Dussehra 2026 date, muhurat and 8 places to see it

Dussehra 2026 falls on Tuesday, 20 October in most of India, marking the end of the nine nights of Navratri. In West Bengal and in Mysuru, Vijayadashami, as the day is also called, is observed on Wednesday, 21 October, because of when the dashami (tenth lunar day) falls in their calendars.

Across the country it celebrates the same idea, the victory of good over evil, but the way India marks it changes almost from one valley or city to the next.

Key points

• Dussehra/Vijayadashami 2026: 20 October in most of India; 21 October in Bengal and Mysuru.
• The dashami tithi runs from about 12:50 PM IST on 20 October to 2:11 PM on 21 October (Kolkata panchang).
• North India burns effigies of Raavan; Bengal immerses Durga idols; Mysuru holds its royal elephant procession.
• Kullu's Dussehra begins on Vijayadashami and runs for a week.
• Banks and government offices close for Dussehra; check your state's holiday list for the exact day.

Dussehra 2026 date and muhurat

Sharad Navratri this year ran from 11 to 20 October, and Dussehra falls on its tenth day. Because the dashami tithi starts around midday on 20 October and ends in the early afternoon of 21 October, regional almanacs split: most of north and west India celebrates on the 20th, while Bengal's panjika and Mysuru keep the 21st.

The Vijay Muhurat, the time traditionally considered best for starting new work, is about 1:17 PM to 2:03 PM on 20 October by the Kolkata panchang cited by Drik Panchang. Timings shift slightly by city, so check a local almanac.

What Dussehra celebrates

In most of north India, Dussehra marks the day Lord Ram defeated Raavan, the demon king of Lanka, after he abducted Sita, the story told in the epic Ramayana. Ten days of Ramlila, folk theatre of the Ramayana, end with towering effigies of Raavan, often with his brothers Kumbhakaran and Meghnad, being set alight at dusk.

In Bengal and much of eastern India, the same day is Bijoya Dashami, when the goddess Durga, who killed the buffalo demon Mahishasura, is bid farewell after Durga Puja. In parts of the south, the day before, Navami, is Ayudha Puja, when people honour the tools of their trade, from books to cars to computers.

The word itself comes from Sanskrit: dasha (ten) and hara (defeat), often read as the defeat of Raavan's ten heads.

8 places to see Dussehra in India

1. Mysuru, Karnataka

Mysuru Dasara is a ten-day state festival, this year from 11 to 21 October. The Mysuru Palace is lit with tens of thousands of bulbs every evening. On Vijayadashami, the Jamboo Savari procession carries an idol of the goddess Chamundeshwari through the city on a caparisoned elephant, in a golden howdah. It's one of the largest crowds of the year in south India. The tradition goes back to the Wodeyar kings of Mysore, who inherited it from the Vijayanagara empire's Mahanavami festivities, and the palace's Golden Throne is still displayed during the festival.

2. Kullu, Himachal Pradesh

Kullu does things the other way round. Its Dussehra starts on Vijayadashami, when the rest of India is finishing, and runs for about a week at the Dhalpur grounds. Hundreds of village deities are carried down from the surrounding hills in palanquins to pay respects to Lord Raghunath, the valley's presiding deity. There's no effigy burning here in the north-Indian style. The fair that grows up around the procession, with handicrafts, Kullu shawls and folk dance, is half the attraction, and October nights in the valley are already cold.

3. Kolkata, West Bengal

On 21 October, married women play Sindoor Khela, smearing vermilion on the goddess and each other, before the idols are carried to the Hooghly for immersion. Bijoya greetings, sweets and visits to elders follow for days.

4. Delhi

Delhi's Ramlilas run in grounds across the city, from the Red Fort area to Ramlila Maidan, and end with Raavan Dahan at sunset on Dussehra. The Lav Kush Ramlila near the Red Fort is among the best known, and national leaders often attend the big Ramlilas on the final evening. Expect traffic restrictions around the big venues; Delhi Police usually publishes advisories a day ahead.

5. Varanasi (Ramnagar), Uttar Pradesh

The Ramlila of Ramnagar, across the Ganga from Varanasi, is staged over about a month, with scenes performed at different locations around the town. It has been associated with the royal family of Benares for about two centuries. UNESCO lists Ramlila, the traditional performance of the Ramayana, as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

6. Bastar, Chhattisgarh

Bastar's Dussehra is among the longest festivals in the world, running for about 75 days. It's devoted not to Ram but to the local goddess Danteshwari, and features a giant wooden chariot pulled by villagers. It's a window into the Adivasi (tribal) traditions of central India.

7. Kota, Rajasthan

Kota holds a large Dussehra fair on the banks of the Chambal, with cultural programmes and the burning of very tall effigies.

8. Gujarat

In Gujarat, the build-up matters as much as the day: nine nights of garba and dandiya raas, circle dances in honour of the goddess. UNESCO added Gujarat's garba to its heritage list in 2023.

Why it matters: Dussehra opens India's festival season, three weeks before Diwali, and the start of the busiest travel and shopping period of the year. For readers abroad, it's one festival with many faces: the same day can mean an effigy in Delhi, an immersion in Kolkata and a procession of hill gods in Kullu.

Planning a Dussehra trip

If you're travelling for the festival, a few practical points help:

• Book early. Mysuru, Kullu and Varanasi hotels fill weeks ahead, and trains around Dussehra and Diwali are among the busiest of the year. Indian Railways opens bookings 60 days before travel.
• Go for the evenings. Most of the spectacle, from Mysuru's palace lights to Ravan Dahan, happens after sunset. The Jamboo Savari in Mysuru usually starts in the afternoon on Vijayadashami.
• Expect crowds and closures. Big processions bring road closures; follow local police advisories on the day.
• Respect the rituals. Many of these are religious events first and tourist sights second. Ask before photographing people at prayer, and follow organisers' instructions at temples and immersion sites.

Celebrating Dussehra abroad

Indian communities hold Ramlila performances, Raavan Dahan and Vijayadashami prayers in many cities, including New York and New Jersey, Dallas, Houston, the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago and the Washington area, often on the nearest weekend. Bengali associations hold Durga Puja and Bijoya events too. Check local temples and community associations for timings, and local fire rules for any effigy events.

When the effigies come down and the immersion drums fall silent, India barely pauses. Diwali is three weeks away, and in many homes the cleaning, the shopping and the arguing over sweets start the very next morning.