Dussehra 2026 Australia: City Dates & Vijay Muhurat

Quick answer: Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 is on Wednesday 21 October in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, Hobart and Darwin, but on Tuesday 20 October in Perth. The Vijay Muhurat is 2:51–3:43 PM in Sydney and 3:18–4:11 PM in Melbourne on the 21st. Perth's calculated window ends before Dashami begins, so Perth families should follow the later afternoon or their temple. Never use India's muhurat converted to Australian time.

Dussehra 2026 dates in Australia at a glance

Australia is the one major diaspora country where Dussehra falls on two different days. These dates follow Drik Panchang for Australia and the pack's city calculations.

Observance	Eastern Australia	Perth
Sarva Pitru Amavasya (Mahalaya)	Sat 10 Oct	Sat 10 Oct
Navratri begins (Ghatasthapana)	Sun 11 Oct	Sun 11 Oct
Saddula Bathukamma (Telangana calendar)	Sun 18 Oct	Sun 18 Oct
Durga Ashtami (local panchang)	Mon 19 Oct	Mon 19 Oct
Maha Navami (Ayudha Puja for some; Drik India: Tue 20 Oct)	Mon 19 Oct	Mon 19 Oct
Vijayadashami / Dussehra	Wed 21 Oct	Tue 20 Oct
Sharad Purnima	Sun 25 Oct	Sun 25 Oct
Karwa Chauth	Thu 29 Oct	Thu 29 Oct
Diwali	Sun 8 Nov	Sun 8 Nov

"Eastern Australia" here means every capital except Perth: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, Hobart and Darwin. Note that Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami fall on the same day, Monday 19 October, in Australia.

Dussehra 2026 city guides — Australia

Detailed pages for each city: local date, Vijay Muhurat, Dashami timings, temples and home puja.

Why eastern Australia celebrates a day later

Vijayadashami is fixed by the Dashami tithi during the afternoon (Aparahna). In 2026 the Dashami tithi runs from 12:50pm IST on 20 October to 2:11pm IST on 21 October.

In eastern Australia, 12:50pm IST is 6:20pm on Tuesday 20 October in Sydney and Melbourne — after that afternoon's window. The first full Dashami afternoon is therefore Wednesday 21 October.
In Perth, Dashami begins at 3:20 PM on Tuesday 20 October, still within the afternoon, so Perth keeps Tuesday 20 October.
India, Singapore, Malaysia, the Gulf, Europe and the Americas all observe Tuesday 20 October.

Durga Ashtami shifts the same way. Ashtami begins at 8:27am IST on 18 October, which is already after sunrise across Australia, so local panchangs list Durga Ashtami on Monday 19 October. Telangana's calendar, however, keeps Saddula Bathukamma on Sunday 18 October. Both dates are valid; Telangana associations in Australia may choose either, and a Sunday is convenient for many. For the wider picture, see the Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026 guide.

Vijay Muhurat 2026, city by city

All times are local clock time on the date shown. The Vijay Muhurat is the eleventh of the fifteen daytime muhurtas, so it depends on each city's sunrise and sunset. Values were calculated with the sunrise-to-sunset method and match Drik Panchang to within a minute.

City	State / territory	Date	Sunrise	Sunset	Vijay Muhurat (local)	Note
Sydney	New South Wales	Wed 21 Oct	6:07 AM	7:12 PM	2:51–3:43 PM	—
Melbourne	Victoria	Wed 21 Oct	6:27 AM	7:42 PM	3:18–4:11 PM	—
Brisbane	Queensland	Wed 21 Oct	5:06 AM	5:58 PM	1:41–2:32 PM	—
Gold Coast	Queensland	Wed 21 Oct	5:04 AM	5:57 PM	1:40–2:31 PM	—
Canberra	Australian Capital Territory	Wed 21 Oct	6:14 AM	7:22 PM	2:59–3:52 PM	—
Adelaide	South Australia	Wed 21 Oct	6:26 AM	7:34 PM	3:11–4:04 PM	—
Perth	Western Australia	Tue 20 Oct	5:31 AM	6:31 PM	2:11–3:03 PM	window ends before Dashami begins (3:20 PM); use the later Aparahna period or your temple's timing
Hobart	Tasmania	Wed 21 Oct	6:11 AM	7:40 PM	3:10–4:04 PM	—
Darwin	Northern Territory	Wed 21 Oct	6:18 AM	6:44 PM	2:35–3:25 PM	—

Brisbane and the Gold Coast look early (around 1:40 PM) because Queensland does not use daylight saving, while New South Wales, Victoria, the ACT, South Australia and Tasmania do. Darwin also stays on standard time. If your town is not listed, use the nearest city in the same time zone and allow a few minutes either way.

City-by-city notes

Sydney: Wednesday 21 October, 2:51–3:43 PM (Drik Panchang's published window). Sydney's large, long-established temples, including the Sri Venkateswara Temple at Helensburgh, mark Vijayadashami; check their schedules. The VMS Durga Puja at St Marys Memorial Hall is listed for Saturday 24 October †.

Melbourne: Wednesday 21 October, 3:18–4:11 PM. The Dussehra Mela with Ramlila and Ravan Dahan at Epping Soccer Stadium is listed for Saturday 24 October †. The Sri Durga Temple's 2026 Dussehra date had not been published when we checked.

Brisbane and the Gold Coast: Wednesday 21 October, 1:41–2:32 PM in Brisbane and 1:40–2:31 PM on the Gold Coast. The Telangana Association of Queensland usually holds Bathukamma; its 2026 date had not been announced.

Canberra: Wednesday 21 October, 2:59–3:52 PM. A smaller community where temple and association events are often combined; check locally.

Adelaide: Wednesday 21 October, 3:11–4:04 PM.

Perth: Tuesday 20 October. Calculated window 2:11–3:03 PM, but note: window ends before Dashami begins (3:20 PM); use the later Aparahna period or your temple's timing. In practice, ask your temple which time it will use for the Shami puja.

Hobart: Wednesday 21 October, 3:10–4:04 PM.

Darwin: Wednesday 21 October, 2:35–3:25 PM.

Confirmed Dussehra events in Australia, October 2026

These are the Australian events we have found so far. Entries marked † are listed by third-party sites — confirm with the organiser before you go. For anything else, check your local temple or association.

Date	Event	Place
Sun 18 Oct	Saddula Bathukamma (Telangana calendar)	Worldwide
Sat 24 Oct	Dussehra Mela, Ramlila and Ravan Dahan, free †	Epping Soccer Stadium, Melbourne
Sat 24 Oct	VMS Durga Puja, free †	St Marys Memorial Hall, Sydney

Telangana associations — ATSA, ATF, the Melbourne Telangana Forum and the Telangana Association of Queensland — usually host Bathukamma and Dasara, but their 2026 dates had not been announced when we checked. Our Bathukamma and Dasara 2026 Australia guide will carry them as they are published.

A Navratri and Dussehra planner for Australia

Date	What happens
Sun 11 Oct	Navratri begins: Ghatasthapana at home
Sun 18 Oct	Saddula Bathukamma (Telangana calendar)
Mon 19 Oct	Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami (local panchang); Ayudha Puja for some families (Drik India: Tue 20 Oct); Saddula Bathukamma for groups following the local Ashtami
Tue 20 Oct	Vijayadashami in Perth
Wed 21 Oct	Vijayadashami in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, Hobart and Darwin
Sat 24 Oct	Weekend Dussehra events in Melbourne and Sydney †

The caution every family should know

India's Vijay Muhurat on 20 October is 1:59–2:45 PM IST. Converted to Sydney time it lands in the evening of Tuesday 20 October — on the wrong day and outside any valid window. It is never the right window in Australia. Use your own city's Vijay Muhurat from the table above, on your own city's date.

How to observe Dussehra at home

Set up a clean altar with an image of Durga, Rama or your family deity, a diya and fresh flowers.
On Monday 19 October (Maha Navami) or Tuesday 20 October (the date Drik Panchang gives for Ayudha Puja in India), place books, laptops, tools, instruments or car keys before the deity for Ayudha or Saraswati Puja.
On Vijayadashami (Wednesday 21 October in the east, Tuesday 20 October in Perth), offer flowers, kumkum and akshata within your local window 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.
Finish with aarti and prasad. Your Vijayadashami may fall a day after relatives in India celebrate, so send greetings on both days.

Practical tips for NRI families in Australia

Vijayadashami is a weekday in both cases (Tuesday in Perth, Wednesday in the east). Most windows fall in the early-to-mid afternoon, so a late lunch break is usually enough.
Do not be thrown by Indian WhatsApp greetings arriving on Tuesday: in the east your day is Wednesday.
Spring weather suits outdoor events, but check organiser notices for any total fire ban or local restrictions before an effigy burning.
Shop for flowers, sweets and puja items on the weekend of 17–18 October.
If your family follows the Mysuru panchanga, India's Karnataka calendar also marks Vijayadashami on Wednesday 21 October, the same day as eastern Australia, while most other Indian calendars use Tuesday 20 October.

For the full season, see Sharad Navratri to Dussehra 2026, the October 2026 Hindu festival calendar and the Mysore Dasara 2026 day-by-day guide.

Looking ahead: Karwa Chauth and Diwali

Sharad Purnima falls on Sunday 25 October (Sharad Purnima 2026 guide) and Karwa Chauth on Thursday 29 October in Australia (Karwa Chauth 2026 moonrise times). Diwali is on Sunday 8 November 2026. Our Diwali 2026 Australia, UAE and Singapore guide covers Australian celebrations.

For Hindus in Australia, Vijayadashami may arrive a day after the greetings from India, but its light is the same: the victory of dharma, of light over darkness. As commonly told, Maa Durga triumphed over Mahishasura and Lord Rama overcame Ravana on this sacred day. Sharing blessings keeps that victory alive in our homes and hearts, from Perth to Sydney. Take a moment today to send a heartfelt Dussehra blessing to your family, wherever they are.

Shami shloka for Vijayadashami

शमी शमयते पापं शमी शत्रुविनाशिनी। अर्जुनस्य धनुर्धारी रामस्य प्रियदर्शिनी॥

Shami shamayate papam shami shatru-vinashini, arjunasya dhanurdhari ramasya priyadarshini.

Meaning: The Shami tree takes away sin and destroys enemies; it held Arjuna's bow and is dear to Lord Rama. Many families recite this while offering Shami (Jammi) leaves on Vijayadashami.

Rama mantra to chant on Dussehra

रामाय रामभद्राय रामचन्द्राय वेधसे। रघुनाथाय नाथाय सीतायाः पतये नमः॥

Ramaya ramabhadraya ramachandraya vedhase, raghunathaya nathaya sitayah pataye namah.

Meaning: Salutations to Rama, to Ramabhadra, to Ramachandra the creator, to the lord of the Raghu clan, to the husband of Sita.

Happy Vijayadashami to our dear family! 🪔 May the victory of good over evil bring peace, health and togetherness to our home this year and always. Share on WhatsApp

Dussehra blessings from our home in Australia! Our day may come a little after India, but our love and prayers for you arrive right on time. 🙏 Share on WhatsApp

To our respected parents and elders, Happy Dussehra! We bow to you with love. May Maa Durga bless you with good health, peace of mind and many happy years. 🙏 Share on WhatsApp

Happy Dussehra, dear friend! May this festival burn away your worries and bring fresh courage, bright days and lots of laughter into your life. ✨ Share on WhatsApp

Jai Maa Durga! On this Vijayadashami, may the Mother's Shakti fill your heart with courage, protect your family and help you rise above every obstacle. 🌺 Share on WhatsApp

Wishing you a blessed Dussehra from all of us celebrating Down Under. May Lord Rama's truth and patience guide your work and bring success with integrity. 🏹 Share on WhatsApp

A short Vijayadashami prayer

Maa Durga, Lord Rama, on this Vijayadashami I bow to you from a land far from my ancestors, yet never far from your grace. Give me the strength to do what is right, the courage to face every difficulty and the wisdom to act with humility. Keep my family free from negativity, united in love and steady in faith. Help me overcome the darkness within me, so that your light may guide my every step.

Use the share buttons on this page to send these blessings to your family and friends.

Frequently asked questions

When is Dussehra 2026 in Australia?

Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 is on Wednesday 21 October in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, Hobart and Darwin, and on Tuesday 20 October in Perth. Navratri begins on Sunday 11 October across Australia.

Why does eastern Australia celebrate Dussehra a day after India?

Dashami begins at 12:50 PM IST on 20 October, which is 6:20 PM in Sydney and Melbourne, after that afternoon's window. The first full Dashami afternoon in the east is therefore Wednesday 21 October, while Perth's Dashami begins at 3:20 PM on Tuesday, so Perth keeps the 20th.

What is the Vijay Muhurat in Sydney and Melbourne?

On Wednesday 21 October the Vijay Muhurat is 2:51–3:43 PM in Sydney and 3:18–4:11 PM in Melbourne, local time. Brisbane's window is 1:41–2:32 PM because Queensland does not use daylight saving.

What Vijay Muhurat should Perth families follow?

Perth's calculated window of 2:11–3:03 PM on Tuesday 20 October ends before Dashami begins at 3:20 PM. Perth families should use the later Aparahna period or ask their temple which time it will use for Shami puja.

Can I use India's Vijay Muhurat converted to Australian time?

No. India's window converted to Sydney time lands on Tuesday evening, on the wrong day and outside any valid window. Always use your own city's Vijay Muhurat on your own city's date.

When are Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami 2026 in Australia?

Local panchangs list Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami together on Monday 19 October in Australia, and some families perform Ayudha Puja that day; in India, Drik Panchang lists Ayudha Puja on Tuesday 20 October. Telangana's calendar keeps Saddula Bathukamma on Sunday 18 October.

Dussehra 2026 Australia, City by City: Why the East Celebrates on 21 October and Perth on the 20th