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

Quick answer: Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 in Cardiff is on Tuesday 20 October 2026. The Vijay Muhurat for Cardiff is 2:41 PM – 3:23 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 Cardiff 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 Cardiff 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.

Cardiff is home to the oldest and largest Hindu community in Wales. Kutchi Gujarati families began settling in the city in the 1960s, joined by others who came from East Africa, while Bengali doctors and students started the first Durga Puja in South Wales in the early 1970s. Today the Welsh capital also has Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayali and Marathi families, many of them working in the NHS and universities, so Navratri here brings together Gujarati garba, Bengali Durga Puja, South Indian Golu and North Indian Ramayana traditions in temple halls and community centres across the city.

Dussehra 2026 dates and timings for Cardiff

In Cardiff 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 6:09 PM in Cardiff on the day.

Hindu temples in Cardiff for Navratri & Dussehra

These temples and organisations are established in Cardiff and South Wales. Programmes vary from year to year, so check each one's official website or social pages for current details.

• Shree Swaminarayan Temple, Grangetown: the first and largest Hindu temple in Wales, founded by the Kutchi Gujarati community. Its first festival was celebrated in 1979 in a converted former synagogue, and the present temple, with its three white spires, is a landmark of Grangetown.
• Sanatan Dharma Mandal and Hindu Community Centre, Splott: established in 1985 to serve Hindus across South Wales and now in a temple and community centre in Splott, known for the large Ramayana mural facing its shrine, a fitting backdrop for Dussehra.
• India Centre (Hindu Cultural Association, Wales), east Cardiff: the long-running Indian community centre run by the Hindu Cultural Association (Wales), founded in 1991 to serve the pan-Indian community, which hosts many cultural and spiritual events through the year.
• Wales Puja Committee, Cardiff: the Bengali-led charity behind Cardiff's Durga Puja, a tradition that began with a small group of doctors and students in 1972 and now draws families from across South Wales and beyond.
• Tŷ Krishna Cymru (ISKCON), Cardiff Bay: ISKCON's base in Wales, a temple and centre being developed in a historic Cardiff Bay building. Check its website for current programmes.
• Skanda Vale, Carmarthenshire: outside the city but well known to Welsh Hindus, this multi-faith ashram and temple honours Murugan and the Divine Mother and is a popular pilgrimage for families from Cardiff.

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 Cardiff celebrates Navratri and Dussehra

Garba and dandiya nights

With its Gujarati roots, Cardiff has a lively garba tradition. Typical evenings begin with an aarti to Amba Mata, followed by circular garba and dandiya raas to live music or a DJ, with families in chaniya choli and kediyu. Most Navratri nights fall on school and work days, so the biggest gatherings are often on the weekends.

Durga Puja

Cardiff has one of the oldest Durga Pujas in Britain outside London. 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, Kannada and Malayali families in Cardiff 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.

Ramlila and Ravan Dahan

North Indian and Punjabi Hindu families mark Dussehra as Rama's victory over Ravana. In Cardiff this usually means Ramayana readings, bhajans, children's plays and, occasionally, a small effigy burning organised by a community group where permission is granted. Large open-air Ravan Dahan events are rare in Wales, and anything involving fire or fireworks depends on the rules of Cardiff Council and South Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

Dussehra puja at home

Because 20 October is a working Tuesday, many Cardiff 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 (1:59 PM – 4:04 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 (2:41 PM – 3:23 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 Cardiff

• 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 and Cardiff Council. Check before planning anything at home or in a public space.
• Getting there: temple car parks and nearby streets fill quickly on festival evenings. Car-share, arrive early, and use local buses or trains where they serve your destination.
• Weather: late October evenings in South Wales are cool and often wet and windy. Bring layers and an umbrella.
• 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 Cardiff?

Tuesday 20 October 2026. Navratri begins on Sunday 11 October, and Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami both fall on Monday 19 October. In Cardiff 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 Cardiff on Dussehra 2026?

2:41 PM – 3:23 PM British Summer Time on Tuesday 20 October 2026, calculated by the Drik Panchang method for Cardiff. It falls inside the Aparahna (1:59 PM – 4:04 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 Cardiff timings on this page or your temple's calendar.

When is Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela in Cardiff?

In India, the Bengal-tradition Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela fall on Wednesday 21 October 2026 (Drik Panchang, Kolkata). Durga Puja committees in Wales, such as the Wales Puja Committee, set their own schedules, so follow your committee's announcements.

Which temples in Cardiff celebrate Navratri and Dussehra?

The Shree Swaminarayan Temple in Grangetown, the Sanatan Dharma Mandal and Hindu Community Centre in Splott and the India Centre run by the Hindu Cultural Association (Wales) are among the main Hindu places in the city, and the Wales Puja Committee organises Durga Puja. Check each one's website or social pages for its 2026 programme.

Is there Ravan Dahan in Cardiff?

Large open-air Ravan Dahan events are uncommon in Wales. Where a temple or community group does hold a Ramlila or effigy burning, it is usually on a weekend near Dussehra and subject to Cardiff 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 Bristol
• Dussehra 2026 in Birmingham
• Dussehra 2026 in Southampton
• Dussehra 2026 in London
• Navratri 2026 in the UK, city by city
• Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026: complete guide