Quick answer: The December 2026 vrat calendar has two Ekadashis, Utpanna Ekadashi on Friday 4 December and Mokshada (Vaikuntha) Ekadashi on Sunday 20 December 2026. There are also two Pradosh fasts (6 and 22 December), Masik Shivaratri on 7 December, Amavasya on 8 December and Margashirsha Purnima on 23 December. Saphala Ekadashi follows on Sunday 3 January 2027.

All dates are India dates. Dates marked Drik come from Drik Panchang (New Delhi). Dates marked calculated come from HinduTone's ephemeris calculator, which we checked against Drik Panchang to within one or two minutes. Please confirm calculated dates, and the exact fasting and parana windows, on Drik Panchang for your city.

December 2026 vrat calendar: all fasting dates

Date (India)VratDeity / purposeSource
Fri 4 Dec 2026Utpanna EkadashiVishnuDrik
Sun 6 Dec 2026Ravi Pradosh VratShiva, at duskDrik
Mon 7 Dec 2026Masik Shivaratri (Karthika Masa Shivaratri)ShivaDrik
Tue 8 Dec 2026AmavasyaAncestors (tarpan), new moonDrik
Thu 10, 17, 24, 31 Dec 2026Margashirsha Guruvar / Lakshmivara vratamLakshmicalculated
Sun 13 Dec 2026Vinayaka ChaturthiGaneshacalculated
Tue 15 Dec 2026Shashti (Subrahmanya / Champa Shashti)Kartikeya; Khandobacalculated
Sun 20 Dec 2026Mokshada Ekadashi / Vaikuntha Ekadashi / Gita JayantiVishnu, Krishnacalculated
Mon 21 Dec 2026Ekadashi parana (Dwadashi)Breaking the fastcalculated; check window on Drik
Tue 22 Dec 2026Bhauma Pradosh VratShiva, at duskcalculated
Wed 23 Dec 2026Margashirsha Purnima (Datta Jayanti)Satyanarayana, Dattatreyacalculated
Sun 3 Jan 2027Saphala EkadashiVishnucalculated

For the full festival list, see December 2026 Hindu festivals. For last month's fasts, see November 2026 vrat and fasting days.

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Ekadashi fasts in December 2026

Utpanna Ekadashi, Friday 4 December 2026 (Drik). As commonly told, the goddess Ekadashi arose from Lord Vishnu to defeat the demon Mura while Vishnu rested. Pleased, Vishnu blessed the tithi, and so Utpanna is called the "birth" of Ekadashi. Many people choose this day to begin the habit of fasting on every Ekadashi. See Utpanna Ekadashi 2026.

Mokshada Ekadashi and Vaikuntha Ekadashi, Sunday 20 December 2026 (calculated). This Ekadashi has three names. It is Mokshada, the Ekadashi said to grant liberation; as commonly told, a king named Vaikhanasa observed it so that his late father could be freed from suffering. It is Gita Jayanti, the day the Bhagavad Gita was spoken. And because it falls inside Dhanurmasam, it is Vaikuntha or Mukkoti Ekadashi, when Vishnu temples open their northern gate. Ekadashi prevails at sunrise on 20 December, and parana is on Monday 21 December. See Vaikuntha Ekadashi 2026 and Gita Jayanti 2026.

Saphala Ekadashi, Sunday 3 January 2027 (calculated). "Saphala" means fruitful. It is the first Ekadashi of 2027 and falls in the Krishna Paksha after Margashirsha Purnima.

Shiva fasts: Pradosh and Masik Shivaratri

Ravi Pradosh, Sunday 6 December 2026 (Drik). Pradosh falls on Trayodashi, and the worship is done at dusk, in the Pradosh Kaal. A Pradosh on Sunday is called Ravi Pradosh. Devotees fast during the day, visit a Shiva temple or perform abhishekam at home in the evening, and then eat a simple meal.

Masik Shivaratri, Monday 7 December 2026 (Drik). This is the Krishna Chaturdashi of Karthika in the amanta calendar, so it is also called Karthika Masa Shivaratri. Falling on a Monday, it is the last Karthika Somavaram of 2026, a very special day for Telugu families. See Karthika Masa Shivaratri 2026.

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Bhauma Pradosh, Tuesday 22 December 2026 (calculated). A Pradosh on Tuesday is called Bhauma Pradosh. In Karnataka the same day is Hanuman Jayanti (Hanumad Vratha), so many families combine Shiva worship at dusk with prayers to Hanuman. See Hanuman Jayanti Karnataka 2026.

Amavasya, Chaturthi, Shashti and Purnima

  • Amavasya, Tuesday 8 December 2026 (Drik): the Amavasya tithi lasts until about 6:21 AM IST on 9 December. Many families offer tarpan to ancestors and light a lamp in the evening. See Karthika Amavasya 2026.
  • Vinayaka Chaturthi, Sunday 13 December 2026 (calculated): the monthly Shukla Chaturthi for Ganesha. Devotees fast until the midday puja and offer modaks or durva grass.
  • Shashti, Tuesday 15 December 2026 (calculated): Subrahmanya Shashti in the South and Champa Shashti for Khandoba in Maharashtra. See Subrahmanya Shashti 2026 and Champa Shashti 2026.
  • Margashirsha Purnima, Wednesday 23 December 2026 (calculated): many families keep a Purnima fast and perform Satyanarayana puja. The same day is Datta Jayanti. See Margasira Pournami 2026 and Datta Jayanti 2026.

Thursday vrats in Margasira

From Wednesday 9 December 2026 (calculated), Telugu, Kannada and Marathi families enter Margasira (Margashirsha). Its Thursdays are kept for Goddess Lakshmi. In Maharashtra this is the Margashirsha Guruvar vrat; in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana it is the Margasira Lakshmivara vratam. The Thursdays are 10, 17, 24 and 31 December 2026 and 7 January 2027 (calculated). See Margashirsha Guruvar Vrat 2026 and Margasira Masam 2026.

General rules for keeping a vrat

  • Make a sankalpa (intention) in the morning after bathing. Say which vrat you are keeping and why.
  • Choose a level you can keep: nirjala (no food or water), phalahar (fruit, milk, nuts) or one sattvic meal. A sincere, simple fast is better than a strict one you cannot complete.
  • On Ekadashi, rice and grains are traditionally avoided. Common fasting foods include fruit, milk, curd, sabudana, potatoes and nuts, though family customs differ.
  • For Pradosh and Shivaratri, the main worship is in the evening or at night. Many people eat only after the evening puja.
  • Break an Ekadashi fast on Dwadashi, within the parana window shown on Drik Panchang for your city.
  • Spend some of the day in prayer, reading or service. The fast supports devotion; it is not the goal by itself.

A note on health

Fasting is a spiritual practice, not a medical one. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have diabetes, low blood pressure, kidney problems or an eating disorder, or take regular medication, speak to your doctor before fasting. Children and elderly people should not keep strict fasts. Drink enough water unless you are keeping a nirjala fast with your doctor's approval, and stop the fast if you feel faint or unwell. Tradition itself allows a lighter fast for anyone who needs it.

If you live outside India

A tithi starts and ends at a fixed moment, which falls at different local times around the world. That is why an Ekadashi or Pradosh can fall a day earlier or later in another country. Do not take the Indian date and Indian clock time and convert them. Instead, open Drik Panchang, set your own city, and use the date and parana window it shows. Your local temple calendar is also a good guide.

Frequently asked questions

How many Ekadashis are there in December 2026?

There are two Ekadashis in December 2026: Utpanna Ekadashi on Friday 4 December (Drik) and Mokshada Ekadashi, which is also Vaikuntha Ekadashi and Gita Jayanti, on Sunday 20 December (calculated). The next one, Saphala Ekadashi, is on Sunday 3 January 2027 (calculated).

When is Pradosh Vrat in December 2026?

Ravi Pradosh is on Sunday 6 December 2026 (Drik), and Bhauma Pradosh is on Tuesday 22 December 2026 (calculated). Pradosh worship is done at dusk. Please check the Pradosh Kaal for your city on Drik Panchang.

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When is Purnima in December 2026?

Margashirsha Purnima falls on Wednesday 23 December 2026 (calculated). The Purnima tithi begins around 10:48 AM IST that day and runs into early 24 December. Datta Jayanti and Annapurna Jayanti are observed on 23 December.

When should I break the Vaikuntha Ekadashi fast?

Parana, the breaking of the fast, is on Monday 21 December 2026, during Dwadashi. The exact parana window depends on your city's sunrise, so check it on Drik Panchang rather than relying on a fixed clock time.

Can I keep these fasts if I have diabetes or am pregnant?

Please talk to your doctor first. Many traditions allow a light phalahar (fruit and milk) fast, or simply prayer and a sattvic meal, for people who cannot fast fully. Elders, children, pregnant women and people on medication are usually not expected to keep a strict fast.

Are these fasting dates the same in the USA, UK or Australia?

Not always. Tithis begin and end at different local times, so an Ekadashi or Pradosh can fall a day earlier or later outside India. The dates here are India dates. Check Drik Panchang for your own city, and do not convert Indian times.

Editor's note

Editor's note (6 October 2026): This fasting calendar has been restored at its original hindutone.com address after the earlier version was lost. Dates up to 10 December are from Drik Panchang (New Delhi); later dates are calculated by HinduTone's ephemeris calculator, checked against Drik Panchang, and labelled "calculated". We have deliberately not given clock-time muhurats or parana times; please take these from Drik Panchang for your city. This page is not medical advice.