Kartiki Ekadashi 2026: Pandharpur yatra on Saturday 21 November, per the administration’s planning meeting; tithi, Parana times, Tulsi Vivah and Tripurari Purnima dates

As at Ashadhi, warkaris from every corner of the state head to Pandharpur for Kartiki Ekadashi to see Vitthal. This year Kartik Shukla Ekadashi falls on Saturday, 21 November 2026, and the Pandharpur yatra will run from Tuesday 10 November to Saturday 28 November, Pandharpur's sub-divisional officer (prantadhikari) Sachin Ithape said at a meeting to plan the fair. Drik Panchang, however, lists the Ekadashi fast on two days; the reason is explained below.

The dates at a glance

• Pandharpur yatra period: Tuesday 10 November to Saturday 28 November
• Prabodhini Ekadashi (Smarta fast): Friday, 20 November
• Kartiki Ekadashi, Pandharpur yatra (Vaishnava Ekadashi): Saturday, 21 November
• Tulsi Vivah (Kartik Shukla Dwadashi): Saturday, 21 November
• Kartiki (Tripurari) Purnima: Tuesday, 24 November

Ekadashi tithi and Parana

• Ekadashi tithi: begins 7.15 am on Friday 20 November and ends 6.31 am on Saturday 21 November (the same for Pune and Solapur)
• If you fast on 20 November, Parana is on Saturday 21 November: Pune 1.28 pm to 3.42 pm, Solapur 1.20 pm to 3.34 pm (Hari Vasara ends at 12.07 pm)
• If you fast on 21 November, Parana is on Sunday 22 November: Pune 6.45 am to 8.59 am, Solapur 6.35 am to 8.50 am
• Dwadashi tithi: from 6.31 am on 21 November to 4.56 am on 22 November (Pune)
• Purnima tithi: from 11.42 pm on Monday 23 November to 8.23 pm on Tuesday 24 November (Pune)

Why two days for Ekadashi?

This year the Ekadashi tithi starts on the morning of 20 November and is over by early the next morning. Drik Panchang therefore gives Friday 20 November for the Smarta tradition and Saturday 21 November for the Vaishnava tradition (Gauna Ekadashi). The administration has said Pandharpur's Kartiki yatra will be on the 21st. If you are fasting at home, follow your family's tradition and check a local panchang.

What is the Kartiki wari?

The belief is that the gods, who go to sleep on Ashadha Shukla Ekadashi, wake on Kartik Shukla Ekadashi; hence the names Prabodhini or Devuthani Ekadashi, and the day marks the end of Chaturmas. The Varkari tradition of walking to Pandharpur in both Ashadha and Kartik goes back centuries. On the morning of Ekadashi, warkaris bathe in the Chandrabhaga and join the queue for darshan of Vitthal and Rukmini. Early the same morning, the state government's official mahapuja is held at the temple, and a warkari couple is given the honour of joining it as the manache warkari.

Preparations in Pandharpur

A meeting held by the sub-divisional office at Pandharpur's Sanskritik Bhavan reviewed arrangements for the yatra. Ithape said about 8 to 10 lakh devotees come for the Kartiki yatra from across Maharashtra and neighbouring states. Given the drought-like conditions this year, he asked departments to plan water supply carefully so pilgrims do not face shortages. The main points:

• Municipal council: clean drinking water, barricading where needed, parking and regular cleaning (chief officer Mahesh Rokade)
• Temple committee: extra security guards to stop queue-jumping; drinking water, toilets and cleanliness along the darshan queue (executive officer Shrikant Yadav)
• Chandrabhaga riverbed: cleaning and adequate lighting; the irrigation department to plan the release of water into the river
• The 65-acre (Bhakti Sagar) ground: cleaning, power and water
• Cattle market at Wakhari: water for animals and their owners, and a veterinary team
• Enough stocks of medicine with the health department; checks on food and prasad stalls by the Food and Drug Administration; a structural audit of the skywalk

Still to be announced

Who will perform this year's official mahapuja has not been announced yet. According to All India Radio, the Kartiki mahapuja is performed every year by the state's Deputy Chief Minister; in 2024 it was performed by the divisional commissioner because the Assembly election code of conduct was in force. Last year, on 2 November 2025, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde performed it with his wife. Darshan timings for the yatra, extra ST buses and special trains are also yet to be announced.

If you are going to Pandharpur

• With Ekadashi on a Saturday and Parana on the Sunday, crowds are likely to peak that weekend; plan your travel and stay early.
• Watch for the official announcements of extra ST buses and special trains, and book as soon as they open.
• Do not jump the darshan queue, and follow instructions from the temple committee and the police.
• Bathe in the Chandrabhaga only at spots the administration has marked as safe.

Sources: Drik Panchang (Prabodhini Ekadashi, Pune); Drik Panchang (Prabodhini Ekadashi, Solapur); Drik Panchang (Tulasi Vivah); Drik Panchang (Kartik Purnima); Katusatya (Kartiki yatra planning meeting); All India Radio (Kartiki mahapuja, 2025); All India Radio (Kartiki mahapuja, 2024)