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

Quick answer: Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 in Jacksonville is on Tuesday 20 October 2026. The Vijay Muhurat for Jacksonville is 3:04 PM – 3:49 PM local time (EDT, UTC-4), 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 Jacksonville timings on this page were calculated for the city's own sunrise and sunset using the Drik Panchang method, in local Eastern Daylight Time (Florida is still on daylight saving time on 20 October). India's Dashami tithi runs from 12:50 PM IST on 20 October to 2:11 PM IST on 21 October; the Jacksonville 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.

Jacksonville's Hindu community has grown steadily alongside the city's hospitals, banks, technology firms and naval bases. Many families live in the Southside, Mandarin, Arlington and the fast-growing suburbs of St. Johns County, and Navratri on the First Coast brings together Gujarati garba, South Indian Golu, Telugu Bathukamma and Bengali Durga Puja, often in temple halls, school gyms and community centres.

Dussehra 2026 dates and timings for Jacksonville

In Jacksonville the Dashami tithi begins in the early hours of Tuesday 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.

Hindu temples in Jacksonville for Navratri & Dussehra

These temples and organisations serve Jacksonville and Northeast Florida. Programmes vary from year to year, so check each one's official website for current details.

• Hindu Society of Northeast Florida (HSNEF), Southside: the city's main community temple on Greenland Road, serving both North and South Indian traditions with daily worship and the major festivals of the year, including Navratri and Vijayadashami.
• BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Arlington: the BAPS mandir for Jacksonville, on Merrill Road, with regular satsang, festival assemblies and youth activities.
• Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple, Jacksonville: a Shirdi Sai temple with weekly satsangs; Vijayadashami is also observed by Sai devotees as Baba's Mahasamadhi day.
• Chinmaya Mission Jacksonville, Southside: a satellite of Chinmaya Mission Orlando whose Sunday Bala Vihar classes teach children shlokas, bhajans, the Ramayana and the meaning of festivals such as Navratri and Dussehra.
• ISKCON New Raman Reti, Alachua: the large Hare Krishna temple community in north-central Florida, a day trip from Jacksonville, where Vijayadashami is remembered as the day of Lord Rama's victory.

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 Jacksonville celebrates Navratri and Dussehra

Garba and dandiya nights

Gujarati families are a large part of Jacksonville's Indian community, and garba and dandiya raas are the most visible part of Navratri in the city. A typical evening begins with an aarti to Amba Mata, followed by hours of circular garba and dandiya with live music or a DJ, with families dressed in chaniya choli and kediyu. Because most Navratri nights in 2026 fall on weekdays, the biggest garba events are usually held on weekends in temple halls, banquet venues and school gyms.

Durga Puja

Bengali families in Northeast Florida celebrate Durga Puja with 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. Smaller communities like Jacksonville's often hold a compact puja over one or two days, and some families travel to larger pujas elsewhere in Florida or in Atlanta.

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 flower stacks 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 families mark Dussehra with Rama's victory over Ravana. In Jacksonville this usually means Ramayana readings, children's Ramlila skits at temples and Bala Vihar classes and, where local rules allow, a small effigy burning held by a community group. Large open-air Ravan Dahan events are far less common than in India, and any burning depends on permits from the local fire authorities.

Dussehra puja at home

Because 20 October is a working Tuesday, many Jacksonville 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 (2:19 PM – 4:34 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 (Prosopis) plant or a few Shami or Apta leaves, ideally during the Vijay Muhurat (3:04 PM – 3:49 PM). Exchanging leaves as 'gold' with friends is a lovely 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 Jacksonville

• Weekday festival: Tuesday 20 October and Wednesday 21 October are school and work days. Plan a quick puja after work 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 Florida law and local authorities in Duval and St. Johns counties. Check before planning anything at home.
• Getting there: Jacksonville is spread out and most people drive. Temple car parks fill up on festival weekends, so carpool and arrive early.
• Weather: October in Northeast Florida is usually mild but can be humid, and it is still hurricane season. Keep an eye on the forecast for outdoor events.
• Clock check: the US is still on daylight saving time on 20 October, so the times on this page are EDT.

Frequently asked questions

When is Dussehra 2026 in Jacksonville?

Tuesday 20 October 2026. Navratri begins on Sunday 11 October, and Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami both fall on Monday 19 October. In Jacksonville the Dashami tithi runs from Tue 20 Oct, 3:20 AM to Wed 21 Oct, 4:41 AM local time, so it covers the whole afternoon of the 20th.

What is the Vijay Muhurat in Jacksonville on Dussehra 2026?

3:04 PM – 3:49 PM Eastern Daylight Time on Tuesday 20 October 2026, calculated by the Drik Panchang method for Jacksonville. It falls inside the Aparahna (2:19 PM – 4:34 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 Jacksonville time. Use the Jacksonville timings on this page or your temple's calendar.

When is Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela in Jacksonville?

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

Which temples in Jacksonville celebrate Navratri and Dussehra?

The Hindu Society of Northeast Florida temple on the Southside, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Arlington and the Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple are among the places that mark the festival, and Chinmaya Mission Jacksonville runs Bala Vihar classes for children. Check each one's website for its 2026 programme.

Is there Ravan Dahan in Jacksonville?

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

Related guides

• Dussehra 2026 USA, state by state
• Dussehra 2026 in Orlando
• Dussehra 2026 in Tampa
• Dussehra 2026 in Miami
• Dussehra 2026 in Atlanta
• Dussehra 2026 in Charlotte
• Navratri 2026 in the USA, city by city
• Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026: complete guide