Bathukamma and Dasara 2026 in Dubai and the UAE: Dates, Events and Vijay Muhurat

Quick answer: Bathukamma 2026 runs from Saturday 10 October (Engili Pula Bathukamma, on Mahalaya Amavasya) to Sunday 18 October (Saddula Bathukamma) on the Telangana calendar. In Dubai, two community celebrations are confirmed for Sunday 11 October: the Gulf Telangana Forum (GTF) from 5–7:30 PM and ETCA from 8–10 PM at Al Ahli Sports Club. UAE panchangs (Drik Panchang, Dubai) list Durga Ashtami on Monday 19 October, while Telangana keeps Saddula Bathukamma on the 18th. Dasara (Vijayadashami) is Tuesday 20 October, with Vijay Muhurat in Dubai at 1:59–2:44 PM.

The UAE has one of the largest Telangana communities outside India, and Bathukamma here has grown from small gatherings in apartment compounds to large evening events with hundreds of women carrying flower stacks. This guide brings together the 2026 dates, the confirmed events, local Vijay Muhurat windows for each emirate and practical advice for celebrating in the Gulf. For the wider festival picture, see our Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026 guide.

Bathukamma and Dasara 2026: UAE dates at a glance

Because the UAE weekend is Saturday and Sunday, the first two days of Bathukamma and the Saddula finale all fall on weekend days in 2026. Dasara itself is a Tuesday, so most families will do the Shami puja and Vijay Muhurat around the working day, and many community groups will mark Dasara at the following weekend gathering.

Why Ashtami is on 19 October in the UAE but Saddula Bathukamma is on the 18th

Ashtami tithi begins at 8:27 AM IST on 18 October — 6:57 AM in the UAE. That is after sunrise, so panchangs that take the tithi prevailing at sunrise, including Drik Panchang for Dubai, list Durga Ashtami on Monday 19 October. Singapore, Malaysia and Australia show the same pattern. Telangana's calendar, however, keeps Durga Ashtami and Saddula Bathukamma on Sunday 18 October, and that is the date Telangana families everywhere use for the Bathukamma finale.

What this means in practice:

• Saddula Bathukamma: most Telangana families and associations follow the home calendar, so the finale is Sunday 18 October.
• Temple Ashtami pujas: temples using a UAE-calculated panchang are likely to hold Durga Ashtami on Monday 19 October.
• Community events: associations often hold their big Bathukamma evening on a weekend that suits the venue rather than on a fixed tithi, which is why both confirmed Dubai events are on 11 October.

Neither date is wrong; they are two calendars answering slightly different questions. If your family usually waits for the temple, ask the priest which date they will use.

Confirmed Bathukamma events in Dubai, October 2026

These are the only UAE events we have been able to confirm against organiser announcements or reputable listings. We do not list unconfirmed dates.

The two Dubai events are back to back on the same evening, so some families may manage both. Before you set off, check each organiser's social media for entry rules, registration and any change of timing. Ticketing, dress codes and prizes for the best Bathukamma are set by the organisers; we have not listed any because none had been published when we last checked.

Associations that usually host (2026 dates not yet announced)

• Telangana Friends Association, Abu Dhabi: usually hosts a Bathukamma celebration — 2026 date not yet announced.
• Gulf Telangana Forum: date and time confirmed; venue still to be announced.
• Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah and Al Ain: smaller Telugu and Telangana groups often organise building- or neighbourhood-level gatherings. Ask in your community WhatsApp groups or at your temple.

The nine days of Bathukamma

Bathukamma, which means "come alive, Mother", is Telangana's flower festival in honour of Goddess Gauri. Each day has its own name and its own naivedyam (food offering). Women build a conical stack of seasonal flowers on a brass plate (tambalam), place a small turmeric Gauramma on top, and sing in a circle around the stacks before immersing them in water. The dates below follow the Telangana calendar for 2026.

Offerings vary by family and district, so treat this list as a guide rather than a rule. On the ninth day, Saddula Bathukamma, the largest stack is made and a spread of rice dishes is shared — commonly curd rice, tamarind rice, lemon rice, coconut rice and sesame rice — along with maleeda, a sweet made from rotis crumbled with jaggery and ghee.

How the UAE Telangana community celebrates

In Telangana villages, women gather the wild flowers of the season — tangedu (yellow senna), gunugu (celosia), chamanthi (chrysanthemum), banti (marigold), lotus and others — and the songs carry on into the night before the stacks are released into a tank or lake. Celebrating in the Gulf means adapting:

• Flowers: tangedu and gunugu are hard to find in the UAE. Most families use marigolds, chrysanthemums and roses from local flower markets and florists, and some groups import flowers for the big day. Order early, because demand spikes in the week before Saddula Bathukamma.
• Immersion: releasing flowers into the sea, creeks or public fountains is not permitted in many places. Community events usually provide a water tank or pool for a symbolic immersion, after which the flowers are disposed of responsibly. At home, a large basin works.
• Timing: with daytime heat still high in October, celebrations are held in the evening, as the 11 October events show. Indoor halls and sports clubs are popular venues.
• Songs: the circle songs, with the refrain "Bathukamma Bathukamma uyyalo", are the heart of the festival. Many groups share song sheets or playlists so children born abroad can join in.
• Dress: women and girls usually wear sarees, langa voni (half-sarees) and pattu, and the festival has become a reunion for families who have lived in the Emirates for decades.

Dasara in the UAE: Shami puja and Vijay Muhurat

For Telangana families, Dasara (Vijayadashami) on Tuesday 20 October is marked with Shami (jammi) puja, the exchange of jammi leaves as "gold" with elders and friends, and, for many, a visit to the temple. Ayudha Puja — honouring tools, vehicles, books and instruments — falls on Maha Navami, Monday 19 October, in UAE panchangs.

The Vijay Muhurat is the auspicious afternoon window on Vijayadashami for starting new ventures, buying vehicles or beginning studies. It depends on local sunrise and sunset, so it differs slightly between the emirates:

Ajman and Umm Al Quwain sit close to Sharjah, and Fujairah close to Ras Al Khaimah; within the UAE the window shifts by only a few minutes. For a family puja, any time inside your emirate's window is fine.

An important caution: India's Vijay Muhurat is 1:59–2:45 PM IST. It is calculated for Indian sunrise and sunset and is not the right window in the UAE. Do not convert it to Gulf time; use the local table above. Dashami tithi has already begun well before the UAE afternoon on 20 October, so the whole local window falls inside Dashami.

Temples and where to go

The BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi and the Hindu temple complex at Jebel Ali in Dubai are the best-known places of worship for Navratri and Dasara in the UAE. Their festival programmes, timings and any registration requirements are published closer to the date, so check their official channels before travelling. Expect heavy crowds on the evening of Dasara and on the weekend after it.

Many Telangana families also hold Navratri pujas at home, and some associations organise Dasara get-togethers with Shami puja and cultural programmes on the following weekend. If you are new to the UAE, your building's or company's Telugu group is often the quickest way to find out what is happening.

A practical week-by-week planner for 2026

• Sat 10 Oct: Engili Pula Bathukamma at home; Mahalaya Amavasya tarpanam for those who observe it (see our Mahalaya Amavasya 2026 guide).
• Sun 11 Oct: Navratri begins. GTF Bathukamma (5–7:30 PM, Dubai) and ETCA Bathukamma (8–10 PM, Al Ahli Sports Club).
• Mon 12 – Fri 16 Oct: small evening Bathukamma circles at home or in your compound; buy flowers for the weekend.
• Sat 17 Oct: Vennamuddala Bathukamma; prepare saddulu rice dishes and maleeda.
• Sun 18 Oct: Saddula Bathukamma (Telangana calendar) and immersion.
• Mon 19 Oct: Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami in UAE panchangs; Ayudha Puja.
• Tue 20 Oct: Dasara. Shami puja; Vijay Muhurat 1:59–2:44 PM in Dubai, 2:02–2:48 PM in Abu Dhabi.
• Sun 8 Nov: Diwali — see our Diwali 2026 guide for Australia, the UAE and Singapore.

Tips for first-time Bathukamma in the Gulf

• Build your Bathukamma the night before using a cone of rolled card or a small steel vessel as a base; it keeps the stack stable in a car.
• Carry water and a small towel; outdoor evening events can still be warm in mid-October.
• Keep turmeric for the Gauramma and a few spare flowers for touch-ups in a separate bag.
• Ask the organiser how they want the flowers disposed of after immersion and follow it — it keeps venues willing to host the festival year after year.
• If you cannot get to an event, a small Bathukamma at home with family songs is entirely traditional.

Frequently asked questions

When is Bathukamma 2026 in Dubai and the UAE?

Bathukamma runs for nine days, from Engili Pula Bathukamma on Saturday 10 October (Mahalaya Amavasya) to Saddula Bathukamma on Sunday 18 October 2026, following the Telangana calendar. The two confirmed community celebrations in Dubai, by the Gulf Telangana Forum and ETCA, are both on Sunday 11 October.

Is Saddula Bathukamma on 18 or 19 October in the UAE?

Telangana's calendar keeps Saddula Bathukamma on Sunday 18 October. Drik Panchang for Dubai lists Durga Ashtami on Monday 19 October, because Ashtami begins after sunrise on the 18th in UAE time. Most Telangana families follow the home calendar (18 October); temple Ashtami pujas in the UAE are likely to be on the 19th. Check with your organiser.

When is Dasara (Vijayadashami) 2026 in the UAE?

Dasara falls on Tuesday 20 October 2026 in the UAE, the same day as in India. Vijay Muhurat in Dubai is 1:59–2:44 PM local time.

Can I use the India Vijay Muhurat time in Dubai?

No. India's window (1:59–2:45 PM IST) is calculated for Indian sunrise and sunset. Converting it to Gulf time gives the wrong answer. Use the local UAE windows in the table on this page.

Where are the Bathukamma celebrations in Dubai in 2026?

ETCA's Bathukamma is at Al Ahli Sports Club, Dubai, on Sunday 11 October from 8–10 PM. The Gulf Telangana Forum's Bathukamma is the same day from 5–7:30 PM in Dubai; its venue had not been published when we last checked. The Telangana Friends Association in Abu Dhabi usually hosts one too, but its 2026 date has not yet been announced.

Editor's note (4 October 2026): The GTF and ETCA events on 11 October are confirmed. The Gulf Telangana Forum's venue and the Telangana Friends Association's Abu Dhabi date are not yet published — organisers are still publishing 2026 flyers; we will update this guide.

Related guides

• Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026 (main guide)
• Diwali 2026 in Australia, the UAE and Singapore
• Bathukamma and Dasara 2026 in Singapore
• Bathukamma and Dasara 2026 in Australia, city by city
• Bathukamma and Dasara 2026 in Europe, city by city
• Bathukamma 2026 in the UK, region by region
• Dussehra and Bathukamma 2026 in the USA
• Sharad Navratri to Dussehra 2026
• October 2026 Hindu festivals calendar