Vijayadashami / Dussehra 2026

October 2026

Tuesday

Rama

Lord Rama's victory over Ravana

Vijayadashami / Dussehra Puja Timings

Vijayadashami / Dussehra on Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Ashwin, Shukla Paksha, Dashami

Begins: 12:50 PM, Oct 20 · Ends: 02:12 PM, Oct 21

Duration: 1 day

Today

About Vijayadashami / Dussehra

Vijayadashami, or Dussehra, celebrates Lord Rama's victory over the demon king Ravana, marked in North India by burning towering Ravana effigies.

It also concludes Durga Puja with the immersion of the Goddess's idol.

Significance

Marks the victory of good over evil — Lord Rama's defeat of Ravana, and Goddess Durga's defeat of the buffalo demon Mahishasura. It falls on the tenth day, immediately after Navratri.

How to Observe

Watch or take part in Ram Lila performances re-enacting the Ramayana
Attend the burning of Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghnad effigies
Immerse Durga idols where Durga Puja has been observed
Exchange greetings and sweets with family and neighbours

Regional Variations

North India

Centred on Ram Lila and Ravana-effigy burning.

West Bengal

Marks Durga Visarjan, the immersion of Durga idols after Durga Puja.

Mysuru, Karnataka

Famous for a royal Dussehra procession with decorated elephants.

Punjab

Marks Guru Granth Sahib's installation traditions in some Sikh communities alongside the wider Hindu observance.

Related Festivals & Vrats

Shardiya Navratri

Notes: Date and timings shown are computed for New Delhi, India using Swiss Ephemeris. Computed via the classical Aparahna-Vyapini Dashami rule (tithi prevailing during Aparahna Kaal, the afternoon 1/5th of daylight — the [0.6, 0.8] fraction of the way from sunrise to sunset), not Udaya Tithi (sunrise) — sourced and cross-checked against 2026's real published Aparahna Puja windows this session (Sprint 36c); see `_reference_jd`'s "aparahna" case and module docstring's anchor-time finding. RESOLVED Sprint 36c (previously on plain sunrise/Udaya Tithi, which gets this festival's civil date wrong): confirmed by 6+ independent 2026 sources including drikpanchang.com's own Vijayadashami page: Oct 20, 2026, even though plain Udaya Tithi alone would give Oct 21 (Dashami tithi doesn't begin until 12:50 PM on Oct 20, well after sunrise, but is already active throughout Oct 20's Aparahna window). Sprint 19b's earlier "Oct 19/20/21 all cited" disagreement note is now stale — see SPRINT_LOG.md Sprint 36c. Always cross-check with your family priest for a personalised Muhurat.

Panchang for Vijayadashami / Dussehra Day Choghadiya Muhurat

Frequently Asked Questions

Vijayadashami / Dussehra 2026 mein kab hai?

Vijayadashami / Dussehra 2026 mein Tuesday, 20 October ko hai (New Delhi ke panchang ke anusaar). Tithi: Ashwin, Shukla Paksha, Dashami. Yeh tithi 12:50 PM, Oct 20 se 02:12 PM, Oct 21 tak rehti hai. Apne shehar ke hisaab se samay thoda alag ho sakta hai.

Why does this festival's date change every year on the Gregorian calendar?

Most Hindu festivals are set by the lunar Hindu calendar (a specific Tithi within a specific lunar month), not the solar Gregorian calendar used internationally. Since a lunar year runs roughly 11 days shorter than a solar year, the same Tithi lands on a different Gregorian date each year — this is normal and expected, not an error.