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

Quick answer: Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 in Minneapolis is on Tuesday 20 October 2026. The Vijay Muhurat for Minneapolis is 2:45 PM – 3:28 PM local time (CDT, UTC-5), 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 Minneapolis timings on this page were calculated for the city's own sunrise and sunset using the Drik Panchang method, in local Central Daylight Time (Minnesota 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 Minneapolis 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.

The Twin Cities have a well-established Hindu community that has grown steadily since the 1970s, drawn by the University of Minnesota, the region's hospitals and its large corporate and technology employers. Families from Gujarat, Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and North India live alongside a sizeable Nepali and Bhutanese Hindu community, and the large temple in Maple Grove serves devotees from across Minnesota and neighbouring states. Navratri here means garba in school gyms and event halls, Durga Puja in the suburbs, Golu in living rooms and quiet afternoon pujas on Vijayadashami itself.

Dussehra 2026 dates and timings for Minneapolis

In Minneapolis 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 Minneapolis for Navratri & Dussehra

These temples and organisations are established in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area. Programmes vary from year to year, so check each one's official website for current details.

• Hindu Temple of Minnesota, Maple Grove: run by the Hindu Society of Minnesota, this is one of the largest Hindu temples in the United States, with many shrines under one roof, and the main gathering place for Hindus across the Upper Midwest.
• BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Brooklyn Center: the BAPS mandir for the Twin Cities, opened in 2003; a new, larger mandir is being built in Medina.
• ISKCON Minnesota Bhakti Yoga Center, South Minneapolis: the Hare Krishna centre near the University of Minnesota, where Vijayadashami is remembered as the day of Lord Rama's victory.
• Sri Saibaba Mandir, near Chaska: a Shirdi Sai Baba temple in the southwest metro; Vijayadashami is also observed by Sai devotees as Baba's Mahasamadhi day.
• Bengali Association of Minnesota: the Twin Cities' long-running Bengali cultural association, which has organised Durga Puja in the metro for decades.

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 Minneapolis celebrates Navratri and Dussehra

Garba and dandiya nights

Gujarati families in the Twin Cities keep Navratri alive with garba and dandiya raas. A typical evening opens with an aarti to Amba Mata, followed by hours of circular garba and dandiya to live music or a DJ, with families dressed in chaniya choli and kediyu. Because most Navratri nights fall on weekdays, the biggest events tend to be held on the weekends, in school gyms, community centres and banquet halls around the suburbs. Garba nights are usually open to anyone, and newcomers are welcome to join the outer circle and learn the steps.

Durga Puja

Bengali Durga Puja in the Twin Cities dates back to around 1980. 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.

Golu, Bathukamma and Ayudha Puja

Tamil, Telugu and Kannada families in the metro 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.

Dashain, Ramlila and Ravan Dahan

For the Twin Cities' Nepali and Bhutanese Hindu families, this season is Dashain, the biggest festival of the year, when elders give tika and jamara to younger relatives on Vijaya Dashami. North Indian families mark Dussehra with Rama's victory over Ravana, usually through community Ramayana readings, children's Ramlila skits and, where local rules allow, a small effigy burning. Large open-air Ravan Dahan events are far less common than in India, and any burning depends on permits from the local fire department.

Dussehra puja at home

Because 20 October is a working Tuesday, many Minneapolis 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 (2:02 PM – 4:11 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 (2:45 PM – 3:28 PM). In Minnesota these are rarely grown outdoors, so a potted plant, a picture or a symbolic offering of leaves is fine.
• 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 Minneapolis

• Weekday festival: Tuesday 20 October and Wednesday 21 October are school and work days. Plan a quick puja over lunch or take 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 Minnesota and your city or county. Check local rules before planning anything at home.
• Getting there: the main temples are in the suburbs and parking fills quickly on festival days. Carpool and arrive early; Metro Transit serves some, but not all, locations.
• Weather: late October evenings in Minnesota can be near freezing. Bring warm layers for outdoor events and for the drive home after garba.
• Clock check: the US is still on daylight saving time on 20 October, so the times on this page are CDT.

Frequently asked questions

When is Dussehra 2026 in Minneapolis?

Tuesday 20 October 2026. Navratri begins on Sunday 11 October, and Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami both fall on Monday 19 October. In Minneapolis the Dashami tithi runs from Tue 20 Oct, 2:20 AM to Wed 21 Oct, 3:41 AM local time, so it covers the whole afternoon of the 20th.

What is the Vijay Muhurat in Minneapolis on Dussehra 2026?

2:45 PM – 3:28 PM Central Daylight Time on Tuesday 20 October 2026, calculated by the Drik Panchang method for Minneapolis. It falls inside the Aparahna (2:02 PM – 4:11 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 Minneapolis time. Use the Minneapolis timings on this page or your temple's calendar.

When is Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela in Minneapolis?

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

Which temples in the Twin Cities celebrate Navratri and Dussehra?

The Hindu Temple of Minnesota in Maple Grove, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Brooklyn Center, ISKCON Minnesota's Bhakti Yoga Center in South Minneapolis and the Sri Saibaba Mandir near Chaska are among the places that mark the festival, and the Bengali Association of Minnesota organises Durga Puja. Check each one's website for its 2026 programme.

Is there Ravan Dahan in Minneapolis?

Large open-air Ravan Dahan events are much less common in Minnesota than in India, and any effigy burning depends on local fire and safety permits. Temples and community groups usually announce Navratri garba, Durga Puja, Ramlila and Ravan Dahan programmes a few weeks ahead — check their websites/social pages.

Related guides

• Dussehra 2026 USA, state by state
• Dussehra 2026 in Chicago
• Dussehra 2026 in Milwaukee
• Dussehra 2026 in Kansas City
• Dussehra 2026 in St. Louis
• Dussehra 2026 in Indianapolis
• Navratri 2026 in the USA, city by city
• Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026: complete guide