2026 Dussehra (Vijayadashami) · Mumbai

Dussehra, also called Vijayadashami, celebrates the victory of good over evil on Ashwin Shukla Dashami, the tenth day of the bright fortnight of Ashwin, right after Navratri. In 2026 it falls on Tuesday, 20 October. It marks Rama's defeat of Ravana and Durga's victory over Mahishasura.

When is Dussehra in 2026, 2027 and 2028?

Dussehra is held on the day Dashami tithi covers aparahna, the afternoon period, which is when the main Vijayadashami rituals are performed.

Dates are calculated for Mumbai (IST). Diwali follows about twenty days later. The afternoon puja window for your city is shown in the calculator above.

Significance and story

The name Dussehra comes from dasha hara, "the removal of the ten", read as Ravana's ten heads, or as ten human failings such as anger, greed, pride and jealousy. Vijayadashami means "the tenth day of victory". Both names describe the same idea: a day to start afresh with the bad behind you.

Rama and Ravana

In the Ramayana, the demon king Ravana of Lanka abducted Sita. Rama, with his brother Lakshmana, Hanuman and an army of vanaras, built a bridge to Lanka and fought a long war. On the tenth day of the bright fortnight of Ashwin, Rama killed Ravana and freed Sita. North India re-enacts the story in Ramlila performances through Navratri, ending with towering effigies of Ravana, his brother Kumbhakarna and his son Meghanada going up in flames.

Durga and Mahishasura

For the goddess traditions, the tenth day is the day Durga killed the buffalo demon Mahishasura after nine nights of battle. Navratri's worship of the goddess comes to its close, and in Bengal and the east, the clay images of Durga are immersed.

The Pandavas and the Shami tree

The Mahabharata tells how the Pandavas, before their final year of exile in disguise, hid their weapons in a Shami tree. On Vijayadashami they retrieved them and went on to victory. That is why the Shami tree is worshipped on this day, and why its leaves are exchanged as a sign of good luck.

A day for new beginnings

Because Vijayadashami carries the energy of victory, it is considered one of the most auspicious days of the year. People start new studies, open businesses, buy vehicles or begin learning music and dance without needing to check a separate muhurat.

How to do Dussehra puja (vidhi)

1. Morning: Bathe, wear fresh clothes and offer prayers to the family deity. If you kept the Navratri kalash, perform its final puja and immersion.
2. Aparajita Puja: In the afternoon, clean a spot in the north-east of the house and draw an eight-petalled lotus with sandal paste or rice flour. Invite Goddess Aparajita, the undefeated, and worship her with flowers, kumkum, rice and a lamp, along with Jaya and Vijaya.
3. Shami Puja: Worship a Shami tree, or a few of its leaves, with water, kumkum, rice and a lamp, and pray for victory over obstacles.
4. Shastra or Ayudha Puja: Clean and worship your tools of work, whether weapons, vehicles, machines, books, laptops or musical instruments. In many places this is done on Navami, the day before.
5. Seemollanghan: Traditionally, people cross the boundary of their village or locality in the afternoon, symbolising stepping beyond limits.
6. Exchange Shami or apta leaves with friends and elders as "gold", touching the elders' feet for blessings.
7. Evening: Join the community for the Ramlila finale and the burning of Ravana's effigy, and share sweets with family.

Regional variations

• Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and North India: Ramlila performances fill the nights of Navratri, and huge Ravana effigies packed with firecrackers are burned at sunset on Dussehra.
• Himachal Pradesh: Kullu Dussehra begins on Vijayadashami itself and continues for a week, as hundreds of village deities are carried to the Dhalpur ground to honour Raghunath ji.
• Karnataka: Mysuru Dasara ends with the Jamboo Savari, a grand procession of decorated elephants carrying the goddess Chamundeshwari through the city.
• West Bengal, Assam and Odisha: Bijoya Dashami is the farewell of Durga. Married women smear sindoor on each other, the images are immersed, and families visit elders with sweets.
• Maharashtra: Friends exchange apta leaves as symbolic gold with the words "sone ghya, sonyasarkhe raha", meaning "take this gold and stay like gold".
• Chhattisgarh: Bastar Dussehra, centred on the local goddess Danteshwari, lasts around 75 days and has little to do with Ravana.
• Tamil Nadu and Kerala: After Saraswati and Ayudha Puja on Navami, Vijayadashami is the day of Vidyarambham, when young children are initiated into writing their first letters.
• Telangana: Families exchange Jammi (Shami) leaves after visiting the tree, following the Bathukamma flower festival that runs through the Navratri days.

Frequently asked questions

Updated on 16 October 2026. Dates are calculated for Mumbai (IST); the calculator above gives timings for your city.