Dwadashi

Dwadashi is the twelfth lunar day, reached when the moon has swung roughly one hundred and forty-four degrees from the sun. It always follows Ekadashi, which gives the tithi a specific job in practice: it is the day on which the preceding fast is ended, called parana.

Its class is bhadra, the kind or auspicious group of the second, seventh and twelfth days, and the deity is Vishnu in his Hari aspect. Because the same deity presides over Ekadashi and Dwadashi, traditional texts see the two as a pair, the fast and its fulfilment. Missing the proper window for parana is considered a lapse by many observers, which is why almanacs print a breaking time for each year.

Beyond parana, the tithi has festivals of its own. Vamana Dwadashi recalls Vishnu's dwarf incarnation, and other Dwadashis are devoted to Govinda or are observed with tulsi worship. Simple charity and a satisfying plain meal are the usual marks of the day, and reading from the Gita is common. The dark-half Dwadashi is regarded much the same way, as the quiet end of the Ekadashi vow. Customs and timings vary, so check a trusted calendar for your own place.