Bijoya Dashami 2026 USA, UK, Canada: Date and Sindoor Khela

Quick answer: In Kolkata, Bijoya Dashami 2026 is on Wednesday 21 October. Drik Panchang's Bengal Vijayadashami pages give Wednesday 21 October in the UK (London, Leicester, Birmingham, Manchester) but Tuesday 20 October in the USA and Canada. Many committees abroad follow the Kolkata date or hold Sindoor Khela and Bijoya gatherings on the nearest weekend, so check your own puja's schedule.

Last updated: 18 October 2026. Committee programmes change at short notice; confirm with your puja committee before you travel.

Bijoya Dashami is the farewell day of Bengali Durga Puja: the Goddess, who came home to her parents for four days, returns to Kailash. This guide is for Bengali families and friends in the USA, Canada and the UK: the local date, why it differs from Kolkata in North America, and how Debi Boron, Sindoor Khela, the visarjan, Bijoya greetings and Kolakuli are kept abroad. For India's dates and immersion rules, see our Durga Visarjan 2026 guide.

Bijoya Dashami 2026 date by city

City	Bengal Vijayadashami (Drik)	Aparahna puja time	Dashami tithi (local)
Kolkata (IST)	Wednesday 21 October	12:30 PM to 2:49 PM	12:50 PM Tue 20 Oct to 2:11 PM Wed 21 Oct
New York (ET)	Tuesday 20 October	1:46 PM to 3:57 PM	3:20 AM Tue 20 Oct to 4:41 AM Wed 21 Oct
Edison NJ (ET)	Tuesday 20 October	1:48 PM to 3:59 PM	3:20 AM Tue 20 Oct to 4:41 AM Wed 21 Oct
Washington DC (ET)	Tuesday 20 October	1:59 PM to 4:11 PM	3:20 AM Tue 20 Oct to 4:41 AM Wed 21 Oct
Atlanta (ET)	Tuesday 20 October	2:29 PM to 4:43 PM	3:20 AM Tue 20 Oct to 4:41 AM Wed 21 Oct
Chicago (CT)	Tuesday 20 October	1:40 PM to 3:51 PM	2:20 AM Tue 20 Oct to 3:41 AM Wed 21 Oct
Houston (CT)	Tuesday 20 October	2:14 PM to 4:30 PM	2:20 AM Tue 20 Oct to 3:41 AM Wed 21 Oct
Dallas (CT)	Tuesday 20 October	2:19 PM to 4:34 PM	2:20 AM Tue 20 Oct to 3:41 AM Wed 21 Oct
San Francisco (PT)	Tuesday 20 October	2:00 PM to 4:13 PM	12:20 AM Tue 20 Oct to 1:41 AM Wed 21 Oct
Los Angeles (PT)	Tuesday 20 October	1:45 PM to 3:59 PM	12:20 AM Tue 20 Oct to 1:41 AM Wed 21 Oct
Seattle (PT)	Tuesday 20 October	1:57 PM to 4:04 PM	12:20 AM Tue 20 Oct to 1:41 AM Wed 21 Oct
Toronto (ET)	Tuesday 20 October	2:07 PM to 4:16 PM	3:20 AM Tue 20 Oct to 4:41 AM Wed 21 Oct
Montreal (ET)	Tuesday 20 October	1:43 PM to 3:52 PM	3:20 AM Tue 20 Oct to 4:41 AM Wed 21 Oct
Calgary (MT)	Tuesday 20 October	2:23 PM to 4:28 PM	1:20 AM Tue 20 Oct to 2:41 AM Wed 21 Oct
Vancouver (PT)	Tuesday 20 October	2:00 PM to 4:06 PM	12:20 AM Tue 20 Oct to 1:41 AM Wed 21 Oct
London (BST)	Wednesday 21 October	1:47 PM to 3:52 PM	8:20 AM Tue 20 Oct to 9:41 AM Wed 21 Oct
Leicester (BST)	Wednesday 21 October	1:51 PM to 3:55 PM	8:20 AM Tue 20 Oct to 9:41 AM Wed 21 Oct
Birmingham (BST)	Wednesday 21 October	1:54 PM to 3:58 PM	8:20 AM Tue 20 Oct to 9:41 AM Wed 21 Oct
Manchester (BST)	Wednesday 21 October	1:55 PM to 3:58 PM	8:20 AM Tue 20 Oct to 9:41 AM Wed 21 Oct

Dates and times are from Drik Panchang's Vijayadashami page (Bengal Vijayadashami and its Aparahna puja time) and its Bengal Durga Visarjan page for each city, fetched on 18 October 2026, in local time. Drik's Bengal Durga Visarjan date is the same as the Bengal Vijayadashami date in every city in the table.

The West Bengal government's 2026 holiday list has Maha Nabami on 20 October and Dashami on 21 October, and Kolkata pujas hold Debi Boron, Sindoor Khela and the first immersions on Wednesday 21 October. See our Kolkata Durga Puja 2026 calendar and Durga Puja and Bijoya Dashami in West Bengal.

Why North America is a day earlier than Kolkata and the UK

The Bengali panjika keeps Bijoya Dashami on the day when Dashami prevails at sunrise. Dashami begins at 12:50 PM IST on Tuesday 20 October and ends at 2:11 PM IST on Wednesday 21 October (Drik Panchang). In India that start is after Tuesday's sunrise, so the first Dashami sunrise is Wednesday.

In the UK, Dashami begins at 8:20 AM BST on Tuesday, after sunrise, so the UK also has its first Dashami sunrise on Wednesday 21 October, the same as Kolkata. In North America, Dashami begins in the small hours of Tuesday, at 3:20 AM in New York and Toronto and 12:20 AM in Los Angeles and Vancouver, before sunrise, so Drik gives Bengal Vijayadashami on Tuesday 20 October. By Wednesday's sunrise Dashami has ended there.

That is why North American committees face a choice: keep the local Drik date of Tuesday, follow Kolkata's Wednesday, or move the community farewell to the weekend. Committees choose differently, and your committee's priest decides. For the Navami days before, see our guides for the USA, Canada and the UK.

The rituals of Bijoya Dashami

Dashami puja and the farewell

On Dashami morning the priest performs the final puja. In many Bengali pujas the visarjan begins symbolically with the darpan visarjan, in which the Goddess's reflection is seen in a mirror or a bowl of water, and the Aparajita puja is offered for victory and protection. The Aparahna times in the table are Drik's afternoon window for the Bengal Vijayadashami rites.

Debi Boron

Married women then bid the Goddess farewell in Debi Boron: they offer sweets, paan (betel leaf) and sindoor, touch her feet and say goodbye, much as a family says goodbye to a daughter returning to her husband's home. Many wear the white sari with a red border for the day.

Sindoor Khela

After Debi Boron comes Sindoor Khela, the vermilion game: married women apply sindoor to one another's foreheads, hair-partings and faces and wish each other a long and happy married life, with laughter, conch shells and ululation. It is an expression of sisterhood and blessing, not a contest. Practice is evolving: in recent years many pujas, in India and abroad, have welcomed all women who wish to take part, while others keep the traditional form. Follow your puja's custom, and always ask before applying sindoor to anyone. For the meaning of sindoor itself, see the significance of sindoor.

In a hired hall: many venues worry about stains on floors and walls, so committees may set aside an area with floor covering. Follow their instructions.
Skin and eyes: some sindoor contains dyes that irritate skin. Use a product you trust, keep it away from eyes and children's faces, and wash off with mild soap and oil if your skin reacts.
Clothes: wear a sari or kurta you do not mind getting red; vermilion is hard to wash out.

The visarjan abroad

In Kolkata the images are carried to the ghats with the dhak and immersed. Abroad, committees usually cannot immerse images in open water, so many hold a symbolic visarjan, such as the darpan ritual, immersing the ghot (the sacred water pot) or a small clay image in a tub, following local rules. Bengali Durga Puja ends, in many pujas, with the priest sprinkling shantijal (peace water) on the gathered families.

Shubho Bijoya: pranam, Kolakuli and sweets

After the farewell, the mood changes from grief to warmth. Families visit each other and say "Shubho Bijoya":

Pranam: younger family members touch the feet of elders, who bless them.
Kolakuli: friends and people of the same age embrace each other in the Bijoya kolakuli.
Sweets: every visit comes with sweets such as narkel naru, nimki and ghugni; our Bijoya Dashami sweets recipe has them.
Calls and letters: families abroad phone or video-call elders in India for their Bijoya blessings; many time the call for India's Wednesday morning or evening.

Many Bengali associations abroad hold a Bijoya Sammilani, a get-together with food and songs, in the weeks after the puja. The next Bengali festival is Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on Sunday 25 October in India; see our Kojagari Lakshmi Puja 2026 guide.

Planning the week abroad

Monday 19 October: Maha Navami in the USA, Canada and the UK; Navami bhog and dhunuchi naach where committees meet.
Tuesday 20 October: Dussehra everywhere; Bengal Vijayadashami per Drik in the USA and Canada. See our Navratri parana guide for breaking the fast.
Wednesday 21 October: Bijoya Dashami in Kolkata and, per Drik, in the UK.
The following weekend: Sindoor Khela, symbolic visarjan or Bijoya gatherings at committees that move to the weekend.

Find your local community through our city guides for the USA, Canada and the UK. We had no confirmed 2026 Bijoya Dashami schedules for committees abroad when we checked, so we do not list any.

Frequently asked questions

When is Bijoya Dashami 2026?

In Kolkata, Bijoya Dashami is on Wednesday 21 October 2026, per the West Bengal holiday list and Drik Panchang's Bengal Vijayadashami page. Drik gives Wednesday 21 October for UK cities too, and Tuesday 20 October for cities in the USA and Canada.

Why is Bijoya Dashami a day earlier in the USA and Canada?

The Bengali rule needs Dashami at local sunrise. Dashami begins at 12:50 PM IST on Tuesday 20 October, which is before sunrise on Tuesday in North America but after sunrise in the UK and India, so North America's first Dashami sunrise is Tuesday and the UK's is Wednesday.

My committee is holding Sindoor Khela on the weekend. Is that wrong?

No. Committees abroad often rent halls only at weekends and move Sindoor Khela and Bijoya gatherings to the nearest Saturday or Sunday. The Dashami puja itself is usually done on the panjika day. Follow your committee's schedule.

Who can take part in Sindoor Khela?

Traditionally married women take part. In recent years many pujas have welcomed all women who wish to join, while others keep the traditional practice. Follow your puja's custom, and ask before applying sindoor to anyone.

What is Kolakuli?

Kolakuli is the warm embrace exchanged on Bijoya, usually between friends and people of the same age, after the younger ones have touched the feet of elders. It is part of the Shubho Bijoya greetings.

What do people say on Bijoya Dashami?

"Shubho Bijoya" is the usual greeting, and at the farewell of the Goddess many say "Asche bochor abar hobe", it will happen again next year.

Editor's note (18 October 2026)

Bengal Vijayadashami dates, Aparahna times and Dashami tithi times are from Drik Panchang's city pages, checked on 18 October 2026, and agree with our panchang data for the tithi at local sunrise. Kolkata dates follow the West Bengal government holiday list. Customs vary between families and pujas; no committee abroad is named because we could not confirm a 2026 Bijoya schedule.