Quick answer: US temples split Vaikunta Ekadasi across two days this December. Sri Venkateswara Temple (Balaji Mandir) in Bridgewater, New Jersey, lists Vaikunta Ekadasi and Geeta Jayanti on Sunday, December 20, 2026. Ganesh Temple in Flushing, New York, lists Vaikuntha Ekadasi on Saturday, December 19. The Hindu Center in Flushing marks Mokshada Ekadasi and Gita Jayanti on December 20. Both dates are right. In New York and New Jersey, Drik Panchang gives Saturday, December 19, as the Smarta date and Sunday, December 20, as the Vaishnava date. Dhanurmasa begins on Wednesday, December 16, and Ardra (Arudra) Darshan is Thursday, December 24.

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Last updated: 5 November 2026.

This is the December follow-up to our USA Hindu temple events for November 2026. Every temple event below comes from the temple's own website or published calendar, read on November 5, 2026. Where a temple had not posted December dates, we say so. Panchang dates are Drik Panchang's values for Edison, New Jersey, and New York City, which match on every December date.

Verified December 2026 events at US Hindu temples

Dates are Eastern Time. Times are shown only where the temple publishes them.

Temple

City

Event (as published)

Date (2026)

Official source

Hindu Center

Flushing, NY

Utpanna Ekadashi

Fri, Dec 4

December calendar

Hindu Center

Flushing, NY

SitaRam Wedding Anniversary (Ram Janaki Vivahotsav)

Mon, Dec 14

December calendar

Sri Venkateswara Temple (Balaji Mandir)

Bridgewater, NJ

Sri Subbarayudi Shashthi

Tue, Dec 15

2026 annual calendar

Sri Venkateswara Temple (Balaji Mandir)

Bridgewater, NJ

Dhanurmasa Puja Prarambham

Wed, Dec 16

2026 annual calendar

Ganesh Temple (Sri Maha Vallabha Ganapati Devasthanam)

Flushing, NY

Dhanurmasa Pooja Begins

Wed, Dec 16

Religious dates 2026

Sri Venkateswara Temple (Balaji Mandir)

Bridgewater, NJ

Sri Sastha Preethi Ayyappa Abhishekam

Sat, Dec 19

2026 annual calendar

Ganesh Temple

Flushing, NY

Vaikuntha Ekadasi

Sat, Dec 19

Religious dates 2026

Sri Venkateswara Temple (Balaji Mandir)

Bridgewater, NJ

Vaikunta Ekadasi, Geeta Jayanti

Sun, Dec 20

2026 annual calendar

Hindu Center

Flushing, NY

Mokshda Ekadasi; Gita Jayanti

Sun, Dec 20

December calendar

Sri Venkateswara Temple (Balaji Mandir)

Bridgewater, NJ

Hanumadvratam

Mon, Dec 21

2026 annual calendar

Ganesh Temple

Flushing, NY

Satyanarayana Pooja (Poornima)

Wed, Dec 23

Religious dates 2026

Shri Krishna Vrundavana

Edison, NJ

Poornima: Saamohika Sri Satyanarayana Pooja (5:30 pm)

Wed, Dec 23

Events

Hindu Center

Flushing, NY

Purnima; Dattatreya Jayanti

Wed, Dec 23

December calendar

Sri Venkateswara Temple (Balaji Mandir)

Bridgewater, NJ

Ardrotsavam

Thu, Dec 24

2026 annual calendar

Ganesh Temple

Flushing, NY

Ardra Darsanam

Thu, Dec 24

Religious dates 2026

Ganesh Temple

Flushing, NY

Sankata Hara Chaturthi

Sat, Dec 26

Religious dates 2026

Bridgewater's annual calendar and the Flushing festival list give dates only, with no event times. The Hindu Center's calendar is a panchang-style image that marks observances rather than program times. Programs are usually posted closer to the day, so check the temple's page that week.

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Temples with no December 2026 listing yet

  • ISKCON of New York City (Brooklyn). Its events feed listed only two November events (Diwali and Govardhan Puja) on November 5. We found no Gita Jayanti or Mokshada Ekadashi entry.
  • BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham, Robbinsville. Its site listed the Diwali festivities (November 7 to 15); we found no December events in what it had published.
  • Shri Krishna Vrundavana, Edison. Apart from the Poornima pooja on December 23, its list has no Vaikuntha Ekadashi or Gita Jayanti entry for November or December.
  • BAPS mandirs in Edison, Parsippany and Flushing. The BAPS website blocked our automated check (HTTP 403), so we could not verify them.
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Why one temple says December 19 and another says December 20

In New York and New Jersey, Drik Panchang shows the Ekadashi tithi beginning at 11:39 am on Saturday, December 19, and ending at 9:44 am on Sunday, December 20 (EST). Drik then lists two days:

  • Smarta: Saturday, December 19. Parana is Sunday, December 20, after the Hari Vasara ends at 3:04 pm.
  • Vaishnava ("Gauna Mokshada Ekadashi"): Sunday, December 20. Parana is Monday, December 21, 7:17 to 9:09 am in Edison (7:16 to 9:08 am in New York City).

The reason, in Drik's words, is that on the parana day "Dwadashi would be over before Sunrise". Drik's rule is that parana must be done within Dwadashi "unless Dwadashi is over before sunrise". When two days are listed, Drik advises "Smartha with family" to fast on the first day. The second day, it says, "coincides with Vaishnava Ekadashi fasting day".

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The three temple calendars line up with this:

  • Ganesh Temple, Flushing: Sat, Dec 19. This matches Drik's Smarta date.
  • Bridgewater Balaji: Sun, Dec 20 (Vaikunta Ekadasi and Geeta Jayanti). This matches Drik's Vaishnava date, which Sri Vaishnava (Venkateswara) and ISKCON temples generally follow.
  • Hindu Center: Sun, Dec 20 (Mokshada Ekadasi and Gita Jayanti).

Drik's Edison and New York calendars list Gita Jayanti on Saturday, December 19, with the Smarta Ekadashi, so both dates are in use locally. Follow your own temple or family tradition. For the full explanation, see Smarta vs Vaishnava Ekadashi abroad.

US East dates for December 2026 (Edison NJ = New York City)

Drik Panchang gives the same December dates for Edison and New York City. Where the clock times differ by a minute, both are shown.

Date (2026)

Observance

US East detail (Drik)

Mon, Nov 30

Kalabhairav Jayanti

A day before India (Tue, Dec 1)

Fri, Dec 4

Utpanna Ekadashi

Smarta and Vaishnava same day; parana Sat, Dec 5, 7:06–8:59 am Edison (7:05–8:57 am NYC)

Tue, Dec 8

Karthika Amavasya, end of amanta Karthika

Calculated from tithi at sunrise

Sun, Dec 13

Vivah Panchami

A day before India (Mon, Dec 14)

Wed, Dec 16

Dhanu Sankranti; Dhanurmasam begins

Sankranti moment 11:59 pm EST Tue, Dec 15; punya kala Wed 7:15–11:53 am Edison (7:14–11:52 am NYC)

Sat, Dec 19

Mokshada and Vaikuntha Ekadashi (Smarta); Gita Jayanti

Parana Sun, Dec 20, after 3:04 pm

Sun, Dec 20

Mokshada and Vaikuntha Ekadashi (Vaishnava)

Parana Mon, Dec 21, 7:17–9:09 am Edison (7:16–9:08 am NYC)

Wed, Dec 23

Datta Jayanti and Margashirsha Purnima

Thu, Dec 24

Arudra Darshan

Thiruvathirai 6:23 pm Dec 23 to 3:17 pm Dec 24 EST

The Dhanurmasam start and the end of Karthika are calculated from Drik's timings; Drik does not list them directly. We have not given a panchang date for Hanumad Vratam. Bridgewater's listing on December 21 is the temple's own date.

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Practical tips for NRI families

  • Pick your Ekadashi day early. If your family follows a Venkateswara or ISKCON-style Vaishnava calendar, fast on Sunday, December 20, and break the fast on Monday morning, December 21, before work. Smarta families fasting on Saturday, December 19, break the fast after 3:04 pm on Sunday.
  • Weekend crowds. Both Ekadashi dates fall on a weekend. Bridgewater publishes regular weekend hours of 8:30 am to 8:30 pm. Ganesh Temple in Flushing publishes weekend hours of 7:30 am to 8:30 pm.
  • Early Dhanurmasa mornings. From December 16, temples that keep Dhanurmasa hold dawn Tiruppavai programs. Check whether yours starts before your commute.
  • Christmas Eve. Ardra Darshan (Thursday, December 24) falls on Christmas Eve. Bridgewater (Ardrotsavam) and Flushing (Ardra Darsanam) both list it, so expect holiday traffic.
  • Utpanna Ekadashi (Friday, December 4) has one date for everyone in the US East. The parana window on Saturday, 7:06 to 8:59 am in Edison, suits a weekend breakfast.

Sources

Temple calendars (read November 5, 2026):

Panchang (Drik Panchang):

Frequently asked questions

Is Vaikuntha Ekadashi 2026 on December 19 or December 20 in the USA?

Both dates are in use. In New York and New Jersey, Drik Panchang gives Saturday, December 19, as the Smarta date and Sunday, December 20, as the Vaishnava date. Ganesh Temple in Flushing lists December 19, and Bridgewater Balaji lists December 20. Follow your temple or family tradition.

When should I break the Vaikuntha Ekadashi fast in New Jersey or New York?

If you fast on Sunday, December 20, Drik gives parana on Monday, December 21, from 7:17 to 9:09 am in Edison and 7:16 to 9:08 am in New York City. If you fast on Saturday, December 19, break the fast on Sunday, December 20, after 3:04 pm.

When is Gita Jayanti 2026 in the USA?

Drik Panchang's Edison and New York calendars list Gita Jayanti on Saturday, December 19, 2026. Bridgewater Balaji (Geeta Jayanti) and the Hindu Center in Flushing list Sunday, December 20, with their Ekadashi. Check your temple's program.

When does Dhanurmasa start in 2026 in the USA?

Wednesday, December 16, 2026. The sun enters Dhanu at 11:59 pm EST on Tuesday, December 15, and Drik gives the punya kala on Wednesday morning. Bridgewater (Dhanurmasa Puja Prarambham) and Ganesh Temple in Flushing (Dhanurmasa Pooja Begins) both list December 16.

When is Ardra (Arudra) Darshan 2026 in the USA?

Thursday, December 24, 2026. Bridgewater lists Ardrotsavam and Ganesh Temple in Flushing lists Ardra Darsanam that day. In the US East, the Thiruvathirai nakshatra runs from 6:23 pm on December 23 to 3:17 pm on December 24, according to Drik.

When is Hanumad Vratam 2026 at Bridgewater?

Bridgewater's 2026 annual calendar lists Hanumadvratam on Monday, December 21. We have not validated a panchang date for it, so check with your own temple if you follow a different calendar.

Is HinduTone connected to these temples?

No. HinduTone is an independent publisher and is not affiliated with any temple listed. Each row links to the temple's official page.