Indira Ekadashi, one of the Ekadashi festivals dedicated to Lord Vishnu, will be celebrated on October 6, 2026. This festival will be held on Krishna Paksha of the Ashwina month and Pitru Paksha is the period of remembering and honouring ancestors.
Ekadashi tithi will begin at 2:07 AM on October 6 and end at 12:34 AM on October 7.
Indira Ekadashi is associated with Pitru Paksha which makes it a special fast of Ekadashi. Devotees perform the vrat and pray to Lord Vishnu and pray for their deceased and also for their ancestors on this day.
The prayers and religious observances that are made on this day give a sense of peace to departed souls and spiritual merit to the family.
Indira Ekadashi 2026: Date and Timings
Indira Ekadashi will be observed on October 6, Tuesday. Ekadashi tithi starts at 2:07 AM on October 6 and ends at 12:34 AM on October 7. The fast is generally observed from sunrise on Ekadashi day and continued until the prescribed Parana period on Dwadashi.
For devotees who follow the most commonly cited 2026 Panchang timings, Parana or breaking of the fast will be done on October 7. Drik Panchang shows the Parana window for Badami, Karnataka is 6:18 AM to 8:41 AM.
In fact, sunrise and Panchang calculations are different for different cities and devotees should check if their time to break the fast is the same or different.
Indira Ekadashi Puja
On Indira Ekadashi, devotees worship Lord Vishnu with flowers, fruits, Tulsi leaves, incense and lamps. Many fast as per health, family and religious practices. The devotees also recite Vishnu mantras and read religious literature and spend the day in prayer.
As Ekadashi falls during Pitru Paksha, some families also perform ancestral rituals like tarpan and other customary offerings. The exact rituals may differ according to regional and family traditions.
Why Indira Ekadashi Is Important During Pitru Paksha
Pitru Paksha is a period when Hindus traditionally remember deceased family members through Shraddha, tarpan and other rituals. Indira Ekadashi is particularly associated with prayers for ancestors because it falls in this period.
Religious traditions link the observance to seeking Lord Vishnu's blessings for departed ancestors and prayer for their spiritual welfare. Which is why devotees regard the day as a Vishnu festival, a day we can worship and fast and remember our forefathers. These are religious beliefs and they differ for the different communities.
With Indira Ekadashi on October 6, 2026, devotees will be observing vrat in the current Pitru Paksha period, which adds to the day’s religious significance.
