Dussehra 2026 in the Netherlands, City by City: Date, Vijay Muhurat and Hindu Temples

Quick answer: Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 in the Netherlands is on Tuesday 20 October 2026 in every city. The Vijay Muhurat, calculated by the Drik Panchang method, is 3:08 PM – 3:49 PM in Amsterdam, 3:11 PM – 3:52 PM in The Hague and 3:10 PM – 3:52 PM in Rotterdam (Dutch summer time, CEST, UTC+2). Navratri runs from Sunday 11 to Monday 19 October 2026.

Editor's note (5 October 2026): The local times on this page were calculated for each city from the Drik Panchang tithi (Dashami from 12:50 PM IST on 20 October to 2:11 PM IST on 21 October 2026), using Dutch summer time, which is still in force on 20 October. The Vijay Muhurat is the 11th of the 15 daytime muhurtas, calculated by the Drik Panchang method. We do not list 2026 event schedules, because mandirs and associations announce their own programmes; please check with them directly.

The Netherlands has one of the largest Hindu communities in continental Europe, at roughly one per cent of the population. Its backbone is the Surinamese Hindustani community, descendants of indentured labourers taken from India to Suriname, many of whom moved to the Netherlands around Surinamese independence in 1975 and afterwards. They settled above all in The Hague, Rotterdam, Amsterdam Zuidoost and Utrecht, and built dozens of mandirs, many of them in converted churches, offices and warehouses. Alongside them is a fast-growing community of Indian professionals and students around Amstelveen, Amsterdam and the Eindhoven tech region, and a Sri Lankan Tamil community with its best-known temple in Den Helder.

Dussehra 2026 in the Netherlands: dates and Vijay Muhurat by city

The whole country is on Central European Summer Time (UTC+0200) on 20 October; the clocks go back on Sunday 25 October. The Dashami tithi begins and ends at the same moment everywhere, so only the sun-based windows differ, and in a country this compact they differ by just a few minutes.

The Aparahna (afternoon period) is the traditional window for Aparajita and Shami puja, and sunset marks the time for any evening Ravan Dahan or aarti:

Key Navratri and Dussehra dates 2026

Ashtami and Navami share Monday 19 October in India's calendar this year, so families who do Kanya pujan on either day will hold it then. In every Dutch city the Dashami tithi covers the whole Aparahna on 20 October, so there is no doubt about the date.

Hindu temples in the Netherlands for Navratri & Dussehra

These mandirs and associations have been confirmed to exist in or near each city. We list name and area only; check their own websites or social pages for opening hours and festival plans. Temples and community groups usually announce Navratri garba, Durga Puja, Ramlila and Ravan Dahan programmes a few weeks ahead — check their websites/social pages.

North Holland: Amsterdam

Amsterdam's Vijay Muhurat is 3:08 PM – 3:49 PM, with the Aparahna from 2:26 PM to 4:31 PM. Surinamese Hindustani families are concentrated in Zuidoost, where several small mandirs operate from converted buildings, while Indian professionals cluster in Amstelveen and the southern suburbs.

• ISKCON Amsterdam — Amsterdam-Zuid. A Krishna temple that hosts kirtan, Sunday programmes and festivals such as Janmashtami.
• HoiChoi — Amstelveen. A Bengali community group whose Durga Puja has become one of the largest in the Netherlands.
• Sri Varatharaja Selvavinayagar Temple — Den Helder, in the north of the province. A Sri Lankan Tamil temple completed in 2001 and built to traditional Agamic proportions, with a 17-metre tower added in 2013.

At Navaratri, Tamil temples such as the one in Den Helder typically hold nightly Devi abhishekam and alankaram, with Saraswati Puja and Ayudha Puja near the end of the nine nights and Vidyarambham on Vijayadashami.

South Holland: The Hague and Rotterdam

The Hague (Vijay Muhurat 3:11 PM – 3:52 PM) and Rotterdam (3:10 PM – 3:52 PM) are the heart of Dutch Hinduism. Hindus are among the largest groups with a migration background in The Hague, and the two cities between them have many Sanatan Dharm and Arya Samaj mandirs serving the Hindustani community.

• Shri Ram Mandir — Schilderswijk, The Hague. A mandir dedicated to Lord Rama and a focus of Hindustani community life.
• ISKCON Den Haag (Sri Sri Radhe Shyam Mandir) — The Hague.
• Indian Bengali Association Netherlands — Voorschoten, near The Hague. Organises an annual Durga Puja for Bengali families in the region.
• Sri Ram Mandir — Rotterdam-Zuid. A tall brick mandir with large murtis of Shiva, Hanuman and Durga.
• Audarya Dhaam — central Rotterdam. A Gaudiya Vaishnava (ISKCON-affiliated) temple and centre.

In Hindustani mandirs, Navratri is usually marked with nine days of Durga and Devi puja, fasting, bhajan and kirtan, and readings or recitations from the Ramayan, with Dussehra celebrated as Rama's victory over Ravan.

Utrecht

Utrecht's Vijay Muhurat is 3:07 PM – 3:49 PM, with the Aparahna from 2:26 PM to 4:30 PM. The city has a long-established Hindustani community and a growing number of Indian students and researchers at the university.

• Shri Krishna Mandir Utrecht — west Utrecht.
• Mandir Shri Ganesh — De Meern, Utrecht.

North Brabant: Eindhoven

Eindhoven's Vijay Muhurat is 3:06 PM – 3:48 PM, with the Aparahna from 2:25 PM to 4:30 PM. The Brainport tech region has drawn a large community of Indian engineers and their families, with strong Telugu, Tamil, Bengali and Gujarati groups.

• Sri Balaji Temple (Stichting Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam) — Oirschot, near Eindhoven. A Venkateswara temple project developed with guidance from Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, which also hosts community festivals.
• ISKCON Eindhoven — Eindhoven.
• BongHoven — Eindhoven. A Bengali association that organises Durga Puja and the Sharad Utsav.

How the Netherlands celebrates Navratri and Dussehra

Because 11–20 October are ordinary working days, much of the community celebration in the Netherlands moves to the evenings and the weekends around Navratri. Hindustani mandirs hold daily Devi puja and havan, and many families keep a Navratri fast. Gujarati and wider Indian groups hold garba and dandiya nights in community halls and sports centres, with a central Mataji image and aarti before the dancing. Bengali associations organise Durga Puja with a clay or fibre idol, pushpanjali, bhog and cultural evenings, ending with Bijoya greetings. Tamil and other South Indian families set up Golu (Bommai Kolu) displays at home, while temples hold Saraswati Puja and Ayudha Puja. Telugu families, especially around Eindhoven and Amstelveen, may celebrate Bathukamma with flower stacks and circle songs.

Large open-air Ravan Dahan as seen in India is rare in the Netherlands. Open fires and fireworks need permission from the local gemeente, and consumer fireworks are only allowed around New Year, so where groups mark Ravan Dahan it is usually with a small, permitted effigy, a stage play of the Ramayana or a symbolic burning. Some Hindustani communities stage Ramlila scenes or Ramayan recitals, and many families watch the Ramlila online or tell children the story of Rama's victory at home.

Dussehra puja at home

If you cannot reach a mandir on a Tuesday, a short puja at home in the afternoon is entirely traditional. Ideally do it during your city's Vijay Muhurat, or at least within the Aparahna:

• Aparajita puja: draw an eight-petalled lotus with kumkum or rice flour, place a lamp, and worship Devi Aparajita, the goddess of victory, with flowers, akshat and a simple prayer for success over obstacles.
• Shami puja: if you have Shami leaves (or a substitute such as apta/bauhinia leaves from an Indian or Surinamese grocer), offer them to the Devi and exchange them with family as "gold" — a Maharashtrian and Karnataka custom.
• Ayudha Puja / Shastra puja: clean and decorate tools, books, laptops, bicycles and the car, apply kumkum and offer flowers, thanking them for their service.
• Vidyarambham: Vijayadashami is the traditional day for small children to begin learning — writing "Om" or the first letters of the alphabet in rice.
• Seemollanghan and new beginnings: a short walk beyond your street, starting a course or signing a new venture are traditional symbols of victory on this day.

A simple order: bathe, light a lamp, pray to Ganesha, do the Aparajita and Shami puja, then Ayudha puja, offer naivedya (sweets, fruit), do aarti and share prasad. For full step-by-step vidhi and the stories behind the festival, see our Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026 pillar guide.

Practical tips for Dussehra in the Netherlands

• Working day: Tuesday 20 October is a normal working and school day. The Vijay Muhurat falls in mid-afternoon, so consider a short break, working from home, or doing the puja later within the Aparahna if you can.
• Fire and fireworks: rules on open fires, effigy burning and fireworks are set by your gemeente and differ by city. Do not burn effigies in parks, gardens or on balconies without permission.
• Getting to mandirs: parking near many mandirs, often in residential streets or business parks, is limited on festival days. Cycling, tram, metro or NS trains are usually easier; check the 9292 or NS apps for late-evening services.
• Weather: Dutch evenings in late October are cool, windy and often wet, and sunset is around 6:35 PM to 6:38 PM depending on the city, so bring warm layers and rain gear for any outdoor events.
• Puja items: Surinamese and Indian grocers (tokos) in the big cities stock flowers, kumkum, diyas and sweets, but buy a few days early as stock runs short before Navratri weekends.
• Muhurat: use your own city's times from the table above; never convert India's times into Dutch time.

Frequently asked questions

When is Dussehra 2026 in the Netherlands?

Tuesday 20 October 2026 in every Dutch city. The Dashami tithi begins at 9:20 AM Dutch time (CEST) on 20 October and ends at 10:41 AM on Wednesday 21 October, so it covers the whole afternoon of the 20th.

What is the Vijay Muhurat in Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam?

Calculated by the Drik Panchang method for each city: Amsterdam 3:08 PM – 3:49 PM, The Hague 3:11 PM – 3:52 PM and Rotterdam 3:10 PM – 3:52 PM on Tuesday 20 October 2026, all in Dutch summer time (CEST, UTC+2).

Can I convert India's Dussehra muhurat into Dutch time?

No. The Vijay Muhurat depends on local sunrise and sunset, so it has to be calculated for your own city. Use the Dutch times on this page or your mandir's calendar, not India's times shifted by the time difference.

When is Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela for Bengali families in the Netherlands?

In India, Bengal-tradition Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela fall on Wednesday 21 October 2026 (Drik Panchang, Kolkata). Durga Pujas in the Netherlands, such as those run by HoiChoi in Amstelveen, the Indian Bengali Association Netherlands in Voorschoten and BongHoven in Eindhoven, follow their own committee's schedule, so check their announcements.

Where will Ravan Dahan and garba take place in the Netherlands?

Temples and community groups usually announce Navratri garba, Durga Puja, Ramlila and Ravan Dahan programmes a few weeks ahead — check their websites/social pages. Any open fire, effigy burning or fireworks needs permission from the gemeente (municipality), so many groups mark Ravan Dahan symbolically or indoors.

Is Dussehra a holiday in the Netherlands?

No. Tuesday 20 and Wednesday 21 October 2026 are normal working and school days in the Netherlands, so many families do the afternoon puja at home and join mandir or community celebrations in the evening or on the following weekend.

Related guides

• Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026: complete guide
• Dussehra 2026 in Europe, country by country
• Navratri 2026: complete guide for NRI families
• Dussehra 2026 in Suriname, city by city
• Dussehra 2026 in Belgium, city by city
• Dussehra 2026 in Germany, city by city
• Dussehra 2026 in France, city by city
• Dussehra 2026 UK, region by region
• October 2026 Hindu festival calendar