Dev Uthani Ekadashi 2026 and 2027: date, muhurat and meaning

Parana, breaking the fast, is done the next day after sunrise and before dwadashi ends. The first quarter of dwadashi, called hari vasara, is avoided, and the morning is generally preferred. Because parana times depend on local sunrise and the tithi timing in your time zone, use the window calculated for your city, especially if you live outside India.

The tulsi plant is cleaned and dressed like a bride with a red scarf, bangles, a bindi and small ornaments. A Shaligram stone or image of Vishnu is placed beside it. A canopy of sugarcane stalks is set up, turmeric, roli and flowers are offered, and the couple is taken around in wedding circles with mantras or songs, followed by aarti and prasad.

During Chaturmas, Vishnu is believed to be asleep, so major ceremonies like weddings are traditionally postponed. When he wakes on Dev Uthani Ekadashi, that pause ends and the wedding season begins. Even so, an actual wedding date is chosen by checking planetary positions, so families usually consult a priest or panchang for a specific muhurat after this day.

Grains, rice, lentils and ordinary salt are avoided. Fasting food includes fruit, milk, curd, nuts, sabudana (sago), water chestnut or buckwheat flour, sweet potato and rock salt. Some devotees go without water entirely, while others eat a single fruit meal. Elderly, pregnant or unwell people often keep a lighter fast. Customs vary between families and sects.

'Utho Dev' means 'Rise, O Lord'. In North Indian homes, women gather around the drawn footprints and covered offerings in the evening, beat a plate or winnowing basket and sing folk verses asking Vishnu to wake, sit up and bless the household. Lamps are lit, and the newly harvested produce kept under the basket is later shared.

Chaturmas, literally 'four months', is the period from Devshayani Ekadashi to Dev Uthani Ekadashi, roughly covering the monsoon. Monks and sadhus stay in one place, and many householders follow dietary restraints, such as giving up certain foods in particular months. Jain communities also observe Chaturmas closely. It ends with Vishnu waking on Dev Uthani Ekadashi.