Dussehra 2026 UK, Region by Region: Date and Vijay Muhurat for All 12 Regions and Nations

Quick answer: Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 is on Tuesday 20 October throughout the UK. The Vijay Muhurat is an afternoon window in local time (BST): 2:29–3:10 PM in London, 2:32–3:13 PM in Leicester, 2:35–3:16 PM in Birmingham, 2:36–3:17 PM in Manchester and 2:42–3:23 PM in Glasgow. All 12 regions and nations are in the table below. India's muhurat converted to UK time is not valid here — use your own city's window.

Dussehra 2026 dates in the UK at a glance

These dates follow Drik Panchang for the UK.

Durga Ashtami is on Sunday 18 October in the UK, a day earlier than India's Monday 19 October. Ashtami begins at 8:27am IST on 18 October — before dawn in Britain — so the tithi is already running at UK sunrise on the 18th. For the nine nights in detail, see Sharad Navratri to Dussehra 2026, and for the meaning and rituals of the day, the Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026 guide.

A UK planner for the festival fortnight

Because Vijayadashami is midweek, most British families split the festival between weekday home rituals and weekend community events. A practical plan:

Bengali families should note that in Kolkata the Durga Puja runs from Maha Shashthi on 17 October to Sindoor Khela on 21 October; UK committees often fit their programme around the 17–18 October weekend, so check yours.

Vijay Muhurat 2026, region by region

All times are local (British Summer Time) on Tuesday 20 October 2026. The Vijay Muhurat is the eleventh of the fifteen daytime muhurtas, so it follows each city's sunrise and sunset, shown for reference. Values were calculated with the sunrise-to-sunset method and match Drik Panchang to within a minute; London is Drik's own published window.

Across Great Britain the window barely moves: London and Luton begin around 2:30 PM, and the furthest west and north (Cardiff, Glasgow) about twelve minutes later. Belfast is the latest at 2:50–3:31 PM. If your town is not listed, use the nearest city; you will be within a few minutes.

Region-by-region notes

London: Window 2:29–3:10 PM. The capital has the UK's largest concentration of Hindu temples, from BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden to small local mandirs across north-west, west and east London. TAUK's Bathukamma and Dasara is in Hounslow on Saturday 17 October (see events below).

South East: Window 2:32–3:14 PM (Reading). Bhaktivedanta Manor near Watford, just outside London, holds its Dussehra festival on Sunday 25 October. Towns such as Slough, Crawley and Reading have active temple communities; check your local mandir for times.

East of England: Window 2:30–3:11 PM (Luton). Communities in Luton, Milton Keynes and Peterborough usually celebrate through their local temples and Gujarati or Punjabi associations.

South West: Window 2:38–3:20 PM (Bristol). Smaller communities often hold a shared Navratri and Dussehra event at a hired hall; a home puja is common on the Tuesday itself.

West Midlands: Window 2:35–3:16 PM (Birmingham). Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Coventry have large, long-established Hindu communities with garba nights throughout Navratri.

East Midlands: Window 2:32–3:13 PM (Leicester). Leicester's garba season runs from Saturday 10 to Saturday 24 October and is the region's highlight.

Yorkshire and the Humber: Window 2:33–3:14 PM (Leeds). Temples in Leeds, Bradford and Sheffield usually publish their Navratri programmes in early October.

North West: Window 2:36–3:17 PM (Manchester). Manchester, Bolton and Preston have strong Gujarati communities and busy garba calendars.

North East: Window 2:32–3:13 PM (Newcastle). Expect a temple-centred celebration; check with your local Hindu association.

Wales: Window 2:41–3:23 PM (Cardiff). Cardiff and Swansea communities usually mark the day at their temples or a community hall.

Scotland: Windows 2:42–3:23 PM (Glasgow) and 2:38–3:18 PM (Edinburgh). Scotland has an active Telugu community, but the Scotland Bathukamma Community's 2026 venue and date had not been announced when we checked.

Northern Ireland: Window 2:50–3:31 PM (Belfast), the latest in the UK.

Confirmed Dussehra and Navratri events in the UK, October 2026

These are the UK events we have been able to confirm with organisers or reputable listings. For anything else, check your local temple or association.

For more on Telangana community celebrations around the country, see our Bathukamma 2026 UK guide.

The caution every family should know

India's Vijay Muhurat on 20 October is 1:59–2:45 PM IST. Converted to UK time that is mid-morning, which is not the right window in Britain. The muhurat is calculated from your local sunrise and sunset, so it has to be your city's own afternoon window. If you see a morning Dussehra time "in UK time", it is India's window converted and should be ignored.

How to observe Dussehra at home

• Prepare a clean altar with an image of Durga, Rama or your family deity, a diya and fresh flowers.
• On Monday 19 October (Maha Navami), place books, laptops, tools, instruments or car keys before the deity for Ayudha or Saraswati Puja.
• On Tuesday 20 October, within your city's Vijay Muhurat, offer flowers, kumkum and akshata and pray to Goddess Aparajita.
• Offer and exchange Shami leaves if you can find them; otherwise flowers or rice are entirely acceptable.
• Lift the books and tools after the puja. Vijayadashami is a traditional day for a child's Vidyarambham, writing the first letters in rice.
• Finish with aarti and prasad. India is four and a half hours ahead, so call family there in your morning.

Practical tips for British Hindu families

• Vijayadashami is a school and working day. The window falls between roughly 2:30 and 3:30 PM, so a late lunch break or an hour's leave is usually enough.
• Schools in many areas accept a request for authorised absence for religious observance; ask in advance.
• The big gatherings are on weekends — Hounslow on 17 October and Bhaktivedanta Manor on 25 October — so book timed tickets early.
• UK clocks go back on Sunday 25 October, so times quoted for later festivals (Karwa Chauth, Diwali) will be in GMT.
• If your family follows the Mysuru panchanga, India's Karnataka calendar marks Vijayadashami on Wednesday 21 October; UK panchangs give Tuesday 20 October. Follow your temple if it differs.

For the full season see the October 2026 Hindu festival calendar and our Mahalaya Amavasya 2026 guide. Families from Karnataka can follow the Mysore Dasara 2026 day-by-day guide.

Looking ahead: Karwa Chauth and Diwali

Sharad Purnima is on Sunday 25 October (Sharad Purnima 2026 guide) and Karwa Chauth on Thursday 29 October in the UK (Karwa Chauth 2026 moonrise times). Diwali falls on Sunday 8 November 2026. Our Diwali 2026 UK guide covers London and Leicester celebrations.

Frequently asked questions

When is Dussehra 2026 in the UK?

Vijayadashami (Dussehra) is on Tuesday 20 October 2026 across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Navratri begins on Sunday 11 October, Durga Ashtami is on Sunday 18 October and Maha Navami on Monday 19 October (Drik Panchang, UK).

What is the Vijay Muhurat in London for Dussehra 2026?

The Vijay Muhurat in London is 2:29–3:10 PM BST on Tuesday 20 October 2026, Drik Panchang's published window. Leicester is 2:32–3:13 PM and Birmingham 2:35–3:16 PM.

Can I use India's Vijay Muhurat time in the UK?

No. India's window (1:59–2:45 PM IST) converts to mid-morning in the UK, which is not a valid Vijay Muhurat here. Use the afternoon window for your own city.

Are there free Dussehra events in the UK in 2026?

Yes. Bhaktivedanta Manor near Watford holds its Dussehra festival on Sunday 25 October, free with a timed ticket, and TAUK's Chenetha Bathukamma and Dasara at Lampton School, Hounslow on Saturday 17 October (from 1pm) is free. Book or register through the organisers.

When is Diwali 2026 in the UK?

Diwali is on Sunday 8 November 2026, nineteen days after Dussehra.

Editor's note (4 October 2026): dates follow Drik Panchang for the UK and each Vijay Muhurat is a local sunrise-to-sunset calculation checked against Drik. Only confirmed events are listed; organisers are still publishing 2026 flyers; we will update this guide.

Related guides

• Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026: the complete guide
• Bathukamma 2026 UK, region by region
• Dussehra 2026 Europe, country by country
• Dussehra 2026 USA, state by state
• Dussehra 2026 Canada, province by province
• Dussehra 2026 Australia, city by city
• Dussehra 2026 Malaysia, state by state
• Dussehra 2026 Singapore, area by area
• Diwali 2026 UK: London and Leicester