Dussehra 2026 Canada: Vijay Muhurat by Province

Quick answer: Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 is on Tuesday 20 October throughout Canada. The Vijay Muhurat is a local afternoon window: 2:50–3:33 PM in Toronto, 2:51–3:34 PM in Brampton, 2:26–3:08 PM in Montreal, 2:42–3:24 PM in Vancouver and 3:04–3:46 PM in Calgary. Every province and territory is in the table below. India's muhurat must not be converted to Canadian time; it lands before dawn and is not valid here.

Dussehra 2026 dates in Canada at a glance

These dates follow Drik Panchang for Canada and apply from St. John's to Whitehorse.

Observance	Date (Canada)
Navratri begins (Ghatasthapana)	Sun 11 Oct
Saddula Bathukamma (Telangana calendar)	Sun 18 Oct
Durga Ashtami	Sun 18 Oct
Maha Navami (Ayudha Puja for some; Drik India: Tue 20 Oct)	Mon 19 Oct
Vijayadashami / Dussehra	Tue 20 Oct
Sharad Purnima	Sun 25 Oct
Karwa Chauth	Wed 28 Oct
Diwali	Sun 8 Nov

Durga Ashtami is on Sunday 18 October in Canada, a day earlier than India's Monday 19 October. Ashtami begins at 8:27am IST on 18 October, which is still the evening of the 17th in Canada, so the tithi is already in force at your sunrise on the 18th. For the full nine nights, see Sharad Navratri to Dussehra 2026, and for the story and rituals of the day, our Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026 guide.

Dussehra 2026 city guides — Canada

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

Vijay Muhurat 2026, province by province

All times are local clock time on Tuesday 20 October 2026. The Vijay Muhurat is the eleventh of the fifteen daytime muhurtas, so it depends on each city's own sunrise and sunset, which we show for reference. Values were calculated with the sunrise-to-sunset method and match Drik Panchang to within a minute; Toronto is Drik's own published window.

Province / territory	City	Time zone	Sunrise	Sunset	Vijay Muhurat (local)	Date
Ontario	Toronto	Eastern	7:37 AM	6:26 PM	2:50–3:33 PM	Tue 20 Oct
Ontario	Brampton	Eastern	7:39 AM	6:27 PM	2:51–3:34 PM	Tue 20 Oct
Ontario	Ottawa	Eastern	7:25 AM	6:09 PM	2:34–3:17 PM	Tue 20 Oct
Quebec	Montreal	Eastern	7:16 AM	6:00 PM	2:26–3:08 PM	Tue 20 Oct
British Columbia	Vancouver	Pacific	7:41 AM	6:12 PM	2:42–3:24 PM	Tue 20 Oct
British Columbia	Surrey	Pacific	7:39 AM	6:11 PM	2:41–3:23 PM	Tue 20 Oct
Alberta	Calgary	Mountain	8:07 AM	6:33 PM	3:04–3:46 PM	Tue 20 Oct
Alberta	Edmonton	Mountain	8:10 AM	6:26 PM	3:00–3:42 PM	Tue 20 Oct
Manitoba	Winnipeg	Central	7:58 AM	6:27 PM	2:57–3:39 PM	Tue 20 Oct
Saskatchewan	Regina	Central (Saskatchewan)	7:28 AM	5:56 PM	2:27–3:09 PM	Tue 20 Oct
Saskatchewan	Saskatoon	Central (Saskatchewan)	7:40 AM	6:01 PM	2:34–3:16 PM	Tue 20 Oct
Nova Scotia	Halifax	Atlantic	7:35 AM	6:21 PM	2:46–3:29 PM	Tue 20 Oct
New Brunswick	Moncton	Atlantic	7:42 AM	6:24 PM	2:50–3:33 PM	Tue 20 Oct
Prince Edward Island	Charlottetown	Atlantic	7:36 AM	6:17 PM	2:43–3:26 PM	Tue 20 Oct
Newfoundland and Labrador	St. John's	Newfoundland	7:26 AM	6:04 PM	2:31–3:14 PM	Tue 20 Oct
Yukon	Whitehorse	Yukon	8:53 AM	6:34 PM	3:21–3:59 PM	Tue 20 Oct
Northwest Territories	Yellowknife	Mountain	8:36 AM	6:06 PM	2:56–3:34 PM	Tue 20 Oct
Nunavut	Iqaluit	Eastern	7:37 AM	4:58 PM	1:51–2:29 PM	Tue 20 Oct

Your town is not listed? Use the nearest city in the same time zone and allow a few minutes either way; the window moves about four minutes for each degree of longitude. If your mandir announces its own muhurat, follow it.

Province-by-province notes

Ontario: Toronto, Brampton and the wider GTA have Canada's largest Hindu community, and Ottawa has its own active temples and associations. Toronto's window (2:50–3:33 PM) is about sixteen minutes later than Ottawa's (2:34–3:17 PM) because Toronto sits further west in the same time zone. Brampton's 2026 Dussehra programme had not been announced when we last checked.

Quebec: Montreal's window is 2:26–3:08 PM, the earliest among the large Canadian cities apart from Iqaluit. Temples and cultural associations around the island typically hold Navratri garba and a Vijayadashami puja; check their notices for 2026.

British Columbia: Vancouver (2:42–3:24 PM) and Surrey (2:41–3:23 PM) are only a minute apart. With a large Punjabi and Indo-Canadian community across Metro Vancouver, many temples run Navratri programmes; look for weekend events around 17–18 and 24–25 October.

Alberta: Calgary (3:04–3:46 PM) and Edmonton (3:00–3:42 PM) have the latest windows among Canada's big cities. Telugu, Gujarati and North Indian associations in both cities usually hold separate Navratri events.

Manitoba: Winnipeg's window is 2:57–3:39 PM. Community programmes tend to be concentrated at a few temples and cultural centres, so it is worth checking early.

Saskatchewan: Regina (2:27–3:09 PM) and Saskatoon (2:34–3:16 PM) differ by seven minutes. Smaller communities often combine Navratri, Dussehra and Diwali into a single shared programme, so check what your local association plans.

Nova Scotia: Halifax's window is 2:46–3:29 PM. Families here often observe at home or through the local Hindu society.

New Brunswick: Moncton's window is 2:50–3:33 PM, which also serves as a guide for Saint John and Fredericton (allow a few minutes).

Prince Edward Island: Charlottetown's window is 2:43–3:26 PM. A home puja is the most practical option for many families on the Island.

Newfoundland and Labrador: St. John's keeps Newfoundland time, half an hour ahead of Atlantic time, and its window is 2:31–3:14 PM.

Yukon: Whitehorse has a short October day, so its window (3:21–3:59 PM) is the latest in Canada and a little shorter than in the south.

Northwest Territories: Yellowknife's window is 2:56–3:34 PM.

Nunavut: Iqaluit's window is 1:51–2:29 PM, the earliest in the country, because of its early sunset.

The caution every NRI family should know

India's Vijay Muhurat on 20 October is 1:59–2:45 PM IST. Converted to Canadian time it falls in the small hours of the morning, which is never the right window in Canada. The muhurat belongs to your local day, so it must be calculated for your own city. If a message tells you to do the puja at dawn "because that is India's muhurat in Toronto time", ignore it and use the afternoon window above.

Events and temples in Canada

We have not yet been able to confirm any Canada-specific Dussehra event for 2026. The one date that applies everywhere is Saddula Bathukamma on Sunday 18 October (Telangana calendar), which Telangana families in the GTA, Calgary and Vancouver mark with flower-stack gatherings.

Most Canadian mandirs, from large, long-established temples such as BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Toronto to small neighbourhood temples, hold a Vijayadashami puja on the day and a bigger community event on the nearest weekend. Some organise Ramlila or a Ravan Dahan; Bengali associations hold Durga Puja (in Kolkata it runs from Maha Shashthi on 17 October to Sindoor Khela on 21 October); Gujarati groups run garba and dandiya nights through Navratri. Check your local temple or association for 2026 times — their flyers usually appear in the first two weeks of October.

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 Tuesday 20 October, during your city's Vijay Muhurat, offer flowers, kumkum and akshata and pray to Goddess Aparajita for success.
Offer and exchange Shami leaves if your Indian grocer has them; flowers or rice are a perfectly acceptable alternative.
Take the books and tools back after the puja. Vijayadashami is a favoured day for a child's Vidyarambham, the first writing of letters in rice.
Close with aarti and prasad, and call family in India in your morning or the night before, since their day is over by your muhurat.

Practical tips for NRI families in Canada

Vijayadashami is a Tuesday. Most windows fall between about 2:30 and 4 PM, so a long lunch or a short leave is enough for a home puja.
Plan for community events on Saturday 17, Sunday 18, Saturday 24 or Sunday 25 October rather than the Tuesday itself.
Late October weather can be cold and wet, especially on the Prairies and in the North; outdoor effigy events may be moved or shortened, so watch organiser updates.
Shop for flowers, sweets and puja items the weekend before; South Asian grocers in Brampton, Mississauga and Surrey get very busy in the last days of Navratri.
If your family follows the Mysuru panchanga, India's Karnataka calendar marks Vijayadashami on Wednesday 21 October. In Canada, Drik Panchang gives Tuesday 20 October; follow your temple if it differs.

For the whole season at a glance, use our October 2026 Hindu festival calendar, and the Mahalaya Amavasya 2026 guide for the day before Navratri (Sarva Pitru Amavasya falls on Friday 9 October in Canada). Families with links to Karnataka will enjoy the Mysore Dasara 2026 day-by-day guide.

Looking ahead: Karwa Chauth and Diwali

After Dussehra come Sharad Purnima on Sunday 25 October (Sharad Purnima 2026 guide) and Karwa Chauth on Wednesday 28 October in Canada (moonrise times). Diwali is on Sunday 8 November 2026, a weekend, so expect large mandir and community events. See our Diwali 2026 Canada guide for details.

From Brampton and Toronto to Vancouver, Calgary and Halifax, Hindus in Canada will mark Vijayadashami on Tuesday 20 October with prayer and gratitude. The day celebrates the victory of dharma, of light over darkness and, as commonly told, of Maa Durga over Mahishasura and Lord Rama over Ravana. However far we live from India, a heartfelt blessing can bring family close. Choose a message below and send it to your parents, relatives and friends, here in Canada and back home.

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 whole family! 🪔 May the light of this holy day fill our home with peace, togetherness and the courage to face every season of life. Share on WhatsApp

Pranam to our beloved parents and elders on Dussehra. 🙏 Though miles may separate us, your blessings stay with us always. May Maa Durga keep you well and joyful. Share on WhatsApp

Dussehra love from our home in Canada to all our dear friends! 🌼 May this day of victory warm your hearts, brighten your path and bless every new beginning. Share on WhatsApp

Warm Vijayadashami wishes to my colleagues. May this auspicious day bring focus to our work, kindness to our teamwork and success in every honest effort. Share on WhatsApp

May Maa Durga, who triumphed over Mahishasura, fill you with shakti to overcome every fear and stand firm in truth. Happy Vijayadashami! 🔱 Share on WhatsApp

Celebrating far from India here in Canada, we pray that Lord Rama's blessings reach you. 🏹 May his victory inspire truth, patience and dharma in your home. Share on WhatsApp

A short Vijayadashami prayer

Maa Durga, Lord Rama, on this Vijayadashami I bow before you with a humble heart. Grant me the strength to meet my challenges, the courage to choose what is right, and the wisdom to act with patience and compassion. Wherever we live, keep my family united, protected and free from negativity and fear. Let your light guide our home today and always.

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

Frequently asked questions

When is Dussehra 2026 in Canada?

Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 is on Tuesday 20 October throughout Canada, from St. John's to Whitehorse. Navratri begins on Sunday 11 October and Maha Navami is on Monday 19 October.

What is the Vijay Muhurat in Toronto, Brampton and Vancouver?

On Tuesday 20 October 2026 the Vijay Muhurat is 2:50–3:33 PM in Toronto, 2:51–3:34 PM in Brampton and 2:42–3:24 PM in Vancouver, all in local time. Calgary's window is 3:04–3:46 PM and Montreal's is 2:26–3:08 PM.

When is Durga Ashtami 2026 in Canada?

Durga Ashtami is on Sunday 18 October in Canada, a day earlier than in India. Maha Navami falls on Monday 19 October. In India, Drik Panchang lists Ayudha Puja on Tuesday 20 October 2026; some families perform it on Mon 19 October (Maha Navami) — follow your family/temple tradition.

Can I convert India's Vijay Muhurat to Canadian time?

No. India's window of 1:59–2:45 PM IST falls in the small hours of the morning in Canada, which is never the right time. Use the afternoon window calculated for your own city.

Where do Hindus in Canada celebrate Dussehra?

Most mandirs, from BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Toronto to small neighbourhood temples, hold a Vijayadashami puja on the day and a bigger community event on the nearest weekend. Check your local temple or association for 2026 times.

Which province has the latest Vijay Muhurat in Canada?

Whitehorse in Yukon has the latest window, 3:21–3:59 PM, while Iqaluit in Nunavut has the earliest, 1:51–2:29 PM, because of its early sunset.

Dussehra 2026 Canada, Province by Province: Date and Vijay Muhurat for All 13 Provinces and Territories