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

Quick answer: Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 in Miami is on Tuesday 20 October 2026. The Vijay Muhurat for Miami is 2:59 PM – 3:45 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 Miami 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 Miami 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.

South Florida's Hindu community stretches from Miami-Dade through Broward to Palm Beach County. Indian professionals, doctors and business families sit alongside a large Indo-Caribbean community with roots in Trinidad, Guyana and Suriname, and Navratri here blends Gujarati garba, South Indian Golu, Bengali Durga Puja and Caribbean-style mandir devotions, with most of the big celebrations held in the western Broward suburbs where several temples are clustered.

Dussehra 2026 dates and timings for Miami

In Miami 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 Miami for Navratri & Dussehra

These temples are established in Miami and the wider South Florida area. Several of the largest are a short drive north of the city in Broward and Palm Beach counties. Programmes vary from year to year, so check each one's official website for current details.

• ISKCON Miami, Coconut Grove: the Hare Krishna temple known as New Naimisaranya Dham, one of ISKCON's longest-established communities in the United States, with Sri Sri Radha Vrajabihari, Lord Jagannath and Gaura Nitai. Vijayadashami is remembered here as the day of Lord Rama's victory.
• Shiva Vishnu Temple of South Florida, Southwest Ranches: an ornate South Indian–style temple in western Broward, built with the help of traditional architects from Mahabalipuram, and a centre for Tamil, Telugu and Kannada families' Navaratri customs.
• South Florida Hindu Temple, Southwest Ranches: established in the late 1990s, a North Indian–tradition mandir that serves a large Indian and Indo-Caribbean congregation.
• BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Miami, Boynton Beach: the BAPS mandir for South Florida, opened in 2001 and located in Palm Beach County, serving the region's Gujarati community.

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 Miami celebrates Navratri and Dussehra

Garba and dandiya nights

Gujarati families across South Florida keep Navratri with garba and dandiya raas. Typical evenings start 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 October fall on weekdays, the largest events are usually held on weekends in banquet halls, school gyms and convention spaces in Broward and Palm Beach counties.

Indo-Caribbean Navratri traditions

South Florida is home to one of the largest Indo-Caribbean Hindu communities in the United States. Many of these families observe Navratri with nine days of Devi puja, fasting, bhajans and kirtan in the mandir, often ending with a havan and a community meal. These traditions, carried from Trinidad, Guyana and Suriname, give Miami's Navratri a distinctive flavour alongside the Indian customs.

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 at community gatherings. On Navami, Ayudha Puja honours tools, books, instruments and vehicles, and on Vijayadashami many children begin learning with Vidyarambham.

Durga Puja

Bengali families in South Florida come together for community Durga Puja. A typical puja includes 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.

Ramlila and Ravan Dahan

North Indian and Indo-Caribbean families mark Dussehra with Rama's victory over Ravana. In South Florida this usually means Ramayana recitations, children's Ramlila performances and, where local rules allow, a small effigy burning organised 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 Miami 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 (2:14 PM – 4:31 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 (2:59 PM – 3:45 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 Miami

• Weekday festival: Tuesday 20 October and Wednesday 21 October are school and work days. Plan a quick puja during the afternoon 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 and local authorities. Check with your city or county before planning anything at home.
• Getting there: several temples are in the western Broward suburbs or Palm Beach County, so allow extra time on I-95, the Turnpike and I-75, carpool where you can, and arrive early as parking fills up on festival days.
• Weather: October in Miami is still warm and humid, and late-season storms are possible. Carry water, dress light for outdoor garba and check the forecast.
• 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 Miami?

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

2:59 PM – 3:45 PM Eastern Daylight Time on Tuesday 20 October 2026, calculated by the Drik Panchang method for Miami. It falls inside the Aparahna (2:14 PM – 4:31 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 Miami time. Use the Miami timings on this page or your temple's calendar.

When is Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela in South Florida?

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

Which temples near Miami celebrate Navratri and Dussehra?

ISKCON Miami in Coconut Grove, the Shiva Vishnu Temple of South Florida and the South Florida Hindu Temple in Southwest Ranches, and the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Miami in Boynton Beach are among the places that mark the festival. Check each one's website for its 2026 programme.

Is there Ravan Dahan in Miami?

Some community groups in South Florida 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 Jacksonville
• Dussehra 2026 in Atlanta
• Navratri 2026 in the USA, city by city
• Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026: complete guide