When is Mokshada Ekadashi?
| Date | Note |
|---|---|
| Sunday, 20 December 2026 | — |
| Thursday, 9 December 2027 | — |
| Monday, 27 November 2028 | — |
Dates for New Delhi (tithi at sunrise). Smarta and Vaishnava calendars may differ by a day; check your local Panchang for the fast and parana times. All Ekadashi dates →
About Mokshada Ekadashi
Mokshada Ekadashi in the bright half of Margashirsha is 'the giver of liberation' and is celebrated as Gita Jayanti — the day Krishna spoke the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna at Kurukshetra. In South India the Shukla Ekadashi of the solar month Margazhi, Vaikuntha Ekadashi, often falls on this day or the next Shukla Ekadashi.
Devotees read the Bhagavad Gita, especially chapters 12 and 15, and offer copies of it; in Kurukshetra the International Gita Mahotsav is held.
The story of Mokshada Ekadashi
King Vaikhanasa of Champaka city dreamt that his father was suffering in hell. Distressed, he sought the sage Parvata, who saw that in his past the king's father had wronged his wife.
The sage told the king to keep Mokshada Ekadashi and give its merit to his father. The king and his family fasted, and his father was freed and blessed him as he rose to heaven.
As told in the Ekadashi Mahatmya of the Padma and Bhavishyottara Purana tradition, where Krishna narrates each Ekadashi's glory to Yudhishthira. Versions differ in detail between editions.
How to keep the Mokshada Ekadashi vrat
- Dashami, the day before. Eat a light sattvic meal before sunset and avoid grains that night.
- Morning. Bathe early, take a sankalp for the vrat, and worship Vishnu or Krishna with tulsi leaves, flowers, a diya and incense.
- Through the day. Keep the fast as your tradition and health allow — nirjala, phalahar (fruit and milk) or one light meal without grains. Chant "Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya", hear the story of Mokshada Ekadashi, and avoid anger and idle talk.
- Night. Many keep jagaran — staying awake with bhajans and kirtan.
- Dwadashi. Break the fast (parana) after sunrise within the Dwadashi tithi, after offering food to Vishnu and to someone in need.
Children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with medical conditions should keep a lighter fast.
Mantra for Mokshada Ekadashi
Dvadashakshari mantra of Vishnu
ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya ||
Om, salutations to Bhagavan Vasudeva, who dwells in all beings. Chant it 108 times on a tulsi mala through the day.
Frequently asked questions
When is Mokshada Ekadashi 2026?
Mokshada Ekadashi falls on Sunday, 20 December 2026 (New Delhi, tithi at sunrise). Check your local Panchang for the fast and the parana (breaking) time.
Why is Mokshada Ekadashi also Gita Jayanti?
Tradition holds that Krishna spoke the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna on this day.
What is eaten on the Mokshada Ekadashi fast?
Grains and beans — rice, wheat and dal — are avoided. Fruit, milk, nuts, potatoes, sabudana, singhara and kuttu flour and rock salt are commonly eaten. Some keep a nirjala fast; follow your family tradition and your health.
When is the Ekadashi fast broken?
On Dwadashi, the next day, after sunrise and within the Dwadashi tithi — not during Hari Vasara, the first quarter of Dwadashi. This is called parana; check the time in your local Panchang.