Panchangam 5 November 2026 (Thursday): Rama Ekadashi, Govatsa Dwadashi (Vasu Baras) and Padmanabha Dwadashi, Tithi and Puja Vidhi

Quick answer: Thursday 5 November 2026 is Rama Ekadashi, the last Ekadashi before Diwali, kept for Vishnu and Lakshmi. In Hyderabad, Ekadashi ends at 10:35 AM and Dwadashi follows, so the evening is Govatsa Dwadashi (Vasu Baras), the worship of cows and calves. Drik Panchang also lists Krishna Padmanabha Dwadashi. Parana is tomorrow morning, before Dwadashi ends at 10:30 AM.

This is the quiet doorway into Diwali. The morning is for fasting and prayer to Vishnu; the evening is for gratitude to the cow, which in Hindu tradition stands for the patient, giving nourishment of the earth. If you keep only one practice today, keep the Ekadashi in whatever form your health allows, and offer a little grass or food to a cow, or to any animal, with thanks.

Today's Panchang (Hyderabad)

Source: Drik Panchang day panchang for Hyderabad, IST. The Indra yoga ends at 06:26 AM, just after sunrise. Thursday is Guruvara, already a Vishnu day in many homes, so Ekadashi on a Thursday is a well-loved combination.

Religious significance

Rama Ekadashi

Ekadashi, the eleventh tithi of each fortnight, is the central fast of Vishnu devotion and is praised in the Puranas. Each of the year's Ekadashis has its own name and katha. Rama Ekadashi's katha, as commonly told, centres on Princess Chandrabhaga, daughter of King Muchukunda, and her husband Shobhana, who kept this Ekadashi and was rewarded with a divine kingdom. The name honours Lakshmi as Rama. We summarise the katha and fasting rules fully in our Rama Ekadashi 2026 guide, so we keep this page short.

Govatsa Dwadashi and Padmanabha Dwadashi

Govatsa Dwadashi (go = cow, vatsa = calf) honours the cow and her calf together, a picture of a mother's care. In Maharashtra it is Vasu Baras, the first day of Diwali; in Gujarat it is often called Vagh Baras. The worship is done in the evening. Some families avoid cow's milk products today as a mark of respect, but this is a regional custom, not a universal rule. Krishna Padmanabha Dwadashi, also listed by Drik Panchang, is a Dwadashi observance for Vishnu as Padmanabha, "the one with a lotus at his navel", from which Brahma arises.

Puja vidhi

• Morning (essential): bath, sankalpa for the Ekadashi, a lamp before Vishnu or Lakshmi-Narayana, tulasi leaves (picked the day before, as many traditions avoid plucking tulasi on Ekadashi) and the mantra below.
• Through the day (optional): Vishnu Sahasranama, the Ekadashi katha, Krishna or Rama bhajans, and avoiding grains and beans.
• Evening (Govatsa Dwadashi): after the 05:43 PM sunset, offer a lamp, kumkum and green grass or chapati to a cow and calf if you can visit a goshala; otherwise worship a small cow-and-calf image or picture at home.
• Night (optional): many devotees keep a light vigil with bhajans.

No materials? Sit facing east, chant the mantra 108 times or for ten minutes, and offer a glass of water to a plant in Vishnu's name. In the evening, give some food to any animal and thank the earth for what it gives you.

Mantra for the day

Om Namo Narayanaya (IAST: oṃ namo nārāyaṇāya). Meaning: "Om, salutations to Narayana," Vishnu who rests on the cosmic waters. This eight-syllable Ashtakshari mantra is the classic Ekadashi chant and is open to all.

Vrat guidance

Ekadashi fasting ranges from nirjala (no water) to phalahar (fruit and milk) to simply avoiding grains and beans. Choose what your body can sustain; the prayer matters more than the hunger. Elderly people, pregnant or nursing women, children and anyone with diabetes, blood-pressure problems or other medical conditions should not feel obliged to fast and should consult a doctor. Break the fast tomorrow, Friday 6 November, after sunrise and before Dwadashi ends at 10:30 AM IST; check a local panchang for the precise parana window.

What you can do today

• Keep the Rama Ekadashi fast in a form that suits your health.
• Offer tulasi leaves (picked yesterday) to Vishnu or Krishna with a ghee lamp.
• Read or listen to the Rama Ekadashi katha with your family.
• In the evening, feed a cow and calf at a goshala or temple for Govatsa Dwadashi.
• Avoid gossip and harsh words; Ekadashi is as much a fast of the tongue as of the stomach.
• Lay out tomorrow's parana meal and your Dhanteras lamp before you sleep.

For families and children

Children should not be made to fast, but they can share in the day. Take them to a goshala in the evening to feed a calf, or let them draw a cow and calf for the home altar. Tell them how Krishna grew up as a cowherd in Gokul, and why Hindus see the cow as a gentle mother who gives without asking.

Hindus abroad: today's sunrise, tithi and nakshatra

Local sunrise, sunset, and the tithi and nakshatra at local sunrise on 5 November 2026.

Computed with HinduTone's panchang calculator, validated against Drik Panchang; festival dates abroad can differ by a day — follow your temple's panchang. All times in this table are local clock times for each city.

In New York, London, Toronto, São Paulo, Frankfurt and Amsterdam, Dwadashi already prevails at local sunrise today, which means Ekadashi was at sunrise there on Wednesday 4 November. Many temples in those regions will therefore have listed Rama Ekadashi a day earlier. In Sydney, Dubai, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Durban, Ekadashi prevails at sunrise today, as in India.

Frequently asked questions

Is Rama Ekadashi on 5 November 2026 in India?

Yes. Ekadashi tithi prevails at sunrise on Thursday 5 November and ends at 10:35 AM IST, so the Rama Ekadashi fast is kept today in India. It is the Krishna paksha Ekadashi of Ashwina in the amanta calendar and of Kartika in the purnimanta calendar.

When is the Rama Ekadashi parana?

The fast is broken on Friday 6 November, in the morning, before Dwadashi ends at 10:30 AM IST. For the exact parana window in your city, check a local panchang or our Rama Ekadashi guide.

Why is it called Rama Ekadashi?

Here Rama is a name of Goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu, not Lord Rama of the Ramayana. The day is kept for Vishnu together with Lakshmi, which is why it sits so naturally just before Dhanteras and Diwali.

Why are Ekadashi and Govatsa Dwadashi on the same day?

Ekadashi prevails at sunrise and decides the fast, while Govatsa Dwadashi is worshipped in the evening (pradosha kala), when Dwadashi prevails. Today Dwadashi begins at 10:35 AM, so both fall on the same civil day.

What is Vasu Baras?

Vasu Baras is the Marathi name for Govatsa Dwadashi. In Maharashtra it is the first day of Diwali: cows and their calves are bathed, decorated and worshipped as symbols of nourishment and motherhood.

Can I keep a partial fast?

Yes. Many devotees keep a phalahar fast (fruit, milk, nuts) or simply avoid grains and beans. Elderly people, pregnant women, children and anyone with a medical condition should not feel obliged to fast strictly and should consult a doctor.

A closing thought

Fast in the morning, give thanks in the evening: today teaches that devotion and gratitude are two halves of one prayer. Om Namo Narayanaya.

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

• Previous day: Panchangam 4 November 2026 (Wednesday)
• Next day: Panchangam 6 November 2026 (Dhanteras)
• November 2026 Hindu festival calendar
• Rama Ekadashi 2026: tithi timings, parana and vrat katha
• Diwali 2026: 5-day festival calendar at a glance
• Diwali in Maharashtra: Lakshmi Poojan, Padwa and Bhau Beej
• Why is the cow sacred in Hinduism?