Dussehra 2026 in Brisbane: Date, Vijay Muhurat, Temples and How the City Celebrates

Quick answer: Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 in Brisbane is on Wednesday 21 October 2026, one day after India. The Vijay Muhurat for Brisbane is 1:41 PM – 2:32 PM AEST, calculated by the Drik Panchang method. Navratri begins on Sunday 11 October 2026.

Brisbane's Hindu community has grown quickly over the past two decades. Alongside long-settled Fiji Indian families, the city is home to people from North and South India, Gujarat, Punjab, Bengal, Sri Lanka and Nepal, many of them living in the southern suburbs around Sunnybank, Eight Mile Plains and Runcorn, and in the growing corridors to the north and west. During Navratri and Dussehra that mix shows up as garba nights, Durga Puja, Golu displays, Ramayan recitals and Vijayadashami puja at temples across South East Queensland. This guide gives you the local dates and times and points you to the temples to follow.

Editor's note (5 October 2026): The Brisbane times on this page were calculated for Brisbane (Australia/Brisbane, UTC+10, Australian Eastern Standard Time) from the Drik Panchang Dashami tithi of 12:50 PM IST on 20 October to 2:11 PM IST on 21 October 2026. The Vijay Muhurat uses the Drik Panchang method (the 11th of 15 daytime muhurtas). We do not list event schedules, venues or ticket details, because temples and community groups announce these themselves each year.

Dussehra 2026 Brisbane: dates and timings

Why Wednesday? In India, the Dashami tithi begins at 12:50 PM IST on Tuesday 20 October, so it covers the Indian afternoon and Dussehra is on the 20th. Brisbane is four and a half hours ahead of India, so the same moment is 5:20 PM on Tuesday in Brisbane, after the Aparahna has ended. On Wednesday, Dashami runs through the whole Brisbane afternoon, so Vijayadashami is observed on Wednesday 21 October. The Vijay Muhurat falls comfortably inside the Dashami tithi.

Do not convert India's muhurat times into Brisbane time. Muhurats depend on local sunrise and sunset, which is why Brisbane has its own window.

Hindu temples in Brisbane for Navratri & Dussehra

These temples and organisations are well established in Brisbane and its surrounds. Most mark Navratri with special pujas, bhajans or recitals, and many hold a Vijayadashami observance.

• Sri Selva Vinayakar Koyil: South Maclean, south of Brisbane on the Logan side
• Shree Laxminarayan Mandir: Burbank
• Gayatri Mandir (Hindu Society of Queensland): Boondall
• BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir: Kingston
• ISKCON Brisbane (Hare Krishna temple): Graceville
• Bengali Society of Queensland: community organisation known for its Durga Puja festival

Temples and community groups usually announce Navratri garba, Durga Puja, Ramlila and Ravan Dahan programmes a few weeks ahead — check their websites/social pages. Timings change, so confirm before you travel.

How Brisbane celebrates Navratri and Dussehra

Garba and dandiya nights

Gujarati and North Indian community groups in Brisbane hire halls and school grounds for garba and dandiya nights through Navratri, usually concentrated on weekends. A typical night opens with aarti to Amba Mata, followed by hours of circle dancing to live or recorded music, with families dressed in chaniya choli and kediyu. Many groups ask you to book in advance, and some events draw dancers from the Gold Coast and Logan as well.

Durga Puja

Brisbane's Bengali community organises Durga Puja every year, with the idol of Durga flanked by Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesh and Kartik, the beat of the dhak, morning anjali, bhog and evening cultural programmes. In India, Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela fall on Wednesday 21 October 2026 (Drik Panchang, Kolkata). Brisbane committees follow their own schedule, often shifting the main days to a weekend, so check your puja committee's announcements.

Golu, Saraswati Puja and Ayudha Puja

Tamil, Telugu and Kannada families set up Golu (Bommai Kolu, Bombe Habba) steps of dolls at home and visit each other's displays in the evenings with sundal and thamboolam. On the ninth day, books, instruments and tools are placed before Saraswati for Saraswati Puja and Ayudha Puja, and on Vijayadashami they are taken back with a blessing. Sri Lankan Tamil families mark Navarathri and Vijayadashami at South Indian temples such as Sri Selva Vinayakar Koyil. Telugu women often celebrate Bathukamma with flower stacks, songs and circle dances.

Ramayan recitals, Ramlila and Ravan Dahan

For Fiji Indian and North Indian families, Navratri is often a time of Ramayan path, bhajan and kirtan at the mandir, building up to Rama's victory on Dussehra. Ramlila performances and Ravan Dahan, the burning of a Ravana effigy, are community events in Brisbane, sometimes with a small effigy and a short dramatisation of the Ramayana. Because Wednesday 21 October is a working day, many groups hold them on a nearby weekend. Any open fire, fireworks or effigy burning needs approval from the local council and fire authorities, so organisers set the format each year.

Dashain for Nepali families

Brisbane also has a sizeable Nepali community, for whom this season is Dashain. Families sow jamara on Ghatasthapana and, on Vijaya Dashami, elders give tika and jamara to younger relatives with their blessings. Nepali community associations usually arrange gatherings around the main days.

Dussehra puja at home in Brisbane

You can mark Vijayadashami at home on Wednesday 21 October even if you cannot reach a temple.

• Aparajita and Shami puja: worship Goddess Aparajita and the Shami tree (or a Shami leaf or twig) during the Vijay Muhurat, 1:41 PM – 2:32 PM, or anywhere in the Aparahna, 12:50 PM – 3:24 PM. Shami leaves are exchanged as 'gold' with family and friends in many traditions.
• Ayudha Puja / Shastra puja: clean and decorate tools, vehicles, laptops, books and musical instruments, apply kumkum and turmeric, and offer flowers and a lamp.
• Vidyarambham: Vijayadashami is a favourite day for young children to begin learning. The child traces letters or 'Om' in rice or sand, guided by a parent or elder.
• Simple vidhi: light a diya, offer flowers, fruit and sweets to Durga or Rama, chant a Durga stotram or Rama naam, take a small step outside the house (seemollanghan) to symbolise victory, and seek the blessings of elders.
• Begin something new: the day is traditionally auspicious for new ventures, purchases and journeys.

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

Practical tips for Dussehra in Brisbane

• It's a weekday: Wednesday 21 October is a normal school and work day in Queensland. The Vijay Muhurat falls in the early afternoon, so a short lunch-hour puja is possible; keep the longer family puja for the evening, before Dashami ends at 6:41 PM.
• Weekend events: most garba, Durga Puja and Ravan Dahan events are held on weekends, so the date of an event may differ from the tithi date.
• Getting there: temple car parks fill quickly on festival days, and some temples, such as the one at South Maclean, are a fair drive from the city. Car-pooling or arriving early helps.
• Fire safety: fireworks and effigy burning are controlled by Queensland authorities and local councils. Check current rules and any fire bans in your area, and do not burn effigies at home.
• Clocks: Queensland does not use daylight saving time, so Brisbane stays on AEST (UTC+10) in October, one hour behind Sydney and Melbourne. All times on this page already allow for this.
• Follow your temple: if your temple's calendar differs from this page, go with your temple.

Frequently asked questions

When is Dussehra 2026 in Brisbane?

Wednesday 21 October 2026. In India Vijayadashami is on Tuesday 20 October, but in Brisbane the Dashami tithi only begins at 5:20 PM on Tuesday (AEST), after that afternoon's Aparahna, so the festival moves to Wednesday.

What is the Vijay Muhurat in Brisbane on Dussehra 2026?

1:41 PM – 2:32 PM AEST on Wednesday 21 October 2026, calculated by the Drik Panchang method for Brisbane. The wider Aparahna window is 12:50 PM – 3:24 PM, and the Dashami tithi lasts until 6:41 PM that evening.

Why is Dussehra a day later in Brisbane than in India?

Tithis begin at the same moment worldwide, but Brisbane's clock is four and a half hours ahead of India's. The Dashami that starts at 12:50 PM IST on 20 October begins at 5:20 PM in Brisbane, after the afternoon window has passed, so Wednesday is the day when Dashami covers the Brisbane afternoon.

Can I use India's Vijay Muhurat in Brisbane?

No. Muhurat windows depend on local sunrise and sunset, so India's times cannot simply be converted into AEST. Use the Brisbane times on this page or your temple's panchang.

When is Durga Puja and Sindoor Khela in Brisbane?

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

Where can I celebrate Navratri and Dussehra in Brisbane?

Temples such as Sri Selva Vinayakar Koyil (South Maclean), Shree Laxminarayan Mandir (Burbank), Gayatri Mandir (Boondall), BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Kingston) and ISKCON Brisbane (Graceville) usually mark the season. Check their websites or social pages for 2026 programmes.

Related guides

• Dussehra 2026 Australia, city by city
• Dussehra 2026 on the Gold Coast
• Dussehra 2026 on the Sunshine Coast
• Dussehra 2026 in Toowoomba
• Dussehra 2026 in Sydney
• Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026: complete guide
• Navratri 2026: complete guide for NRI families
• Diwali 2026 Australia: Lakshmi Puja muhurat city by city