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

Quick answer: Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 in Nashville is on Tuesday 20 October 2026. The Vijay Muhurat for Nashville is 2:22 PM – 3:07 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 Nashville timings on this page were calculated for the city's own sunrise and sunset using the Drik Panchang method, in local Central Daylight Time (Tennessee 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 Nashville 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.

Nashville's Hindu community has grown steadily since the 1970s and 1980s, when doctors, engineers and academics drawn by the city's hospitals, universities and businesses first came together to build a temple of their own. Today families from Gujarat, Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and North India live across Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, and Navratri brings them together for garba, Durga Puja, Golu and Dussehra celebrations from Bellevue and Franklin to Hermitage and Murfreesboro.

Dussehra 2026 dates and timings for Nashville

In Nashville 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 Nashville for Navratri & Dussehra

These temples and organisations are established in Nashville and Middle Tennessee. Programmes vary from year to year, so check each one's official website for current details.

• Sri Ganesha Temple (Hindu Cultural Center of Tennessee), Bellevue: Nashville's landmark temple in the hills of West Nashville, built in the South Indian Chola style from the 1980s onwards, with shrines to Ganesha, Shiva, Vishnu, Lakshmi, Durga, Murugan, Ram Parivar, Krishna and the Navagrahas. Navaratri is one of its major festivals.
• BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Hermitage: the BAPS mandir east of the city, inaugurated in 2006, serving the Gujarati and wider Swaminarayan community of Middle Tennessee.
• Shree Swaminarayan Temple and Cultural Center, Murfreesboro: a large new temple and community hall in Rutherford County, opened in July 2025, serving the fast-growing Indian community south-east of Nashville.
• Bengali Association of Greater Nashville (BAGN): the city's Bengali cultural organisation, which holds Durga Puja every year as its biggest event, along with Saraswati Puja and Bengali New Year.
• ISKCON Murari Sevaka, Mulberry: a Hare Krishna farm community in southern Middle Tennessee, further afield but known to Nashville devotees, 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 Nashville celebrates Navratri and Dussehra

Garba and dandiya nights

Nashville's Gujarati families, many connected with the Swaminarayan mandirs, keep Navratri alive 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 fall on weekdays, the largest events tend to be held on weekends in temple halls, school gyms and banquet venues.

Durga Puja

For Nashville's Bengali community, Durga Puja is the high point of the year. A typical puja includes the dhak, pushpanjali on Ashtami, Sandhi Puja, bhog, cultural programmes and a souvenir magazine, and ends with Bijoya Dashami, 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

Telugu and Tamil families, many working in Nashville's healthcare and technology sectors, bring South Indian Navaratri customs to the city. 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, and the Sri Ganesha Temple's South Indian tradition makes Navaratri pujas to the Goddess a natural focus. 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 Nashville this usually means Ramayana readings, children's Ramlila skits and bhajans, and occasionally, where local rules allow, a small effigy burning held by a community group. Large open-air Ravan Dahan events like those in India are uncommon, and any burning depends on permits from the local fire marshal.

Dussehra puja at home

Because 20 October is a working Tuesday, many Nashville 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 (1:38 PM – 3:51 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 (2:22 PM – 3:07 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 Nashville

• Weekday festival: Tuesday 20 October and Wednesday 21 October are school and work days. The Vijay Muhurat falls in the early afternoon, so plan a short break or keep the Shami puja simple at home.
• 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 Metro Nashville and other local authorities, and they differ between cities and counties. Check with your local government before planning anything at home.
• Getting there: Middle Tennessee is spread out and traffic on I-24, I-40 and I-65 is heavy at rush hour. Carpool, allow extra time and arrive early, as temple parking fills quickly on festival days.
• Weather: October evenings in Nashville are usually pleasant but can turn cool after garba, so bring a light layer.
• 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 Nashville?

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

2:22 PM – 3:07 PM Central Daylight Time on Tuesday 20 October 2026, calculated by the Drik Panchang method for Nashville. It falls inside the Aparahna (1:38 PM – 3:51 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 Nashville time. Use the Nashville timings on this page or your temple's calendar.

When is Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela in Nashville?

In India, the Bengal-tradition Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela fall on Wednesday 21 October 2026 (Drik Panchang, Kolkata). The Bengali Association of Greater Nashville and other puja committees set their own schedules, often around a weekend, so follow your committee's announcements.

Which temples in the Nashville area celebrate Navratri and Dussehra?

The Sri Ganesha Temple (Hindu Cultural Center of Tennessee) in Bellevue, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Hermitage and the Shree Swaminarayan Temple and Cultural Center in Murfreesboro are among the places that mark the festival, alongside community groups such as the Bengali Association of Greater Nashville. Check each one's website for its 2026 programme.

Is there Ravan Dahan in Nashville?

Some community groups in Middle Tennessee may 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 Louisville
• Dussehra 2026 in Atlanta
• Dussehra 2026 in Indianapolis
• Dussehra 2026 in Cincinnati
• Dussehra 2026 in St. Louis
• Navratri 2026 in the USA, city by city
• Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026: complete guide