Dussehra 2026: Ravan Dahan Time by City on 20 October, Aparahna and Shami-Aparajita Puja

2026-09-16

Dussehra 2026 falls on Tuesday, 20 October. Dashami tithi begins at 12:50 and lasts until 14:11 on 21 October. Ravan dahan follows sunset — in Delhi after 17:45, roughly 18:15–19:15; the Shami-Aparajita puja is done in the aparahna, 13:13–15:29.

Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 falls on Tuesday, 20 October. According to our panchang engine, Dashami tithi begins at 12:50 in the afternoon on 20 October and runs until 14:11 on 21 October. Ravan dahan, the burning of the effigy, happens after sunset. In Delhi the sun sets at 17:45, so the dahan will usually fall between roughly 18:15 and 19:15. Your local Ramlila committee fixes the exact time. The Shami–Aparajita puja and the Shastra puja are done in the aparahna, the afternoon window, which in Delhi runs 13:13 to 15:29.

Below: the 12-city table, a short method for the Shami and Aparajita rituals, and answers to three common questions.

Why is Dussehra 2026 on 20 October and not 21?

Hindu festivals are fixed by tithi, the lunar day. A tithi does not change at midnight the way a calendar date does. It can begin or end at any hour, which is why one tithi often stretches across two calendar dates.

That is exactly what happens in 2026. Dashami tithi starts at 12:50 on 20 October and lasts until 14:11 on 21 October. So Dashami is present on both days. Which one is Dussehra?

By tradition, Vijayadashami is celebrated on the day when Dashami tithi covers the aparahna, the afternoon portion of the day. On 20 October, Delhi's aparahna runs 13:13 to 15:29, and all of it falls inside Dashami. On 21 October, Dashami ends at 14:11, part-way through the aparahna. So 20 October is Dussehra. For the story behind the day and its wider meaning, see Dussehra 2026: date, muhurat and the significance of Vijayadashami.

Note that at sunrise on 20 October the tithi is still Navami; Dashami begins at 12:50. So a printed panchang may show "Navami" against that date even though the festival is Vijayadashami. Both Ashtami and Navami fall on 19 October this year, which is explained in Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami 2026.

The rest of the day's panchang for 20 October (Delhi, from our engine):

• Sunrise 06:25, sunset 17:45, moonrise 14:18
• Nakshatra: Shravana (third pada)
• Sun in Tula (Libra), Moon in Makar (Capricorn)

What is aparahna, and why does Dussehra depend on it?

Aparahna is a slice of the day. Divide the time from sunrise to sunset into five equal parts; the fourth part is the aparahna. Because sunrise and sunset differ from city to city, the window shifts a little in each place.

In the jyotish tradition, the main Vijayadashami rituals — Shami puja, Aparajita puja and Shastra puja — are performed in this window. That is why the table below gives the aparahna as well as the sunset.

Sunset and aparahna by city (20 October 2026)

These timings come from our panchang engine. Aparahna is computed as sunrise plus 3/5 to 4/5 of the day's length. Sunset is your anchor for Ravan dahan, because the effigy is lit only after the sun goes down.

Cities in the east — Kolkata, Patna — see sunset about an hour earlier than the west, so both the puja and the dahan happen earlier there. In Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Pune everything runs later.

When is the Vijay muhurat, roughly?

The Vijay muhurat ("victory hour") is a window of about 48 minutes around the middle of the aparahna. Tradition treats it as especially suited to Shastra puja and to starting new work. You can work it out from the table: take the midpoint of your city's aparahna and allow about 24 minutes on either side. For Delhi, with aparahna 13:13–15:29, the Vijay muhurat comes to roughly 14:00 to 14:45. Treat this as approximate; the whole aparahna is suitable for the puja.

What happens when on Dussehra day?

The order of the day is simple: preparation in the morning, puja in the aparahna, Ravan dahan after sunset.

• Morning (after sunrise): bath, clean the house and the puja space. Those who kept the Navratri fast close it according to their family custom. The full nine-day sequence is in Navratri 2026: the complete 9-day calendar.
• Aparahna (Delhi 13:13–15:29): Shami puja, Aparajita puja and Shastra puja. The Vijay muhurat sits in the middle of this window.
• After sunset (Delhi, after 17:45): the final act of the Ramlila and the Ravan dahan. The effigy is usually lit 30 to 90 minutes after sunset.

How to do the Shami and Aparajita puja

Two words first. Shami is a tree, known in many places as khejri. It is held to be a symbol of victory and good fortune; according to the Mahabharata story, the Pandavas hid their weapons in a shami tree during their year in disguise. In many regions its leaves are exchanged on Dussehra as "sona", gold. Aparajita means "she who is never defeated". It is the name of a creeper with blue flowers and also a form of the Goddess, worshipped by tradition for victory.

A simple method that works at home too:

1. In the aparahna, go to a shami tree. If there is none nearby, place a shami twig or a few leaves in your puja space.
2. Offer water, then roli (red powder) and akshat (unbroken rice), a few flowers, and light a lamp.
3. Pray quietly for victory, patience and clear judgement. By tradition, people bow to the tree, bring a few leaves home and hand them to family and friends.
4. Aparajita puja: by tradition this is done at the edge of the village or town, or simply in the home puja space, while meditating on Devi Aparajita. Offer blue aparajita flowers if you can find them; otherwise any fresh flower.
5. Shastra puja: clean the tools of your work — pen, books, vehicle, instruments, the shop's weighing scale, your laptop — apply a tilak and show them the lamp. It is a gesture of gratitude towards whatever earns your living.
6. After sunset, go to the Ramlila ground for the Ravan dahan.

No special materials, no counting. A sincere intention is enough.

How do I work out the Ravan dahan time in my city?

There is no single panchang muhurat for Ravan dahan; it is a public event. The one rule is that the effigy is lit after sunset. On most grounds that means 30 to 90 minutes after sunset — the closing scene of the Ramlila first, then fireworks, then the effigy.

So find your city's sunset in the table and add 30 to 90 minutes. Mumbai sets at 18:11, so expect the dahan roughly between 18:40 and 19:40. Kolkata sets at 17:06, so roughly 17:35 to 18:35. Always match this against the local committee's poster or announcement, because on big grounds the schedule moves with the crowd and the programme.

Frequently asked questions

Is Dashami tithi also on 21 October?

Yes. Dashami runs from 12:50 on 20 October to 14:11 on 21 October, so at sunrise on 21 October the tithi is Dashami. But Vijayadashami is decided by the aparahna, not by sunrise. On 20 October the entire aparahna is in Dashami; on 21 October Dashami ends part-way through it. That is why Dussehra is on 20 October. If your local committee has announced a different day, follow that.

Shravana nakshatra on 20 October — what does it mean?

A nakshatra is the star group the Moon is passing through at a given time. Our engine shows Shravana nakshatra (third pada) at sunrise in Delhi on 20 October. In the jyotish tradition, Dashami tithi combined with Shravana nakshatra is considered especially auspicious for Vijayadashami. That combination is present in 2026, so by tradition this year's Dussehra is seen as even more favourable for puja and for starting new work. Take it as a good sign, not a guarantee.

What time is Ravan dahan?

Between 30 and 90 minutes after sunset. In Delhi the sun sets at 17:45, so roughly 18:15 to 19:15. Look up your city's sunset in the table above and confirm with the local Ramlila committee.

On the morning of 20 October, the full panchang for the day — tithi, nakshatra, Rahu kaal and the auspicious windows — will be on our daily panchang page, set to your city.