Dussehra 2026: Date, Muhurat Timings for 6 Indian Cities

Dussehra, also called Vijayadashami, falls on Tuesday, 20 October 2026. Below you will find what the festival marks, how its date is decided, and the muhurat window for six cities. All times are in Indian Standard Time (IST).

What Dussehra is

Dussehra is celebrated across India as the day good is remembered as prevailing over wrong. The name Vijayadashami means roughly "the tenth day of victory", and it comes at the end of the nine nights that precede it.

Different regions tell the story in their own way. In many places it is linked with Rama's victory over Ravana, and effigies are burned in the evening. In others it is tied to the goddess Durga's victory over Mahishasura, and the day closes the Durga festivities. Both are honoured traditions, and many families hold more than one of these meanings at once.

It is also widely regarded as a good day to begin something new, such as a lesson, a craft or a piece of work. Some people like to start on this day because it is seen as favourable.

How the date is fixed

Dussehra follows the lunar calendar, not the solar one. It belongs to the month of Ashvin and is observed on the tenth lunar day (tithi) of that month. Because the Gregorian date shifts each year, the festival moves with it.

There is a further step. A tithi does not begin and end with the sunrise-to-sunrise day. It can start in the middle of one day and end in the middle of the next. So the tradition uses a timing rule to decide which calendar day carries the festival.

For Dussehra, the rule is aparahna, the afternoon portion of the day. The festival is observed on the day when the tenth tithi is present in that afternoon window.

In 2026 the tithi touches the festival's time window on two days. Bhagya Bidata's rule picked 20 October, so that is the date used throughout this guide. Some local calendars and traditions may weigh this differently, so if your family or temple follows a particular panchang, it is sensible to go with their guidance.

Muhurat timings on 20 October 2026

The muhurat is the afternoon window traditionally considered suitable for Dussehra observances. Times vary by city because the sun reaches the same point in the day at different clock times across the country.

• Delhi: sunrise 6:25 AM; muhurat 1:14 PM to 3:30 PM
• Mumbai: sunrise 6:34 AM; muhurat 1:33 PM to 3:53 PM
• Kolkata: sunrise 5:35 AM; muhurat 12:51 PM to 2:49 PM
• Chennai: sunrise 6:00 AM; muhurat 1:04 PM to 3:26 PM
• Bengaluru: sunrise 6:11 AM; muhurat 1:15 PM to 3:37 PM
• Guwahati: sunrise 5:25 AM; muhurat 12:51 PM to 2:34 PM

Notice that the eastern cities, Kolkata and Guwahati, have earlier sunrises and earlier muhurat windows than Mumbai or Bengaluru. This is simply geography: the sun rises earlier in the east, so the afternoon window begins earlier too.

If your city is not listed

India is wide, and even a few hundred kilometres can move the window by several minutes. If you live in a different city or town, check the timings for your own location on the Dussehra festival page. It lists the muhurat by place so you do not have to estimate from a nearby city.

Hindi readers can find the same guide at दशहरा पेज.

Ways people observe the day

Observance differs by region and family. Some common practices are:

• Attending or watching a Ramlila conclusion and the burning of Ravana's effigy in the evening
• Offering prayers to Durga or Rama at home or at a temple
• Worshipping books, tools or instruments, which some households do around this time
• Beginning a new learning or work, since the day is considered auspicious for fresh starts
• Giving to others, whether through charity or sharing food, as many people do on festival days

None of these is required. The muhurat is a traditional guide, not a deadline. If your schedule does not fit the exact window, a sincere observance at another time of the day is still meaningful to many people.

Planning around the day

If you plan to attend a public event or a temple ceremony, check with the organisers. Community celebrations often run to their own schedules, particularly the evening effigy burnings. The muhurat given here is for the traditional afternoon observance.

For the full tithi, nakshatra and other daily details for 20 October, see the daily panchang. To look at other dates in the year, browse the festivals calendar.