{"id":612,"date":"2026-10-25T08:47:53","date_gmt":"2026-10-25T08:47:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hirecab.net\/blog\/?p=612"},"modified":"2026-10-25T08:47:53","modified_gmt":"2026-10-25T08:47:53","slug":"kartiki-ekadashi-2026-pandharpur-yatra-by-cab","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hirecab.net\/blog\/kartiki-ekadashi-2026-pandharpur-yatra-by-cab\/","title":{"rendered":"Kartiki Ekadashi 2026 Pandharpur Yatra by Cab from Pune and Mumbai"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kartiki Ekadashi 2026 falls on Friday, 20 November (Smarta) and Saturday, 21 November (Vaishnava).<\/strong> Pandharpur follows the announcement of the Vitthal-Rukmini temple committee, so confirm the final date before you leave. After Ashadhi, this is the second great wari of the year, when lakhs of Varkaris reach Pandharpur to see Vithoba on the banks of the Chandrabhaga.<\/p>\n

For families in Pune and Mumbai, Kartiki is the easier yatra: the weather is cool and the roads are dry. But the town is packed on Ekadashi, buses are full and parking near the temple is almost impossible. This guide covers the 2026 dates, the drive from Pune and Mumbai, darshan queues, where to stay and what to add to the trip.<\/p>\n

Kartiki Ekadashi 2026: date<\/h2>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
What<\/th>\nDate (2026)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Kartiki (Prabodhini) Ekadashi, Smarta<\/td>\nFriday, 20 November<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kartiki Ekadashi, Vaishnava<\/td>\nSaturday, 21 November<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kartik Purnima<\/td>\nTuesday, 24 November<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n

Dates are per Drik Panchang for India. The Shri Vitthal-Rukmini Mandir Samiti announces the official Pandharpur date and the Mahapuja timings a few weeks before, so check that notice before you book.<\/p>\n

Kartiki and Ashadhi: what is the difference?<\/h2>\n

Ashadhi Ekadashi (June or July) is the big wari, when the palkhis of Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Tukaram walk from Alandi and Dehu to Pandharpur in the monsoon. Kartiki Ekadashi, four months later, marks the end of Chaturmas, when Lord Vishnu is believed to wake from his sleep. There is no long palkhi walk from Pune, but the crowd in Pandharpur on the day is still very large, and the official Mahapuja is held in the early morning. Many families prefer Kartiki because the drive is easier and the weather is pleasant.<\/p>\n

Why Pandharpur matters: Vithoba and the Varkaris<\/h2>\n

Lord Vitthal, lovingly called Vithoba or Vithu Mauli, stands on a brick with his hands on his waist, waiting for his devotees. The story goes that he came to Pandharpur for his devotee Pundalik, who was serving his parents and asked the Lord to wait on a brick until he finished. The Lord is still waiting. The Varkari tradition of Sant Dnyaneshwar, Sant Namdev, Sant Tukaram and Sant Eknath has kept this devotion alive for more than 700 years. Its abhangs are sung on every Ekadashi, and the cry of “Vitthal Vitthal, Jai Hari Vitthal” fills the town.<\/p>\n

For many Maharashtrian families a visit to Pandharpur is not a holiday but a duty, often fulfilled with three generations travelling together. That is why comfort on the road and a driver who knows the town on Ekadashi day matter so much.<\/p>\n

Pune and Mumbai to Pandharpur by cab<\/h2>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
From<\/th>\nDistance (approx.)<\/th>\nDriving time<\/th>\nRoute<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Pune<\/td>\n210 km<\/td>\n4 to 5 hours<\/td>\nVia Saswad, Jejuri, Phaltan or via Indapur<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mumbai<\/td>\n360 km<\/td>\n7 to 8 hours<\/td>\nExpressway to Pune, then via Indapur or Phaltan<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Solapur<\/td>\n75 km<\/td>\n1.5 to 2 hours<\/td>\nDirect road<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n

Distances and times are approximate and depend on the route your driver takes on the day. Roads near Pandharpur slow down sharply on the day before Ekadashi.<\/p>\n

From Pune, book an outstation cab from our Pune outstation cabs<\/a> page. From Mumbai, see outstation cabs from Mumbai<\/a>. Staying in Solapur instead? Book a Mumbai to Solapur cab<\/a> and drive to Pandharpur early the next morning. For a family of six or seven, an Innova from Pune<\/a> or an Innova from Mumbai<\/a> is the most comfortable.<\/p>\n

A simple 2-day plan<\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Day 1, morning:<\/strong> leave Pune by 6 am (Mumbai by 4 am). Breakfast on the way; from Pune, stop at Jejuri Khandoba if you like.<\/li>\n
  2. Day 1, afternoon:<\/strong> reach Pandharpur, check in, rest. Walk to the Chandrabhaga ghats in the evening.<\/li>\n
  3. Day 2, early morning:<\/strong> holy dip at the Chandrabhaga, then join the darshan queue or take mukh darshan.<\/li>\n
  4. Day 2, after darshan:<\/strong> visit the Pundalik temple and the Rukmini temple, then drive back after lunch.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    On Ekadashi itself the queues are longest. If your family has elders, consider going a day or two after Ekadashi, when the crowd is much lighter.<\/p>\n

    Darshan queues and timing<\/h2>\n