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

Quick answer: Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 in Los Angeles is on Tuesday 20 October 2026. The Vijay Muhurat in Los Angeles is 2:29 PM – 3:14 PM Pacific Daylight Time, calculated by the Drik Panchang method, inside the Aparahna period of 1:44 PM – 3:58 PM. Navratri begins on Sunday 11 October, and Dashami tithi runs from 12:20 AM on 20 October to 1:41 AM on 21 October, local time.

Editor's note (5 October 2026): The Los Angeles dates and times on this page were calculated for the city's own sunrise, sunset and time zone (America/Los_Angeles, UTC-0700 on 20 October, as California is still on daylight saving time) using the Drik Panchang method. India's times have not been converted into Los Angeles time. We do not list 2026 event schedules, venues or tickets, because temples and community groups announce these themselves; please check their official websites and social pages.

Greater Los Angeles is home to one of the oldest and most diverse Hindu communities on the West Coast. Gujarati, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Malayali, Hindi-speaking and other families live from the San Fernando Valley to the Inland Empire and the Cerritos–Artesia corridor, so October brings garba nights, Durga Puja and Golu displays across the region.

Dussehra 2026 dates and timings for Los Angeles

All Los Angeles times are Pacific Daylight Time (UTC-0700). For reference, in India Vijayadashami is also on Tuesday 20 October 2026, with Dashami tithi from 12:50 PM IST on 20 October to 2:11 PM IST on 21 October. Because Dashami begins just after midnight in Los Angeles, the Vijay Muhurat and the whole Aparahna fall within the tithi. Ravan Dahan, where it is held, traditionally takes place after sunset.

Hindu temples in Los Angeles for Navratri & Dussehra

These Greater Los Angeles temples and organisations are well established and regularly mark Navratri, Durga Puja or Vijayadashami. Temples and community groups usually announce Navratri garba, Durga Puja, Ramlila and Ravan Dahan programmes a few weeks ahead — check their websites/social pages.

• Malibu Hindu Temple (Calabasas): run by the Hindu Temple Society of Southern California, this South Indian-style temple to Sri Venkateswara, with a lower complex dedicated to Lord Shiva, is one of the oldest and busiest Hindu temples on the West Coast.
• BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Chino Hills): the hand-carved marble and sandstone mandir in the Inland Empire, a major centre for the Gujarati community and open to visitors of all faiths.
• Sanatan Dharma Temple (Norwalk): a long-standing North Indian-style mandir close to the Cerritos–Artesia area, the heart of Southern California's Indian shopping and community life.
• ISKCON Los Angeles (Culver City area): the New Dwaraka temple on Watseka Avenue, home of Sri Sri Rukmini-Dwarkadhish and one of the movement's most historic centres.
• Vedanta Society of Southern California (Hollywood): founded in 1929 under the Ramakrishna Order; Ramakrishna Vedanta centres traditionally honour the Divine Mother during the Durga Puja season.
• Bengali Association of Southern California (Greater LA): a community organisation known for one of the region's largest annual Durga Pujas.

Many smaller mandirs and cultural associations across the region also hold Navratri events; always check the temple's own website before you visit.

How Los Angeles celebrates Navratri and Dussehra

Garba and dandiya

For many Angelenos of Gujarati heritage, Navratri means garba. Associations and temples typically hire halls, school gyms, hotel ballrooms or convention spaces for evenings of garba and dandiya raas, with live or recorded music, colourful chaniya cholis and kediyus, and an aarti to the Goddess. Larger events are usually on Friday and Saturday nights, and many sell passes in advance.

Durga Puja

Los Angeles's Bengali community has celebrated Durga Puja for decades. A typical puja includes the clay idol of Durga with Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartikeya, the sound of the dhak, anjali in the mornings, bhog, cultural programmes and food stalls. It ends with Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela; in India these fall on Wednesday 21 October 2026 according to Drik Panchang for Kolkata, but diaspora Durga Pujas follow their committee, and many move the main days to a weekend.

Ramlila and Ravan Dahan

North Indian families in Los Angeles keep the Ramayana alive through children's plays, community stage productions and katha at temples, retelling the story from Rama's exile to his victory over Ravana. Because of fire risk and local regulations, large effigy burnings are rare here; any effigy burning needs an approved venue and permission from local authorities.

Golu, Bathukamma and Ayudha Puja

Tamil and Telugu households set up Golu (Bommai Kolu or Bommala Koluvu), steps of dolls depicting gods, saints and village scenes, and invite friends over for songs and sundal. Telugu women celebrate Bathukamma with flower stacks, songs and circle dances, often as a community gathering. On Navami, South Indian families perform Ayudha Puja, worshipping tools, cars, books and laptops, and on Vijayadashami children begin learning with Vidyarambham, a tradition especially dear to Kerala families.

Dussehra puja at home in Los Angeles

You do not need to be at a temple to observe Vijayadashami. A simple home puja, timed to the Los Angeles afternoon, keeps the essence of the day.

• Aparajita puja: worship Goddess Aparajita, the unconquerable one, during the Aparahna (1:44 PM – 3:58 PM). Draw an eight-petalled lotus with rice flour, place a lamp and offer flowers.
• Shami puja: offer water, rice, flowers and a lamp to a Shami tree or Shami leaves, ideally during the Vijay Muhurat (2:29 PM – 3:14 PM). In Maharashtra and Karnataka traditions, Apta leaves are exchanged as "gold" with friends and family.
• Shastra and Ayudha puja: clean and worship tools, your car, musical instruments, account books and laptops, marking them with kumkum and offering flowers.
• Vidyarambham: for young children, write the first letters (or "Om") in a plate of rice with the help of an elder, and offer prayers to Goddess Saraswati.
• Simple vidhi: bathe, light a lamp, invoke Ganesha, offer prayers to the Devi and to Lord Rama, recite the Rama Raksha Stotra or a few verses of the Ramayana, do aarti and share sweets.

If you are at work during the Vijay Muhurat, a short prayer then and a fuller family puja in the evening are both fine.For the full meaning of the festival and a detailed puja procedure, see our Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026 complete guide.

Practical tips for Dussehra in Los Angeles

• Weekday festival: Tuesday 20 October and Wednesday 21 October are working and school days. Plan your puja around the Vijay Muhurat, and expect most community celebrations on the nearest weekend.
• Fireworks and open flames: rules are set by the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County and each surrounding city, and most consumer fireworks are restricted across much of the region. October can also bring dry Santa Ana winds and high fire danger, so check local rules and leave any effigy burning to organised, permitted events.
• Getting there: distances in Greater LA are long and freeway traffic is heavy on weekday evenings. Carpool, arrive early and allow extra time for temples in Calabasas or Chino Hills.
• Weather: October afternoons can be warm and evenings cool; carry water and a light layer.
• Dress and etiquette: wear modest clothing to temples, remove shoes where asked and follow each temple's guidance on photography.

Frequently asked questions

When is Dussehra 2026 in Los Angeles?

Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 in Los Angeles is on Tuesday 20 October 2026. The Dashami tithi begins at 12:20 AM on Tuesday 20 October and ends at 1:41 AM on Wednesday 21 October, Los Angeles time, so it covers the whole of Tuesday afternoon.

What is the Vijay Muhurat in Los Angeles on Dussehra 2026?

2:29 PM – 3:14 PM on Tuesday 20 October 2026, Pacific Daylight Time, calculated by the Drik Panchang method for Los Angeles. The wider Aparahna period is 1:44 PM – 3:58 PM. Use these windows for Shami puja, Aparajita puja and Shastra or Ayudha puja.

Can I convert India's Dussehra muhurat into Los Angeles time?

No. Muhurats depend on local sunrise and sunset, so India's timings cannot simply be converted into Pacific Time. Use the Los Angeles times on this page or your temple's own calendar.

Where is Durga Puja held in Los Angeles?

The Bengali Association of Southern California is one of the best-known organisers of Durga Puja in the region, and other Bengali groups across Greater Los Angeles and Orange County also hold pujas. Each committee follows its own schedule, and diaspora pujas often move the main days to a weekend, so check their announcements. In India, Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela fall on Wednesday 21 October 2026 (Drik Panchang, Kolkata).

Is Ravan Dahan held in Los Angeles?

Large open-air effigy burning is less common in Southern California than in India, and where community groups hold Ramlila or Dussehra programmes, any effigy burning needs permission from local authorities. Temples and community groups usually announce Navratri garba, Durga Puja, Ramlila and Ravan Dahan programmes a few weeks ahead — check their websites/social pages.

Is Dussehra a holiday in Los Angeles?

No. Tuesday 20 October 2026 is a normal working and school day in California. Many families do a short puja during the Vijay Muhurat or in the evening, and join temple and community celebrations on the weekend.

Related guides

• Dussehra 2026 USA, state by state: date and Vijay Muhurat
• Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026: complete guide
• Dussehra 2026 in Irvine
• Dussehra 2026 in San Diego
• Dussehra 2026 in Las Vegas
• Dussehra 2026 in Phoenix
• Dussehra 2026 in San Jose
• Navratri 2026 in the USA, city by city
• Navratri 2026: complete guide for NRI families