Dasara 2026 in Karnataka, District Wise: Dates, Vijay Muhurat and Local Traditions

Quick answer: Navaratri in Karnataka begins on Sunday 11 October 2026. The Mysuru panchanga, which the Mysore Palace follows, places Vijayadashami and the Jamboo Savari on Wednesday 21 October, with Ayudha Puja (Maha Navami) on Tuesday 20 October. Many other calendars, including Drik Panchang for India, mark Vijayadashami on Tuesday 20 October. The Vijay Muhurat on 20 October runs from about 2:01 PM to 3:00 PM IST depending on where you are in the state: 2:02–2:49 PM in Bengaluru and 2:06–2:53 PM in Mysuru. District Dasara celebrations such as Srirangapatna, Madikeri, Mangaluru and Shivamogga have not yet announced their 2026 schedules.

This guide is for families in Karnataka and for Kannadigas abroad who follow home-state dates. For the main event in Mysuru, see our Mysore Dasara 2026 day-by-day guide; for the festival everywhere else, start with the Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026 guide.

Dasara 2026 dates in Karnataka at a glance

Karnataka is the one place in India where the 2026 Vijayadashami date genuinely splits. The table below shows both reckonings side by side, so you can match whichever calendar your household, temple or employer follows.

If you are unsure which date applies to you, a simple rule of thumb: if you are attending or watching anything connected to the Mysore Palace, use 21 October. If your family uses a printed panchanga from a Bengaluru or North Karnataka matha, or an online calendar, check it directly, as some follow the sunrise rule and others the afternoon rule. Office and school holiday dates are set separately, so check the official 2026 holiday list for your employer or district.

Why Mysuru says 21 October and many calendars say 20 October

The difference comes down to how a calendar decides which day "owns" a tithi (lunar day). In 2026 the Dashami tithi runs from 12:50 PM IST on Tuesday 20 October to 2:11 PM IST on Wednesday 21 October. Neither day has Dashami from sunrise to sunset, so the two traditional rules give different answers:

• The afternoon (Aparahna) rule looks for the day on which Dashami covers the afternoon, the period in which the Vijay Muhurat and the Shami (Banni) puja traditionally fall. On 20 October Dashami is running through the whole afternoon. On 21 October it ends at 2:11 PM, before most of the afternoon window. Calendars that use this rule, including Drik Panchang for India, therefore choose Tuesday 20 October.
• The sunrise (udaya tithi) rule gives the day to whichever tithi is current at sunrise. At sunrise on 20 October it is still Navami; at sunrise on 21 October it is Dashami. The Mysuru panchanga uses this rule, so Vijayadashami, the Jamboo Savari and the torchlight parade fall on Wednesday 21 October, and Maha Navami with Ayudha Puja moves to Tuesday 20 October.

Neither calendar is "wrong"; they apply different, long-standing rules to an unusual year. This is also why Tamil Nadu marks Vijayadasami on 20 October (see our Tamil Nadu Navarathri 2026 guide) while Mysuru celebrates on the 21st.

Vijay Muhurat 2026 across Karnataka

The table gives the Vijay Muhurat on Tuesday 20 October 2026 for 14 major cities, mostly district headquarters, plus Srirangapatna for Mandya district because of its Dasara tradition. These are not separate values for all 31 districts: the window moves by only a few minutes across the state, from the earliest start in Bidar (2:01 PM) to the latest in Belagavi (2:14 PM). All of these windows fall inside Dashami, which began at 12:50 PM that day. Timings were computed from local sunrise and sunset and match Drik Panchang within about a minute.

If your district is not in the table, use the nearest listed city. The grouping below is a practical guide; the difference within each group is a few minutes at most.

If you follow the 21 October date: the windows above are for 20 October. Because Dashami ends at 2:11 PM IST on 21 October, the afternoon Vijay Muhurat that day falls largely after Dashami has ended, which is exactly why the afternoon-rule calendars prefer the 20th. Families keeping 21 October usually do the Shami puja, Vidyarambha and new beginnings in the morning while Dashami is still running, or follow the timing announced by their temple or priest. In Mysuru, the official muhurat to quote is the Jamboo Savari floral tribute at 4:10–4:35 PM on 21 October.

For Kannadigas abroad: do not convert the India window (1:59–2:45 PM IST) to your local clock. That converted time lands in the early morning or late evening abroad and is never the right window outside India. Use the local afternoon window for your city from our USA, UK, Canada, Australia or Europe guides.

District Dasara traditions and 2026 status

Karnataka calls Dasara its Nada Habba, the state festival, and celebrates it well beyond Mysuru. The notes below describe each tradition in general, well-known terms only. Where an organiser has not published a 2026 schedule we say so plainly rather than guess.

Mysuru

The heart of Karnataka Dasara: ten days of palace illumination, cultural programmes and the Jamboo Savari procession from Mysore Palace to Bannimantap. In 2026 the inauguration on Chamundi Hill is reported for 11:50 AM on Sunday 11 October (Dhanur Lagna), and the Jamboo Savari and torchlight parade are on Wednesday 21 October, with the floral tribute at 4:10–4:35 PM. The choice of howdah elephant, Gold Card prices and the chief guest are not yet announced. Full detail is in the day-by-day guide and the Mysore Dasara visitor guide.

Mandya: Srirangapatna Dasara

Srirangapatna, the old capital where the Wadiyar Dasara is traditionally said to have begun, holds its own Dasara with a procession and cultural events. 2026 dates: not yet announced.

Kodagu: Madikeri Dasara

Madikeri is known for a night-long Dasara in which temple committees parade illuminated tableaux (mantapas) through the town on Vijayadashami night. 2026 dates: not yet announced. Check whether the local committee follows 20 or 21 October before planning travel.

Dakshina Kannada and Udupi: Mangaluru Dasara and Pili Vesha

Mangaluru Dasara is one of the biggest outside Mysuru, with a decorated procession through the city, and the coastal districts are known for Pili Vesha (tiger dance) troupes during Navaratri. Mangaluru Dasara 2026 dates: not yet announced.

Shivamogga: elephant procession

Shivamogga holds a Dasara procession with elephants, on a smaller scale than Mysuru. 2026 date: not yet announced.

Hassan: Hasanamba temple

Hassan's Hasanamba temple opens to the public for only a short period each year, around Deepavali. The 2026 opening is expected on 29 October but has not been confirmed; check the district administration's announcement before travelling.

Bengaluru and the rest of the state

Across Bengaluru and the districts, Dasara is mostly a home and temple festival: Gombe (doll) displays in many homes, Saraswati puja for books and instruments, Ayudha Puja for tools, vehicles and workplaces, and the exchange of Banni (Shami) leaves on Vijayadashami as a token of goodwill, especially in North Karnataka. Local temples, community halls and residents' associations announce their own programmes, usually only a week or two in advance, so check notice boards and temple announcements near you.

How families celebrate across Karnataka

• Gombe Habba: wooden and clay dolls, often including the traditional Pattada Gombe pair, arranged on steps for the nine nights, with visitors invited for arishina-kumkuma and a small gift.
• Saraswati puja: books, musical instruments and pens are placed before the goddess and not used until Vijayadashami.
• Ayudha Puja: tools, machines, vehicles and computers are cleaned, decorated and worshipped; shops and workshops do the same.
• Vijayadashami: Shami (Banni) puja, Vidyarambha for young children, and the start of new ventures, classes or purchases.
• Food: festival menus vary by region, but holige (obbattu), payasa and chitranna are common on puja days.

For the full nine-night sequence, see our Sharad Navratri to Dussehra 2026 explainer and the October 2026 festival calendar.

Planning tips for 2026

• Decide early which Vijayadashami date your family follows, and tell relatives who are travelling: 20 and 21 October are both working weekdays.
• If you are going to Mysuru for the Jamboo Savari, plan for 21 October and expect very heavy crowds; book stays well ahead.
• Do not assume a district Dasara follows Mysuru's date. Wait for the organiser's 2026 announcement.
• Ayudha Puja falls on Tuesday 20 October on the Mysuru panchanga and on Monday 19 October on many other calendars, so check before closing the shop or workshop.
• Diwali follows soon after, on Sunday 8 November 2026. See our Diwali 2026 guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is Dasara 2026 in Karnataka on 20 or 21 October?

Both dates are in use. The Mysuru panchanga, which the Mysore Palace and the Jamboo Savari follow, places Vijayadashami on Wednesday 21 October 2026 because Dashami is the tithi at sunrise that day. Many other calendars, including Drik Panchang for India, use the afternoon (Aparahna) rule and mark Tuesday 20 October. Follow the calendar your family priest or local temple uses.

When is the Mysuru Jamboo Savari in 2026?

Wednesday 21 October 2026. The floral tribute that begins the procession is fixed for 4:10–4:35 PM in the Meena Lagna, and the day ends with the torchlight parade at Bannimantap.

When is Ayudha Puja in Karnataka in 2026?

On the Mysuru panchanga, Durga Ashtami falls on Monday 19 October and Maha Navami, the day of Ayudha Puja, on Tuesday 20 October, with Vijayadashami on Wednesday 21 October. Households that follow the 20 October Vijayadashami usually perform Ayudha Puja on Monday 19 October. Check with your temple.

What is the Vijay Muhurat in Bengaluru on 20 October 2026?

On Tuesday 20 October 2026 the Vijay Muhurat in Bengaluru is 2:02–2:49 PM IST. Across Karnataka the window shifts by only a few minutes, from 2:01–2:48 PM in Bidar to 2:14–3:00 PM in Belagavi.

Have Srirangapatna, Madikeri, Mangaluru and Shivamogga Dasara 2026 dates been announced?

Not yet. As of 4 October 2026 the 2026 schedules for Srirangapatna, Madikeri and Mangaluru Dasara and for the Shivamogga elephant procession are not yet announced. We will add them once the organisers publish them.

Editor's note

Editor's note (4 October 2026): Dates and Vijay Muhurat timings in this guide come from the Mysuru panchanga and Drik Panchang, and are calculated for each listed city. Srirangapatna, Madikeri, Mangaluru and Shivamogga Dasara schedules and the Hasanamba opening are not yet confirmed; organisers are still publishing 2026 flyers; we will update this guide.

Related guides

• Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026: the complete guide
• Mysore Dasara 2026, day by day
• Mysore Dasara 2026 visitor guide
• Navarathri 2026 in Tamil Nadu, district wise
• Navratri 2026 for NRIs
• Dussehra 2026 USA, state by state