- Margazhi Shukla Ekadasi
- December or January
- Srirangam, Tirumala, Vishnu temples everywhere
Where it began
Vaikuntha is the home of Vishnu. Devotees believe the gate to Vaikuntha opens on this day, and those who pray to Vishnu here find peace and blessing.
Legend says Vishnu opened the gate of Vaikuntha for two demons who asked for his mercy and wished that anyone who saw him come through the gate on this day would reach Vaikuntha.
Another story from the Padma Purana tells of a goddess born from Vishnu's power, named Ekadasi, who defeated the demon Muran.
How it grew over time
Medieval period
The Alvar saints sang of Vishnu in Tamil, and their hymns became part of temple rites.
Temple age
At Srirangam, the Adhyayana Utsavam, a twenty-day festival of the Alvar hymns, grew around this day.
Later centuries
The Paramapada Vasal, the gate of heaven, opened on this day at Srirangam and other temples.
Today
Lakhs pass through the gates at Srirangam and Tirumala, where the gate stays open for days.
How it is celebrated in different places
Srirangam, Tamil Nadu
The Paramapada Vasal opens at dawn, and the festival of hymns lasts twenty days.
Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh
The Vaikunta Dwaram stays open for days for darshan.
Karnataka
Called Vaikuntha Ekadashi, temples hold all-night prayers and bhajans.
Malaysia, Singapore and the US
Vishnu temples set up a symbolic gate for devotees to pass through.
Vaikunta Ekadasi moments
Vaikunta Ekadasi today
Devotees fast from food and stay awake through the night with bhajans and reading of the holy texts. Early in the morning, they walk through the north gate of the temple, the gate of heaven.
On the next day, Dwadasi, the fast is broken with a simple meal. Many families keep the day with quiet prayer at home.
