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

Quick answer: Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 in Glasgow is on Tuesday 20 October 2026. The Vijay Muhurat for Glasgow is 2:42 PM – 3:23 PM UK time (BST, UTC+1), calculated by the Drik Panchang method. The Dashami tithi begins locally at 8:20 AM on 20 October, so the whole afternoon is auspicious for Shami puja, Aparajita puja and Shastra puja.

Editor's note (5 October 2026): The Glasgow times on this page were calculated for the city's own sunrise and sunset using the Drik Panchang method, with the all-India Dashami tithi (12:50 PM IST 20 October to 2:11 PM IST 21 October) shown in UK time. The UK is still on British Summer Time on 20 October. We do not list 2026 event schedules, venues or ticket details, because temples and community groups announce these themselves each year; please check their official channels before you go.

Glasgow is home to Scotland's largest Hindu community, with families whose roots lie in Punjab, Gujarat, Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, Sri Lanka and East Africa. Today Navratri brings Devi worship in the mandirs, garba nights, Durga Puja and quiet home pujas, all leading up to Vijayadashami.

Dussehra 2026 dates and Glasgow timings

Navratri and Ashtami/Navami dates follow Drik Panchang for India. In India, Vijayadashami is on Tuesday 20 October 2026, with the Dashami tithi running from 12:50 PM IST that day to 2:11 PM IST on 21 October. In Glasgow the Dashami covers the entire afternoon of 20 October, overlapping the Aparahna by about two hours, so there is no doubt about the date: Dussehra is Tuesday 20 October. The UK clocks go back only at the end of October, so all times here are in BST (UTC+1).

Hindu temples in Glasgow for Navratri & Dussehra

These mandirs and organisations serve Hindu families in Glasgow and the west of Scotland. Temples and community groups usually announce Navratri garba, Durga Puja, Ramlila and Ravan Dahan programmes a few weeks ahead — check their websites/social pages.

• Hindu Mandir Glasgow — La Belle Place, Park area of the West End; the city's long-established mandir, whose community dates back to the late 1960s.
• Hindu Temple of Scotland (Sri Sundara Ganapathi Temple) — Rutherglen, on the south-east edge of Glasgow, in a converted former church.
• ISKCON Karuna Bhavan — Lesmahagow, South Lanarkshire; the Hare Krishna temple and community serving Scotland.
• SABASH (Scottish Association of Bengali Arts and Sanskritik Heritage) — a Scotland-wide Bengali cultural charity that has organised Durga Puja in recent years.

Glasgow has fewer mandirs than English cities with similar-sized Hindu communities, so families often travel across the city, to Rutherglen or out to South Lanarkshire during Navratri, and some make the trip to Edinburgh for larger programmes. Visit the official site or social page of the temple you plan to attend for current opening hours and festival plans.

How Glasgow celebrates Navratri and Dussehra

Devi worship in the mandirs

For many Glasgow families, Navratri centres on the temple. The nine nights typically bring daily aarti and bhajans to the forms of the Goddess, recitation of the Durga Saptashati, kirtan and shared prasad, with Kanya pujan on Ashtami or Navami, when young girls are honoured as forms of the Devi. Many devotees keep a full or partial fast, eating vrat food such as kuttu, singhara and sabudana.

Garba and dandiya nights

Gujarati families and an ever-wider mix of friends gather for garba in Glasgow during Navratri. Evenings usually begin with aarti to Ambe Maa around a decorated garbo, followed by circle dancing to live or recorded music, with dandiya raas on some nights. Because temple halls are small, larger nights often take place in hired community halls, and weekends tend to be the busiest.

Durga Puja

Bengali families in Glasgow and across Scotland celebrate Durga Puja with an idol of Ma Durga flanked by Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartikeya, daily pushpanjali, the beat of the dhak, bhog and evening cultural programmes. Pujas in the Glasgow area have been held in hired halls and churches, and diaspora pujas are often arranged around weekends, so the days may not match India exactly. In India, Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela fall on Wednesday 21 October 2026 (Drik Panchang, Kolkata); in Scotland, follow your puja committee's own schedule.

Ramlila and Ravan Dahan

North Indian and Punjabi families remember Rama's victory over Ravana on Dussehra. In Scotland, large outdoor effigy burnings are rare and depend on venue and council permission, so celebrations are more often a Ramayana recital, a children's Ramlila skit or a symbolic small effigy at a community event. With sunset at 6:05 PM in Glasgow, any evening programme can begin fairly early.

South Indian traditions: Golu, Ayudha Puja, Bathukamma and Vidyarambham

Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayali families in Glasgow keep their own customs. Many Tamil homes set up a Golu (Bommai Kolu) of dolls on steps and invite friends over. Saraswati and Ayudha Puja honour books, instruments, tools and vehicles, and Vijayadashami is the day for Vidyarambham, when small children write their first letters. Telangana families in Scotland have also kept up Bathukamma, with flower stacks, songs and circle dances in the run-up to Dasara.

Dussehra puja at home in Glasgow

With 20 October a working day, a short home puja is how many Glasgow families mark Vijayadashami. The ideal time for the main worship is the Vijay Muhurat, 2:42 PM – 3:23 PM, or failing that anywhere in the Aparahna (2:02 PM – 4:03 PM). If you are at work, a puja in the evening with family is still meaningful.

• Aparajita puja: draw a simple eight-petalled lotus with kumkum or rice flour, invoke Goddess Aparajita, the unconquered, and offer flowers, akshata and a lamp, praying for victory over obstacles.
• Shami puja: the Shami tree does not grow in Scotland, so many families use Shami leaves from an Indian grocer, a small potted plant or a mental offering. Exchange leaves (or Apta leaves in the Maharashtrian custom) as 'gold' with elders and friends.
• Ayudha / Shastra puja: clean and decorate tools, cars, bikes, laptops and books, apply tilak, and offer flowers and incense.
• Vidyarambham: help a young child write 'Om' or the first letters of the alphabet in a plate of rice, ideally guided by a grandparent, teacher or priest.
• Simple vidhi: bathe, light a diya, pray to Ganesha first, then the Goddess and Lord Rama; recite a Ramayana passage or the Durga Saptashati if you can; offer sweets as prasad and seek elders' blessings.

For the full puja procedure, stories and meaning of Vijayadashami, see our Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026 complete guide.

Practical tips for Dussehra in Glasgow

• Weekday planning: Tuesday 20 and Wednesday 21 October are normal working days. Book leave early if you want to attend a daytime puja, and check whether your temple is holding its main programme at the weekend.
• Fireworks and effigies: rules on fireworks, bonfires and effigy burning are set by local authorities and venues. Check with Glasgow City Council or your local council and the organisers, and only attend properly managed events.
• Getting there: parking near city-centre and West End venues is limited. The Subway, trains and buses, or car sharing, can make evening events easier, and allow extra time on busy weekend nights.
• Weather: late October in Glasgow is often cold, wet and windy, so bring a warm layer and a waterproof for evening events and queues.
• Fasting: Indian grocers on the South Side and elsewhere in the city stock kuttu, singhara and sabudana for Navratri vrat food.
• Use local times: do not convert India's muhurat into UK time; use the Glasgow times above or your temple's panchang.

Frequently asked questions

When is Dussehra 2026 in Glasgow?

Dussehra (Vijayadashami) in Glasgow is on Tuesday 20 October 2026, the same day as in India. Navratri begins on Sunday 11 October, and Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami fall on Monday 19 October.

What is the Vijay Muhurat in Glasgow on Dussehra 2026?

2:42 PM – 3:23 PM UK time (BST) on Tuesday 20 October 2026, calculated by the Drik Panchang method for Glasgow. It falls inside the Aparahna (2:02 PM – 4:03 PM) and well within the Dashami tithi, which runs locally from 8:20 AM on 20 October to 9:41 AM on 21 October.

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

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

Where can I celebrate Navratri and Dussehra in Glasgow?

Hindu Mandir Glasgow at La Belle Place in the West End and the Hindu Temple of Scotland in Rutherglen are the main mandirs, and ISKCON's Karuna Bhavan in Lesmahagow, South Lanarkshire, also serves the region. They announce their programmes a few weeks ahead, so check their websites and social pages.

When is Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela in 2026?

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

Is Dussehra a holiday in Scotland?

No. Tuesday 20 October 2026 is a normal working day in Scotland. Many temples and community groups hold larger celebrations on the nearest weekend.

Related guides

• Dussehra 2026 UK, region by region
• Navratri 2026 in the UK, city by city
• Dussehra 2026 in Edinburgh
• Dussehra 2026 in Belfast
• Dussehra 2026 in Manchester
• Dussehra 2026 in Preston
• Dussehra 2026 in Leeds
• Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026: complete guide