Quick answer: Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 in Puducherry is on Tuesday 20 October 2026. Vijay Muhurat: Puducherry and Karaikal 1:53 to 2:41 PM, Mahe 2:10 to 2:58 PM and Yanam 1:42 to 2:29 PM (local time, calculated by the Drik Panchang method). Navaratri begins on Sunday 11 October, and Saraswati Puja and Ayudha Puja fall on Maha Navami, Monday 19 October 2026.

Puducherry is an unusual Union Territory: it is made up of four separate regions, hundreds of kilometres apart, each set inside a different state. Puducherry and Karaikal lie on the Coromandel coast within Tamil Nadu, Mahe sits on the Malabar coast within Kerala, and Yanam is a small enclave in the Godavari delta of Andhra Pradesh. Each region keeps the Navaratri customs of its neighbours, so one Union Territory holds three festival cultures: Tamil Navarathri with its Golu dolls, Kerala's Pooja Veppu and Vidyarambham, and Telugu Dasara.

Dussehra 2026 key dates (India)

ObservanceDate (2026)
Navaratri begins (Golu set up, kalash sthapana)Sunday 11 October
Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami (Saraswati Puja, Ayudha Puja)Monday 19 October
Vijayadashami (Vidyarambham)Tuesday 20 October
Dashami tithi12:50 PM IST 20 Oct to 2:11 PM IST 21 Oct
Diwali (Deepavali)Sunday 8 November

Dates are from Drik Panchang for India. In 2026 Ashtami and Navami share a single day, Monday 19 October, which makes it the day for Saraswati Puja and Ayudha Puja in most Tamil households. The Dashami tithi begins shortly after midday on 20 October and covers the afternoon, which is why Vijayadashami is observed on Tuesday 20 October.

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Vijay Muhurat 2026 for Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam

The Vijay Muhurat is the most auspicious window of Vijayadashami afternoon, traditionally used for Aparajita and Shami puja, for beginning new work or study, and for setting out on journeys. Timings for Tuesday 20 October 2026, in local time (IST), calculated by the Drik Panchang method:

RegionLocated withinVijay Muhurat (20 Oct 2026)
PuducherryTamil Nadu coast1:53 to 2:41 PM
KaraikalTamil Nadu coast (Kaveri delta)1:53 to 2:41 PM
MaheKerala (Malabar coast)2:10 to 2:58 PM
YanamAndhra Pradesh (Godavari delta)1:42 to 2:29 PM

Mahe, the westernmost region, has the latest window and Yanam the earliest. All four windows fall after the Dashami tithi begins at 12:50 PM IST. Vidyarambham is usually done in the morning, following family and temple custom rather than the Vijay Muhurat.

Puducherry and Karaikal: Tamil Navarathri

Golu (Kolu): the doll steps

In Tamil households, Navarathri means Golu. On the first day, families set up an odd number of steps, often three, five, seven or nine, covered with cloth and arranged with dolls of gods and goddesses, saints and scenes of everyday life. A wooden couple known as the Marapachi dolls holds a place of honour, and a kalash is usually installed alongside.

Each evening a lamp is lit before the Golu, and women and girls visit one another's homes to see the displays. Guests receive thamboolam (betel leaves, areca nut, turmeric and kumkum) and sundal, a dish of boiled chickpeas or lentils seasoned with coconut. The nine nights honour Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati in turn.

Saraswati Puja and Ayudha Puja

On Navami, books, musical instruments and pens are placed before Goddess Saraswati and left untouched for the day. The same day is Ayudha Puja: tools, machines, vehicles and computers are cleaned, decorated with sandal paste, kumkum and flowers, and worshipped as instruments of livelihood. Shops, workshops and auto-rickshaws are traditionally decorated with banana stems and flowers. In 2026 both fall on Monday 19 October.

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Vijayadashami and Vidyarambham

On Vijayadashami the books are taken back and a little study is done, as a fresh start blessed by Saraswati. Young children are initiated into learning at Vidyarambham, often by tracing letters in a plate of rice or grain, and the day is widely regarded as auspicious for starting music, dance or school. The Golu is usually dismantled on Vijayadashami evening or the next day, after a doll is laid symbolically to rest.

Temples to visit

Many devotees visit temples during Navaratri. In Puducherry town, the Manakula Vinayagar Temple, dedicated to Lord Ganesha, is the best-known shrine and a natural starting point for any new beginning. Near Karaikal, the Karaikal Ammaiyar Temple honours the poet-saint Karaikal Ammaiyar, one of the 63 Nayanmars, and the Thirunallar temple, famed for its shrine of Lord Saneeswara (Shani), draws pilgrims from across South India. Festival arrangements and timings change, so check each temple's official website or notices before visiting.

Mahe: Kerala customs

Mahe is surrounded by Kerala, and its Navaratri follows Kerala's pattern, where the focus falls on Saraswati and learning. On Durgashtami evening, books, instruments and tools are placed before the Goddess at home or in a temple for Pooja Veppu, and no reading or work is done with them through Maha Navami, when Ayudha Puja is kept. On Vijayadashami morning they are taken back (Pooja Eduppu), and children take their first steps in learning at Vidyarambham, writing the first letters in rice and on the tongue with a gold ring, guided by a priest, teacher or elder. Families follow the timings announced by their own temple.

Yanam: Telugu Dasara

Yanam, a small enclave in the Godavari delta, celebrates Dasara the coastal Andhra way. Devi temples are decorated through the nine days, often with the Goddess dressed in a different alankaram each day. Some homes arrange Bommala Koluvu, the Telugu doll display similar to Golu. Ayudha Puja is kept for tools and vehicles, and Vijayadashami is a day for Shami (Jammi) puja, exchanging Jammi leaves as a token of good wishes and visiting elders. Bathukamma, the floral festival of the Goddess, belongs mainly to Telangana, though families with Telangana roots may celebrate it here too; our Bathukamma and Dasara 2026 in Canada guide explains it.

What to do on Vijayadashami

  • Vidyarambham: begin a child's learning, or start a new course, instrument or art, in the morning according to family custom.
  • Aparajita and Shami puja: worship the goddess of victory and the Shami tree in the afternoon, ideally during the Vijay Muhurat.
  • Begin something new: Vijayadashami is one of the most auspicious days of the year for new ventures and purchases.

For families from Puducherry abroad

Families with roots in Puducherry and Karaikal live across the world,, including France, the Gulf, Singapore and North America. Some ideas:

  • Use a panchang calculated for your own city. Do not convert Puducherry's Vijay Muhurat into your local time zone.
  • Set up even a small three-step Golu on 11 October and invite friends to see it.
  • Tuesday 20 October 2026 is a working day in most countries. Do Vidyarambham in the morning before school and a short Ayudha Puja of laptops and car keys on the evening of 19 October.

For the meaning of Dussehra, the stories behind it and a full puja procedure, see our Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026 pillar guide.

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Frequently asked questions

When is Vijayadashami 2026 in Puducherry?

Tuesday 20 October 2026. Navaratri begins on Sunday 11 October, and Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami both fall on Monday 19 October 2026, according to Drik Panchang for India. The dates are the same in all four regions of the Union Territory.

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

1:53 to 2:41 PM local time (IST), calculated by the Drik Panchang method. Karaikal is the same, 1:53 to 2:41 PM; Mahe is 2:10 to 2:58 PM and Yanam 1:42 to 2:29 PM.

When are Saraswati Puja and Ayudha Puja in 2026?

In the Tamil tradition, Saraswati Puja and Ayudha Puja are kept on Maha Navami, which falls on Monday 19 October 2026. Vidyarambham and the closing of Golu follow on Vijayadashami, Tuesday 20 October. Some families and temples follow their own almanac, so check with your temple or priest.

Is Navaratri in Mahe different from Puducherry?

Yes. Mahe lies on the Malabar coast, surrounded by Kerala, and largely follows Kerala customs: books and tools are placed before the Goddess for Pooja Veppu, worship continues through Navami, and they are taken back on Vijayadashami morning, when young children are initiated into writing at Vidyarambham.

Is Bathukamma celebrated in Yanam?

Bathukamma is above all a Telangana festival. Yanam is a small enclave in the Godavari delta of coastal Andhra Pradesh, where Dasara is usually kept in the Andhra way, with Devi worship, Bommala Koluvu doll displays in some homes and Ayudha Puja. Families with Telangana roots may also build Bathukamma.

Can I use Puducherry's Vijay Muhurat abroad?

No. Muhurat windows depend on local sunrise and sunset, so they cannot be converted into another time zone. Use a panchang set for your own city or follow your local temple's calendar.

Editor's note

Editor's note (5 October 2026): This page has been restored at its original address after the earlier version was lost. Festival dates are from Drik Panchang for India, and the Vijay Muhurat timings for Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam are calculated by the Drik Panchang method. We have not listed events, venues or organisers because these are announced locally each year. Temple timings change, so check the temple's official website before you go.