Quick answer: Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 in Belfast is on Tuesday 20 October 2026. The Vijay Muhurat for Belfast is 2:50 PM – 3:31 PM local time (BST), calculated by the Drik Panchang method. Navratri begins on Sunday 11 October, and Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami fall together on Monday 19 October 2026.

Editor's note (5 October 2026): The Dussehra date and Navratri dates follow Drik Panchang. The Belfast Dashami, Aparahna, Vijay Muhurat and sunset times were calculated for Belfast's own latitude, longitude and time zone (Europe/London, UTC+1 on 20 October) using the Drik Panchang method; they are not India's times converted into UK time. We do not list 2026 event schedules, because temples and community groups set and announce their own programmes. Please check with them before you go.

Belfast's Hindu community is small but long established and growing fast. Indian families, many from Punjab, Gujarat and other parts of North India, began settling in Northern Ireland decades ago, and the Indian Community Centre on Clifton Street has housed a Hindu temple since the early 1980s. More recently, doctors, nurses, IT professionals and students from across India, Nepal and Bangladesh have joined them, bringing Bengali, South Indian and other regional traditions. For nine nights of Navratri the mandirs fill with aarti and bhajans, and on Vijayadashami families mark the victory of good over evil with puja, blessings and sweets.

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Dussehra 2026 dates and Belfast timings

ObservanceDate / time (Belfast, 2026)
Navratri begins (Ghatasthapana)Sunday 11 October
Durga Ashtami and Maha NavamiMonday 19 October
Dussehra / VijayadashamiTuesday 20 October
Dashami tithi beginsTue 20 Oct, 8:20 AM
Dashami tithi endsWed 21 Oct, 9:41 AM
Vijay Muhurat (Drik Panchang method)2:50 PM – 3:31 PM
Aparahna (afternoon puja window)2:09 PM – 4:11 PM
Sunset6:14 PM

All Belfast times are local British Summer Time (UTC+1); the UK clocks do not go back until the following Sunday. For reference, in India the Dashami tithi runs from 12:50 PM IST on 20 October to 2:11 PM IST on 21 October, and India also observes Vijayadashami on Tuesday 20 October. In Belfast the Dashami tithi covers the whole of the Aparahna on 20 October, so the Vijay Muhurat sits comfortably within Dashami and there is no doubt about the date.

Hindu temples in Belfast for Navratri & Dussehra

These temples and organisations are confirmed to be active in Belfast and Northern Ireland. We give names and areas only; check each one's website or social pages for opening times and 2026 programmes.

  • Indian Community Centre and Laxmi Narayan Mandir (Clifton Street, North Belfast): a registered charity set up in 1981 in a listed former church hall. Its Laxmi Narayan temple, consecrated in 1982, is the main gathering place for many Belfast Hindus at Navratri, Dussehra and Diwali.
  • ISKCON Belfast, Radha Madhava temple (Brooklands, Dunmurry, south-west Belfast): the Hare Krishna temple, based in a listed country house since the 1980s, with regular worship, kirtan and vegetarian food.
  • Radha-Krishna Temple (Malone Road, South Belfast): one of the city's three mandirs, serving families in the south of the city.
  • Belfast Durga Puja and Dussehra Festival (Belfast): a community group that brings together several Indian community and workplace groups to celebrate Durga Puja and Dussehra.
  • Northern Ireland Bengali Cultural Club (Belfast): a Bengali cultural group that organises an autumn Durga Puja for families across Northern Ireland.
  • Hare Krishna Island, Inish Rath (Lough Erne, County Fermanagh): an ISKCON community on an island in the west of Northern Ireland, a destination for some devotees at festival time.

Temples and community groups usually announce Navratri garba, Durga Puja, Ramlila and Ravan Dahan programmes a few weeks ahead — check their websites/social pages.

How Belfast celebrates Navratri and Dussehra

During Navratri the Belfast mandirs typically hold evening aarti, Devi bhajans and readings, and many families keep the nine-day fast with vrat foods such as sabudana, kuttu and fruit. On Ashtami or Navami, Kanya pujan is common in North Indian homes, with young girls honoured as forms of the Devi and served halwa, puri and chana.

Garba and dandiya

Gujarati and other families in Northern Ireland enjoy garba and dandiya raas, usually at community halls rather than huge venues. Devotees sing aarti before a shrine of Amba Mata and then dance in circles, and the biggest nights tend to fall at weekends.

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Durga Puja

Belfast has celebrated a community Durga Puja for over a decade, with an idol, anjali, bhog, dhak drumming and cultural programmes that draw Bengali Hindus from India, Bangladesh and Nepal. In India, the Bengal-tradition Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela fall on Wednesday 21 October 2026 (Drik Panchang, Kolkata), but diaspora Durga Pujas follow their committee, and many are held over a weekend.

Ramlila and Ravan Dahan

In North India, Dussehra is the night of Ravan Dahan, when effigies of Ravana are burnt after a Ramlila. In Northern Ireland this is usually much smaller: some groups hold a Ramayana-themed programme, a children's play or a symbolic effigy, often on the nearest weekend. Any outdoor fire or fireworks must follow council and fire-service rules.

South Indian and Nepali traditions

Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayali families keep their own customs at home: a Golu display of dolls, Saraswati and Ayudha puja on Navami, Bathukamma for Telangana families and Vidyarambham for young children on Vijayadashami. Nepali families mark Dashain, with tika and jamara blessings from elders.

Dussehra puja at home in Belfast

You do not need a temple to mark Vijayadashami. The most important rituals are done in the afternoon, ideally during the Vijay Muhurat (2:50 PM – 3:31 PM) or at least within the Aparahna (2:09 PM – 4:11 PM).

  • Aparajita puja: draw a simple eight-petalled lotus with rice or kumkum, place a lamp in the centre and pray to Devi Aparajita, the undefeated goddess, for victory over obstacles.
  • Shami puja: Shami trees do not grow in Ulster gardens, so many families use dried Shami leaves from Indian grocers, or offer prayers to a picture. Exchanging leaves as 'gold' with elders is a lovely custom for children.
  • Ayudha / Shastra puja: clean and worship the tools of your work — laptops, books, car keys, stethoscopes or work tools — with haldi, kumkum and flowers.
  • Vidyarambham: young children can write their first letters, or 'Om', in rice or on a slate, guided by a parent or elder.
  • Simple vidhi: light a diya, offer flowers, fruit and a sweet, recite a Rama or Durga stotra, do aarti and share prasad with the family.

For the full story of Dussehra and a detailed puja procedure, see our Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026 complete guide.

Practical tips for Dussehra in Belfast

  • It's a weekday: Tuesday 20 and Wednesday 21 October 2026 are normal working and school days. Do the afternoon puja on a lunch break or at home in the evening, and expect community programmes to cluster around the weekends.
  • Clocks: the UK is still on British Summer Time on 20 October, so the times on this page are BST. Sunset is at 6:14 PM.
  • Fireworks and fire: Northern Ireland has its own fireworks licensing rules, and open fires and effigy burning are a matter for the local council and fire service, so check official guidance before planning anything outdoors.
  • Getting there: parking near city-centre and North Belfast venues can be tight on festival evenings. Share lifts or use Metro buses where you can, and be considerate of neighbours.
  • Weather: October evenings in Belfast are cool, windy and often wet, so bring a coat for queues and outdoor events.

Frequently asked questions

When is Dussehra 2026 in Belfast?

Tuesday 20 October 2026. Navratri begins on Sunday 11 October, and Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami fall on Monday 19 October. In Belfast the Dashami tithi runs from 8:20 AM on Tuesday 20 October to 9:41 AM on Wednesday 21 October, local time.

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What is the Vijay Muhurat in Belfast on Dussehra 2026?

2:50 PM – 3:31 PM on Tuesday 20 October 2026, Belfast local time (BST), calculated by the Drik Panchang method. It falls inside the Aparahna (2:09 PM – 4:11 PM) and within the Dashami tithi, so it is a good window for Shami puja, Aparajita puja and Ayudha puja.

Which Hindu temples in Belfast celebrate Navratri and Dussehra?

The Laxmi Narayan Mandir inside the Indian Community Centre on Clifton Street in North Belfast is the city's best-known Hindu temple. ISKCON Belfast's Radha Madhava temple at Brooklands in Dunmurry and the Radha-Krishna Temple on the Malone Road are also in the city. Check each one's own website or social pages for 2026 programmes.

Is there Durga Puja in Belfast?

Yes, Belfast has had a community Durga Puja for over a decade, organised by Bengali and wider Indian community groups such as the Belfast Durga Puja and Dussehra Festival group and the Northern Ireland Bengali Cultural Club. We do not list 2026 events: groups usually announce their programmes a few weeks ahead, so check their social pages.

When is Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela in 2026?

In India, the Bengal-tradition Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela fall on Wednesday 21 October 2026 (Drik Panchang, Kolkata). Durga Pujas in Northern Ireland follow their own committee's schedule, often moved to a weekend, so check with the organisers.

Can I use India's Dussehra muhurat times in Belfast?

No. Muhurat windows depend on local sunrise and sunset, so India's clock times cannot simply be converted to UK time. Use the Belfast times on this page or your mandir's calendar.