of the city's longest queues.
- Cheluvanarayana Temple, MelukoteKarnatakaThe hill temple of the Sri Vaishnavas of Karnataka.
Across India
- SrirangamTamil NaduThe Paramapada Vasal, opened in a twenty-one-day festival.
- TirumalaAndhra PradeshThe Vaikuntha Dwaram is open for ten days.
- ThiruvananthapuramKeralaSwargavathil Ekadasi at the Padmanabhaswamy temple.