Vijayadashami is today, October 20, across most of North, West and Central India. The shastra puja window in Delhi is 1:59–2:45 PM, and Ravan Dahan happens after sunset, from about 5:40 PM onwards.
Dussehra 2026 shastra puja muhurat: the Vijay Muhurat — the 46-minute slot priests prefer for shastra and Aparajita puja — runs 1:59 PM to 2:45 PM in Delhi, with Ravan Dahan from 5:47 PM onwards during Pradosh Kaal.
Updated: October 20, 2026, 10:00 IST
Quick Read
- Dashami tithi began at 12:50 PM today and ends at 2:11 PM tomorrow. Most of North, West and Central India celebrates Dussehra today; Bengal and Odisha mark Bijoya Dashami on October 21.
- Vijay Muhurat — the shastra puja slot — is 1:59–2:45 PM in Delhi, TOI reports. A few sites list 2:07–2:53 PM, so check your local panchang if you’re doing the puja.
- Ravan Dahan starts after sunset, around 5:40–5:47 PM in Delhi. The wider Aparahna puja window is 1:14–3:30 PM.
Dussehra — also called Vijayadashami or Dasara — marks the victory of good over evil. In the Ramayana story, Lord Rama defeated the ten-headed demon king Ravana. In the Devi story, Goddess Durga defeated the buffalo demon Mahishasura. The name itself comes from Sanskrit: “dasha” (ten) plus “hara” (defeat) — the defeat of Ravana’s ten heads. It falls on the tenth day of the bright fortnight of the Hindu month of Ashwin, closing the nine days of Navratri and arriving about three weeks before Diwali.
Today or tomorrow? The date confusion, settled
The Dashami tithi — the tenth lunar day — begins at 12:50 PM today, October 20, and ends at 2:11 PM tomorrow, October 21. Going by the Udaya tithi (the tithi present at sunrise), Dussehra falls on today, October 20, for most of North, West and Central India, NDTV reported.
Two regions differ. West Bengal and Odisha celebrate Bijoya Dashami on Wednesday, October 21. Mysuru’s famous Dasara celebrations also conclude on October 21. Timings everywhere shift by a few minutes from city to city — the numbers below are for Delhi, and you should confirm against your local panchang.
All the timings for today
Here is the full timing card for October 20 (Delhi), as reported by the Times of India:
- Vijay Muhurat: 1:59 PM to 2:45 PM — the preferred slot for shastra puja and Aparajita puja
- Aparahna puja time: 1:14 PM to 3:30 PM — the wider afternoon window for rituals like Shami puja
- Dashami tithi: begins 12:50 PM today, ends 2:11 PM tomorrow
- Pradosh Kaal: begins 5:47 PM
- Ravan Dahan: from 5:47 PM onwards, during Pradosh Kaal
One honest note: not every site agrees. ET Now’s holiday calendar lists the Vijay Muhurat as 2:07–2:53 PM and the Aparahna window as 1:21–3:39 PM. The majority — TOI, NDTV, Webdunia, Astroyogi and Oneindia — give 1:59–2:45 PM and 1:14–3:30 PM. Panchang calculations differ slightly by school, which is why the numbers move by a few minutes. If you’re doing the puja at home, the safe rule is the wider one: anything between 1:15 PM and 3:30 PM sits inside the accepted afternoon window.
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What is shastra puja?
Shastra puja — also called ayudha puja — is the worship of weapons, tools and instruments on Vijayadashami. Soldiers and police personnel worship their weapons. Traders, artisans and professionals worship the tools of their trade: machines, vehicles, laptops, workplace equipment. Farmers worship their ploughs.
The tradition goes back to warriors who, after nine days of Navratri, took their weapons out of storage, cleaned and worshipped them before returning to battle. Today it has widened: a taxi driver garlands his steering wheel, a shopkeeper worships his cash box, a coder might worship her laptop.
Goddess Aparajita is worshipped first, before the shastra puja, to seek victory and strength against obstacles. The rituals are done during the Vijay Muhurat or the wider Aparahna period — never in the morning, because the morning still belongs to Navami (the ninth tithi, which ends at 12:50 PM today).
Ravan Dahan tonight
After sunset, grounds across the country will burn giant effigies of Ravana — and of his brother Kumbhakarna and son Meghnad. The burning is the festival’s most-watched moment: fireworks packed into the effigies burst as the fire catches, and crowds watch from behind barricades.
The tradition says Ravana’s ten heads stand for ten bad qualities — anger, pride, greed, lust, jealousy, ego, hatred, fear, attachment and insensitivity. Burning them is a reminder to fight these in your own life. In Delhi, the dahan starts around sunset, close to 5:40 PM, though organisers set their own local times. Delhi Police issued a traffic advisory for Dussehra evening, so check the Delhi Traffic Police updates before heading to a Ravan Dahan ground.
Kullu celebrates for a full week
Here’s the festival’s strangest twist: Kullu in Himachal Pradesh starts its Dussehra when the rest of India is done. The Kullu Dussehra begins on Vijayadashami and runs for a full week — centuries-old tradition has it that idols of local deities gather at the Dhalpur maidan to pay homage to Lord Raghunath, the Indian Express reported. It draws crowds from across the country, and its fair is one of the biggest in the hills.
> Also read: Chhath Puja 2026: date, timings, rituals guide
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What comes next
Dussehra opens the final festival stretch of the year. Dhanteras falls on November 6 and Diwali on November 8 — three weeks from today. If you’re planning gold or silver purchases, start watching prices now; the Dhanteras rush always pushes jewellers to their busiest week of the year.
FAQ
### What time is shastra puja today?
The preferred Vijay Muhurat is 1:59–2:45 PM (Delhi). Most priests accept anything within the wider Aparahna window, 1:14–3:30 PM. Timings shift slightly by city — check your local panchang.
### When is Ravan Dahan 2026?
After sunset today, October 20 — from about 5:40–5:47 PM onwards in Delhi, during Pradosh Kaal. Organisers set their own local times, so check your nearest ground.
### Is Dussehra on October 20 or October 21?
October 20 for most of India — North, West and Central. West Bengal and Odisha celebrate Bijoya Dashami on October 21, and Mysuru’s Dasara also concludes on the 21st.
Pradosh Kaal begins at 5:47 PM today. The effigies go up in flames right after — and with them, the festival season’s biggest evening.
