Why ekadashi falls on two different days

Ekadashi dates can differ because Smarta and Vaishnava traditions apply different rules to the tithi at sunrise, arunodaya and the following dvadashi.

If your calendar shows two dates for one ekadashi, one is the Smarta day and the other the Vaishnava day. Keep the one your family or temple keeps.

What vedha means

In this context, vedha refers to the preceding tithi, dashami, extending into the time used to assess ekadashi. An ekadashi affected in this way is called viddha.

Sunrise and arunodaya

Smarta. The sunrise test checks whether dashami is still present at sunrise.

Vaishnava. The arunodaya test checks an earlier point: four ghatikas, or 96 minutes, before sunrise. Dashami may be present then even if it has ended by sunrise, so the two tests can give different results.

Additional rules

The arunodaya test alone does not determine every Vaishnava observance. Rules on how long ekadashi and dvadashi last also come into it.

Using this page

The two tests explain why an almanac may print two ekadashi dates. Keep the one your household or temple follows.

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