Indira Ekadashi 2026
Indira Ekadashi 2026 falls on Thursday, Thursday, November 5, 2026.
Exact date, puja muhurat & city-wise timings for Indira Ekadashi 2026
Key Information
Festival Date
Thursday, November 5, 2026
2026 Calendar Context
Weekday
Thursday
Vikram Samvat
2083
Shaka Samvat
1948
This year Indira Ekadashi falls on a Thursday, 19 days later than 2025 (2025-10-17) — typical lunar-calendar drift.
Falling on a Thursday brings a Guru (Jupiter) emphasis — guru-related rites, yellow offerings and dharmic decisions carry extra weight.
The 2025 observance fell on Friday, 2025-10-17 — this year arrives 19 days later in the Gregorian calendar, the Adhika-masa pattern when an intercalary lunar month pushes the cycle forward.
Looking ahead to 2027, Indira Ekadashi will fall on Monday, 2027-10-25 (11 days earlier than this year). So planning ritual schedules across years means anchoring to the tithi rather than the Gregorian date.
Astronomical context for Indira Ekadashi 2026
On Thursday, November 5, 2026, sunrise in Delhi (the reference city for this page) falls at 06:35 IST and sunset at 17:33 IST — a daylight span of 10h 58m. Across the six pan-Indian cities tabulated below, sunrise on this date varies from 05:43 (Kolkata) at the eastern edge to 06:40 (Mumbai) in the west — a 57-minute difference that drives the city-by-city muhurat shift you see in the table.
For Indira Ekadashi 2026, the central rite of udaya tithi (sunrise) depends on the festival tithi being present during that window on 2026-11-05 — confirmed across 6 reference cities in this year's computation pass. Cities further east (Kolkata, Chennai) see the window open ~15-25 minutes before Delhi; cities west of Delhi (Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore) see it start later by a similar margin.
City-Wise Timings for Indira Ekadashi 2026
| City | Sunrise | Sunset |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi | 6:35 AM | 5:33 PM |
| Mumbai | 6:40 AM | 6:03 PM |
| Bangalore | 6:14 AM | 5:51 PM |
| Chennai | 6:03 AM | 5:40 PM |
| Kolkata | 5:43 AM | 4:56 PM |
| Pune | 6:36 AM | 6:00 PM |
Click any city for detailed local timings, puja vidhi & samagri list
Why This Date?
Indira Ekadashi follows the Udaya Tithi rule – the festival is observed on the day when the required tithi prevails at sunrise. This is the default Dharmasindhu convention for festivals without a special time-window requirement.
Deity
Lord Vishnu with Lakshmi (Vishnu-Lakshmi yugala form)
Legend & History
King Indrasena of Mahishmati was visited by Sage Narada, who told him that his late father had been reborn in Yama's hell due to interrupted shraddha rites. Distraught, Indrasena asked Narada's help. … Read full legend →Show less ↑
King Indrasena of Mahishmati was visited by Sage Narada, who told him that his late father had been reborn in Yama's hell due to interrupted shraddha rites. Distraught, Indrasena asked Narada's help. Narada instructed him to observe the Ashwina Krishna Ekadashi vrata, dedicating its merit to his father. Indrasena did so; his father was freed from hell and ascended to Vishnu's abode. The Brahma Vaivarta Purana preserves this. The name Indira (= Lakshmi) reflects that the vrata grants both spiritual liberation and worldly prosperity.
How to Observe
Observe Ekadashi fast with specific dedication to ancestors — name them in your sankalpa. Worship Vishnu with Lakshmi (the Indira form). Perform tarpana (water offering to ancestors). Recite the Vishnu Sahasranama. Falls during or near Pitru Paksha — the fortnight of ancestor remembrance — making this a doubly powerful occasion for ancestral liberation. Donate to brahmins specifically requesting they pray for named ancestors.
Significance
The pre-eminent "ancestral liberation" ekadashi, timed in the lunar calendar to either coincide with or immediately follow Pitru Paksha. Indrasena's story addresses a real spiritual anxiety: ancestors who died without proper rites are believed to suffer until merit is transferred to them. The vrata is the canonical solution. Combined with the Lakshmi association via the name Indira, the vrata uniquely combines two seemingly separate concerns — ancestral peace and material prosperity for the living.
Fasting
Ekadashi fast – no grains or beans. Ancestor-dedicated sankalpa is the distinguishing feature. Break fast on Dwadashi morning.
Looking for Indira Ekadashi 2027?
Indira Ekadashi 2027 Date & Muhurat