Panchangam 22 October 2026, Thursday: Papankusha Ekadashi, Padmanabha Dwadashi and the Last Day of the Third Chaturmasa Month

Quick answer: Thursday 22 October 2026 is Papankusha Ekadashi in India. In Hyderabad, Shukla Ekadashi runs until 2:47 PM (IST), then Dwadashi begins; Shatabhisha nakshatra lasts until 8:49 PM. Drik Panchang also lists Padmanabha Dwadashi and the last day of the third Chaturmasa month. It is a day for fasting or eating lightly, remembering Lord Vishnu, and quiet prayer.

Two days after Dussehra, the festive noise settles, and Ekadashi invites us inward. Thursday is also Guruvara, a day many families give to Vishnu and to the guru, so the weekday and the tithi point the same way. Whatever form your fast takes, the heart of it is the same: a little less for the body, a little more for the mind.

Today's Panchang (Hyderabad)

Source: Drik Panchang day panchang for Hyderabad. Note that the karana listed is Vishti, often called Bhadra, which many families avoid for starting new ventures; it does not affect Ekadashi worship. Muhurta and Rahu Kalam are not in our verified data for this date, so please check a local panchang.

Papankusha Ekadashi in brief

Papankusha means, roughly, the goad (ankusha) that restrains sin (papa). The image is of an elephant driver's hook: the vrat is understood as a gentle discipline that steers the mind away from harmful habits. The full story as it is commonly told, the fasting rules, what to eat and the parana note are in our in-depth guide, so we will not repeat them here:

• Papankusha Ekadashi 2026: date, parana and vrat katha
• November 2026 vrat days: Ekadashi, Pradosh and Sankashti for the next fasts in the calendar
• Rama Ekadashi 2026 (5 November), the next Ekadashi, in Diwali week

Religious significance

Ekadashi, the eleventh lunar day of each fortnight, is the most widely kept fast in Vaishnava practice. The Puranic Ekadashi mahatmyas give a name and a story to each of the twenty-four Ekadashis of the year; Papankusha is the one in the bright fortnight of Ashwina. Their core idea is that a day of restraint offered to Vishnu purifies the heart.

Padmanabha is the form of Vishnu reclining on the serpent Adishesha, with a lotus rising from his navel on which Brahma sits. It is the image of the Lord as the source of all creation, worshipped most famously at the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram. Padmanabha Dwadashi, observed in the afternoon after Ekadashi ends, invites devotees to think of Vishnu as the quiet ground from which everything grows.

Chaturmasa, the four months from Devshayani Ekadashi in Ashadha to Prabodhini Ekadashi in Kartika, is traditionally a period of vows. Monks often stay in one place, and householders may give up a food or habit. Today closes the third month; tomorrow the fourth begins, leading to the Karthika (Prabodhini) Ekadashi when Vishnu is said to wake from his yogic sleep. Which foods are avoided in which month differs by sampradaya, so treat any list as a guide, not a rule.

Simple puja vidhi for Ekadashi

1. Bathe early and light a lamp before an image of Vishnu, Krishna, Venkateswara or a shaligrama if your family has one.
2. Offer tulsi leaves (picked the day before, as many families avoid plucking tulsi on Ekadashi), flowers and water.
3. Offer fruit or milk as naivedyam; grains are traditionally kept away from the Ekadashi offering in many homes.
4. Chant the mantra below, or read a chapter of the Bhagavad Gita or the Vishnu Sahasranama if you know it.
5. In the evening, light the lamp again and do a short aarti.

No materials? Sit in a quiet corner, close your eyes and repeat the mantra slowly for ten minutes. Then do one kind act for someone without telling anyone. That is a sincere Ekadashi.

Essential versus optional: remembrance of Vishnu and restraint in food are the essentials. Tulsi, specific fasting foods, night vigil and the exact parana procedure vary by family and sampradaya.

Mantra for the day

Oṃ Namo Nārāyaṇāya

Meaning: Om, salutations to Narayana, the Lord who is the refuge of all beings. This eight-syllable mantra is one of the best known in Vaishnava worship. Chant it with attention; its purpose is devotion and steadiness of mind, not any promised gain.

Vrat guidance

Ways to keep the fast range from nirjala (no food or water) to a single light meal without grains. Most families today choose a phalahar fast of fruit, milk, nuts and permitted foods. The fast is broken on Friday 23 October after sunrise, within the Dwadashi window: see the Papankusha Ekadashi guide and a local panchang for your city's parana time.

Health first: elderly people, pregnant or nursing women, children and anyone with diabetes, low blood pressure or another medical condition should not feel obliged to fast. Please consult a doctor. Reading, chanting and charity are complete observances in themselves.

What you can do today

• Finish morning worship while Ekadashi prevails, before 2:47 PM in Hyderabad.
• Avoid rice and grains today if you are keeping the traditional Ekadashi restraint.
• Read one chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, perhaps chapter 12 on bhakti.
• After Dwadashi begins in the afternoon, offer a lotus or any flower to Vishnu as Padmanabha.
• If you keep Chaturmasya vows, close the third month's restraint as your tradition directs.
• Give food to someone in need; many families feed a cow or a hungry person on Ekadashi.

For families and children

Children do not need to fast. Instead, invite them to give up one small thing for the day, like a sweet or a screen game, and to offer it to Krishna. Show them a picture of Vishnu resting on Adishesha with the lotus rising from his navel, and ask what they think the lotus means. A simple answer is enough: everything good grows from God's care.

Hindus abroad: sunrise, sunset and tithi today

Local times below are for each city and are not converted from India. In New York, Toronto and other cities where Dwadashi already prevails at local sunrise, the Ekadashi fast was usually kept on 21 October; in London, Dubai, Singapore and Sydney it falls today.

Computed with HinduTone's panchang calculator, validated against Drik Panchang; festival dates abroad can differ by a day — follow your temple's panchang.

Frequently asked questions

Is Papankusha Ekadashi on 22 October 2026?

Yes, in India. Drik Panchang lists Papankusha Ekadashi on Thursday 22 October 2026. In Hyderabad, Ekadashi tithi is current at sunrise and ends at 2:47 PM IST.

When do I break the Papankusha Ekadashi fast?

The fast is broken (parana) on Friday 23 October, after sunrise, within the Dwadashi window. The exact window depends on your city's sunrise, so see our Papankusha Ekadashi guide or a local panchang for the time.

Why is Padmanabha Dwadashi listed on the same day as Ekadashi?

Because Ekadashi ends at 2:47 PM and Dwadashi begins in the afternoon. Padmanabha Dwadashi, the worship of Vishnu as Padmanabha, the Lord from whose navel the lotus rises, is listed by Drik on 22 October.

What is the third Chaturmasa month?

In Vaishnava traditions that keep the four-month Chaturmasya vow, each month has its own restraint. A widely followed pattern avoids leafy vegetables in the first month, curd in the second, milk in the third and certain pulses in the fourth. Drik marks today as the last day of the third month. Follow your own sampradaya's rules.

Is it fine to fast with fruit and milk instead of a full fast?

Yes. Many devotees keep a phalahar fast. Ekadashi is about remembrance of Vishnu, not about hardship. Elderly people, pregnant women and anyone with a medical condition should not feel obliged to fast and should consult a doctor.

Do people abroad observe Papankusha Ekadashi on the same day?

Not always. In New York and Toronto, Ekadashi was already running at local sunrise on 21 October and Dwadashi is current at sunrise on the 22nd, so many temples there keep the fast a day earlier. Follow your local temple's panchang.

A closing reflection

An elephant is strong, yet a small ankusha in a kind hand guides it safely. Our habits are strong too. On Papankusha Ekadashi, may the Lord's name be that gentle guide, steering us toward patience, honesty and love. Om Namo Narayanaya.

Previous and next day

• Previous day: Panchangam 21 October 2026: Bijoya Dashami and Kashi Bharat Milap
• Next day: Panchangam 23 October 2026: Ekadashi parana and Shukra Pradosh
• Month view: October 2026 Hindu festivals, dates and rituals

Editor's note

Editor's note (9 October 2026): Panchang timings and festival observances can vary by location, regional calendar and family tradition. This guide follows Drik Panchang for Hyderabad (IST). Please verify local puja timings with a trusted panchang or priest.

Related guides

• Papankusha Ekadashi 2026: date, parana and vrat katha
• Karthika Ekadashi 2026: Prabodhini, Vishnu wakes
• Rama Ekadashi 2026
• Tirumala Venkateswara Temple
• October 2026 Hindu festival calendar