Dussehra 2026 in Birmingham: Date, Vijay Muhurat, Temples and Navratri Celebrations

Quick answer: Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 in Birmingham is on Tuesday 20 October 2026. The Vijay Muhurat for Birmingham is 2:35 PM – 3:16 PM local time (BST, UTC+1), 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 Birmingham timings on this page were calculated for the city's own sunrise and sunset using the Drik Panchang method, in local British Summer Time (the UK is still on summer time on 20 October; clocks go back on the following Sunday). India's Dashami tithi runs from 12:50 PM IST on 20 October to 2:11 PM IST on 21 October; the Birmingham equivalents are shown below. We do not list 2026 event schedules, venues or ticket details, because temples and community groups announce these themselves. Please check their official websites and social pages before you go.

Birmingham and the wider West Midlands are home to one of Britain's largest and longest-established Hindu communities. Gujarati families, many of whom arrived from India and East Africa in the 1960s and 1970s, Punjabi Hindus, and more recently Telugu, Tamil, Bengali and other South Asian professionals have built temples from Handsworth and Hall Green to Tividale and West Bromwich. Navratri here brings together Gujarati garba, Bengali Durga Puja, South Indian Golu and Bathukamma, and North Indian Ramayana traditions, in temple halls, community centres and school sports halls across the region.

Dussehra 2026 dates and timings for Birmingham

In Birmingham the Dashami tithi begins on Tuesday morning and lasts through the whole afternoon, so the Aparahna and Dashami overlap fully and there is no ambiguity about the date: Vijayadashami is Tuesday 20 October. The Vijay Muhurat, the eleventh of the fifteen daytime muhurtas, sits comfortably within both the Aparahna and the Dashami tithi. Ravan Dahan, where held, traditionally takes place after sunset, which is at 6:02 PM in Birmingham on the day.

Hindu temples in Birmingham for Navratri & Dussehra

These temples and organisations are established in Birmingham and the neighbouring Black Country. Programmes vary from year to year, so check each one's official website for current details.

• Shri Venkateswara (Balaji) Temple, Tividale: a large temple complex inspired by the Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh, dedicated to Lord Venkateswara with shrines to Hanuman, Shiva, Murugan, Ganesh, Ayyappan and the Navagraha. It is a focal point for the region's Telugu and Tamil families.
• Shree Geeta Bhawan, Handsworth: the first Hindu temple in the West Midlands, opened in 1969 in a former church on the Handsworth–Lozells border, with weekly Durga Maa puja. It hosted the Midlands' first Durga Puja in its opening year.
• BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Hall Green: the BAPS mandir for Birmingham, whose new traditional mandir was inaugurated in 2021, serving a large Gujarati congregation.
• ISKCON Birmingham, Edgbaston: the Hare Krishna community, home of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai and Jagannatha, where Vijayadashami is remembered as the day of Lord Rama's victory. Its temple building has been under redevelopment, so check its website for where programmes are held.
• Shree Krishna Mandir, West Bromwich: one of the oldest Hindu temples in the West Midlands, founded by Gujarati families in a former chapel in 1971 and rebuilt after a fire.

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 Birmingham celebrates Navratri and Dussehra

Garba and dandiya nights

With its large Gujarati community, Birmingham has a strong garba tradition. Typical evenings begin with an aarti to Amba Mata, followed by hours of circular garba and dandiya raas with live musicians or a DJ, with families dressed in chaniya choli and kediyu. Many nights are held in temple halls and community centres, and the biggest events are often on the weekends, since most Navratri nights in October fall on school and work days.

Durga Puja

Bengali families in the West Midlands have celebrated Durga Puja since the late 1960s. A typical puja includes the beat of the dhak, pushpanjali on Ashtami, Sandhi Puja, bhog, cultural programmes and, at the end, Bijoya Dashami with Sindoor Khela and farewell to the Goddess. In India the Bengal-tradition Bijoya Dashami falls on Wednesday 21 October 2026 (Drik Panchang, Kolkata), but diaspora pujas follow their own committee's schedule, often fitted around weekends.

Golu, Bathukamma and Ayudha Puja

Tamil, Telugu and Kannada families keep their own Navaratri customs. Many homes set up a Golu (Bommai Kolu) of dolls on stepped shelves and invite friends for kumkum, songs and sundal. Telangana families celebrate Bathukamma with stacked flower arrangements and circle songs, often at community gatherings. On Navami, Ayudha Puja honours tools, books, instruments and vehicles, and on Vijayadashami many children begin learning with Vidyarambham, which South Indian temples often hold for young children.

Ramlila and Ravan Dahan

North Indian and Punjabi Hindu families mark Dussehra with Rama's victory over Ravana. In Birmingham this usually means Ramayana readings, children's Ramlila performances and, where permission is granted, a small effigy burning organised by a temple or community group. Large open-air Ravan Dahan events are far less common than in India, and anything involving fire or fireworks depends on the rules of the local council and fire service.

Dussehra puja at home

Because 20 October is a working Tuesday, many Birmingham families keep a short home puja and join community celebrations at the weekend. A simple vidhi:

• Prepare: clean the puja area, place an image of Durga, Rama or your family deity, and keep flowers, rice, kumkum, a diya and incense ready.
• Aparajita puja: in the Aparahna (1:54 PM – 3:58 PM), draw a small eight-petalled lotus with kumkum or rice and worship Goddess Aparajita, praying for victory over obstacles.
• Shami puja: offer worship to a Shami plant or a few Shami or Apta leaves, ideally during the Vijay Muhurat (2:35 PM – 3:16 PM). Exchanging leaves as 'gold' with friends is a Maharashtrian and Karnataka custom.
• Ayudha / Shastra puja: clean and decorate tools, laptops, books, musical instruments and the car, apply kumkum and offer a flower.
• Vidyarambham: children can write their first letters or 'Om' in rice, or begin a new class or instrument.
• Close: light the diya, offer naivedya and sing an aarti. If you kept the Navratri fast, break it as per your family custom.

For the meaning of Dussehra, the stories behind it and a fuller puja procedure, see our Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026 pillar guide.

Practical tips for Dussehra in Birmingham

• Weekday festival: Tuesday 20 October and Wednesday 21 October are school and work days. Plan a quick puja in the lunch hour or arrange a short break during the Vijay Muhurat.
• Weekend events: many garba nights, Durga Pujas and Ramlila programmes are held on the weekends either side of Dussehra. Check dates directly with the organisers.
• Fire and fireworks: rules on fireworks, open flames and effigy burning are set by UK law, Birmingham City Council and neighbouring councils. Check before planning anything at home or in a public space.
• Getting there: temple car parks fill quickly on festival evenings. Car-share, arrive early, and use buses, trains or the West Midlands Metro where they serve your destination.
• Weather: late October evenings in the Midlands are cool and often wet. Bring layers and an umbrella for outdoor events.
• Clock check: the UK is still on British Summer Time on 20 October, so the times on this page are BST.

Frequently asked questions

When is Dussehra 2026 in Birmingham?

Tuesday 20 October 2026. Navratri begins on Sunday 11 October, and Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami both fall on Monday 19 October. In Birmingham the Dashami tithi runs from Tue 20 Oct, 8:20 AM to Wed 21 Oct, 9:41 AM local time, so it covers the whole afternoon of the 20th.

What is the Vijay Muhurat in Birmingham on Dussehra 2026?

2:35 PM – 3:16 PM British Summer Time on Tuesday 20 October 2026, calculated by the Drik Panchang method for Birmingham. It falls inside the Aparahna (1:54 PM – 3:58 PM), and the whole window is within the Dashami tithi.

Can I use the Vijay Muhurat published for India?

No. Muhurat windows depend on local sunrise and sunset, so India's times cannot simply be converted into UK time. Use the Birmingham timings on this page or your temple's calendar.

When is Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela in Birmingham?

In India, the Bengal-tradition Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela fall on Wednesday 21 October 2026 (Drik Panchang, Kolkata). Durga Puja committees in the West Midlands set their own schedules, often around the weekend, so follow your puja committee's announcements.

Which temples in Birmingham celebrate Navratri and Dussehra?

Shri Venkateswara (Balaji) Temple in Tividale, Shree Geeta Bhawan in Handsworth, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Hall Green, ISKCON Birmingham and the Shree Krishna Mandir in West Bromwich are among the places that mark the festival. Check each one's website for its 2026 programme.

Is there Ravan Dahan in Birmingham?

Some temples and community groups in the region hold Ramlila or Ravan Dahan programmes, usually on a weekend near Dussehra and subject to local council and fire safety rules. Temples and community groups usually announce these a few weeks ahead, so check their websites and social pages.

Related guides

• Dussehra 2026 UK, region by region
• Dussehra 2026 in Wolverhampton
• Dussehra 2026 in Coventry
• Dussehra 2026 in Leicester
• Dussehra 2026 in Nottingham
• Dussehra 2026 in London
• Navratri 2026 in the UK, city by city
• Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026: complete guide