Quick answer: Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 in Markham is on Tuesday 20 October 2026. The Vijay Muhurat for Markham is 2:49 PM – 3:33 PM local time (EDT, UTC-4), calculated by the Drik Panchang method. Navratri begins on Sunday 11 October, and Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami fall together on Monday 19 October 2026.

Editor's note (5 October 2026): The Markham timings on this page were calculated for the city's own sunrise and sunset using the Drik Panchang method, in local Eastern Daylight Time (Ontario is still on daylight saving time on 20 October). India's Dashami tithi runs from 12:50 PM IST on 20 October to 2:11 PM IST on 21 October; the Markham equivalents are shown below. We do not list 2026 event schedules, venues or ticket details, because temples and community groups announce these themselves. Please check their official websites and social pages before you go.

Markham, in York Region just north-east of Toronto, is one of the most diverse cities in Canada, and South Asian families make up a large share of its population. Gujarati, Punjabi, Hindi-speaking, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali and Indo-Caribbean Hindus live side by side here, and the city sits between two of the GTA's busiest temple corridors: Richmond Hill to the west and the Markham Road strip of north Scarborough to the south. Navratri in Markham therefore means a little of everything, from garba nights in banquet halls to Devi pujas in neighbourhood mandirs and Golu displays in family living rooms.

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Dussehra 2026 dates and timings for Markham

ObservanceMarkham (local time, EDT)
Navratri begins (Ghatasthapana)Sunday 11 October 2026
Durga Ashtami and Maha NavamiMonday 19 October 2026
Dussehra / VijayadashamiTuesday 20 October 2026
Dashami tithi beginsTue 20 Oct, 3:20 AM
Dashami tithi endsWed 21 Oct, 4:41 AM
Vijay Muhurat (Drik Panchang method)2:49 PM – 3:33 PM
Aparahna (afternoon puja window)2:06 PM – 4:16 PM
Sunset6:25 PM

In Markham the Dashami tithi begins in the early hours of Tuesday and lasts through the whole afternoon, so the Aparahna and Dashami overlap fully and there is no ambiguity about the date: Vijayadashami is Tuesday 20 October. The Vijay Muhurat, the eleventh of the fifteen daytime muhurtas, sits comfortably within both the Aparahna and the Dashami tithi. Ravan Dahan, where held, traditionally takes place after sunset.

Hindu temples in Markham for Navratri & Dussehra

These temples and organisations are established in Markham or a short drive away in neighbouring Richmond Hill and north Scarborough. Programmes vary from year to year, so check each one's official website or social pages for current details.

  • Sanatan Mandir Cultural Centre, Markham (Woodbine Avenue): a long-standing temple and community centre with many murtis, which marks Hindu festivals through the year according to the panchang, including Navratri.
  • Vedic Cultural Centre – Arya Samaj Markham (14th Avenue): a Vedic centre in the Arya Samaj tradition, where festivals are typically marked with havan, bhajans and discourses rather than murti puja.
  • Vishnu Mandir, Richmond Hill: one of the GTA's best-known mandirs, on Yonge Street, known for its towering Hanuman murti and for celebrating Navratri, garba and dandiya, and Dussehra.
  • Richmond Hill Hindu Temple, Richmond Hill (Bayview Avenue): a large Ganesha temple in the South Indian Agamic style, popular with Tamil and other South Indian families for Navaratri observances.
  • Durga Hindu Mandir, north Scarborough (Markham Road): a Devi temple on the Markham Road corridor just south of the city boundary, a natural focus during the nine nights of the Goddess.
  • Shirdi Sai Mandir, north Scarborough (Markham Road): a Sai Baba temple in the same corridor; Vijayadashami is also observed by Sai devotees as Shirdi Sai Baba's Mahasamadhi day.

Temples and community groups usually announce Navratri garba, Durga Puja, Ramlila and Ravan Dahan programmes a few weeks ahead — check their websites/social pages. For other GTA temples, see our Toronto, Brampton and Mississauga pages linked below.

How Markham celebrates Navratri and Dussehra

Garba and dandiya

Markham's Gujarati community, together with friends from every other background, fills banquet halls, school gyms and community centres across York Region for garba and dandiya raas during Navratri. Evenings typically begin with an aarti to Amba Mata, followed by hours of circular garba and the faster stick dance of dandiya, often with a live band. Many of the bigger nights fall on the weekends of Navratri, and dress is colourful chaniya choli and kediyu.

Durga Puja

Bengali associations across the Greater Toronto Area organise Durga Puja with a clay or fibreglass pratima, pushpanjali, bhog, cultural programmes and the sound of the dhak. Because most pujas are held in rented halls, committees often fit Saptami to Dashami into a long weekend, and Markham families join pujas held across the GTA. In India, Bengali-tradition Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela fall on Wednesday 21 October 2026 (Drik Kolkata); diaspora pujas follow their own committee.

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Ramlila and Ravan Dahan

North Indian and Indo-Caribbean Hindus in the GTA keep alive the Ramlila tradition, with children and adults acting out episodes of the Ramayana and, at some mandirs, a Ravan effigy burned on a weekend evening near Dussehra. Any open-air burning or fireworks in Ontario cities needs municipal approval, so these programmes depend on local permits.

Golu, Saraswati Puja and Ayudha Puja

Tamil, Telugu and Kannada families in Markham set up Golu (Bommai Kolu) steps of dolls at home and invite friends for evening visits, singing and sundal. Saraswati Puja is done on Navami, when books and instruments are placed before the Goddess, and Ayudha Puja honours tools, vehicles and laptops. Telugu women's groups also play Bathukamma with flower stacks during the season, and Malayali and other South Indian families mark Vidyarambham on Vijayadashami morning.

Dussehra puja at home in Markham

Tuesday 20 October 2026 is a school and work day in Ontario, so many families do a short home puja in the afternoon and attend temple programmes on the weekend. A simple vidhi:

  • Aparajita puja: in the Aparahna (2:06 PM – 4:16 PM), draw an eight-petalled lotus with rice or kumkum, invoke Goddess Aparajita with flowers, akshata and a lamp, and pray for victory over obstacles.
  • Shami puja: ideally in the Vijay Muhurat (2:49 PM – 3:33 PM). If you have no Shami tree, worship a few Shami leaves, an image, or offer akshata while reciting the Shami prayer; in Maharashtrian and Kannada homes, apta leaves are exchanged as "gold".
  • Ayudha puja: clean and decorate tools, vehicles, books and work laptops, apply kumkum and offer flowers.
  • Vidyarambham: on Vijayadashami morning, small children trace their first letters in rice with a parent or elder, beginning their learning under Saraswati's blessing.
  • Seemollanghan and sweets: step out of the house in the evening, greet neighbours and elders, and share sweets as a sign of victory and goodwill.

Practical tips for Dussehra in Markham

  • Weekday timing: 20 and 21 October are weekdays, so plan your Vijay Muhurat puja around work and school, and look out for weekend programmes at your temple.
  • Fireworks and effigies: rules on fireworks and open-air burning are set by the City of Markham and other local municipalities and fire services. Check your city's current bylaw before lighting anything at home.
  • Parking: temple car parks fill quickly on festival evenings. Car-pool, arrive early and follow parking volunteers' directions; York Region Transit serves several temple corridors.
  • Weather: late October evenings in Ontario are cool, so bring a jacket for outdoor aarti or Ravan Dahan, and sunset is at 6:25 PM on 20 October.
  • Clocks: Ontario is on daylight time until early November, so the times on this page are EDT (UTC-4).

Frequently asked questions

When is Dussehra 2026 in Markham?

Tuesday 20 October 2026. Navratri begins on Sunday 11 October, and Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami both fall on Monday 19 October. In Markham the Dashami tithi runs from Tue 20 Oct, 3:20 AM to Wed 21 Oct, 4:41 AM local time, so it covers the whole afternoon of the 20th.

What is the Vijay Muhurat in Markham on Dussehra 2026?

2:49 PM – 3:33 PM Eastern Daylight Time on Tuesday 20 October 2026, calculated by the Drik Panchang method for Markham. It falls inside the Aparahna (2:06 PM – 4:16 PM), and the whole window is within the Dashami tithi.

Can I use the Vijay Muhurat published for India or Toronto?

Not India's. Muhurat windows depend on local sunrise and sunset, so India's times cannot be converted into Ontario time. Markham and Toronto share a time zone and their sunrise and sunset are very close, but use the Markham timings on this page or your temple's calendar for your own puja.

When is Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela in Markham?

In India, the Bengali-tradition Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela fall on Wednesday 21 October 2026 (Drik Panchang, Kolkata). Durga Puja committees in the Greater Toronto Area set their own schedules, often around a weekend, so follow your puja committee's announcements.

Which temples near Markham celebrate Navratri and Dussehra?

Sanatan Mandir Cultural Centre and the Vedic Cultural Centre (Arya Samaj Markham) are in Markham itself; Vishnu Mandir and the Richmond Hill Hindu Temple are in neighbouring Richmond Hill; and Durga Hindu Mandir and the Shirdi Sai Mandir are on Markham Road in north Scarborough. Check each one's website or social pages for its 2026 programme.

Is there Ravan Dahan in Markham?

Some temples and community groups in the Greater Toronto Area hold Ramlila or Ravan Dahan programmes, usually on a weekend near Dussehra and subject to municipal fire and safety rules. Temples and community groups usually announce these a few weeks ahead, so check their websites and social pages.