Quick answer: Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 in Newcastle, New South Wales is on Wednesday 21 October 2026, one day after India. The Vijay Muhurat for Newcastle is 2:48 PM – 3:40 PM local time (AEDT), calculated by the Drik Panchang method. The Dashami tithi begins in Newcastle at 6:20 PM on Tuesday 20 October and ends at 7:41 PM on Wednesday 21 October.

Editor's note (5 October 2026): Newcastle's times on this page were calculated for the city itself (time zone Australia/Sydney, UTC+11:00 on daylight time) using the Drik Panchang method: the Dashami tithi of 12:50 PM IST 20 October to 2:11 PM IST 21 October is shown in local clock time, and the Vijay Muhurat is the eleventh of the fifteen daytime muhurtas. We do not list 2026 event schedules, venues or ticket details, because temples and community groups announce these themselves each year. Please check their official channels before you go.

Newcastle and the wider Hunter region, including Lake Macquarie, Maitland and Port Stephens, are home to a fast-growing Indian community of students, healthcare workers, engineers and families. Celebrations here are smaller and more home-centred than in Sydney, but full of community spirit.

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Dussehra 2026 dates and timings for Newcastle

ObservanceDate / time
Navratri begins (Ghatasthapana, India)Sunday 11 October 2026
Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami (India)Monday 19 October 2026
Dussehra / Vijayadashami in IndiaTuesday 20 October 2026
Dussehra / Vijayadashami in NewcastleWednesday 21 October 2026
Dashami tithi begins (Newcastle time)Tue 20 Oct, 6:20 PM
Dashami tithi ends (Newcastle time)Wed 21 Oct, 7:41 PM
Vijay Muhurat (21 Oct, Newcastle)2:48 PM – 3:40 PM
Aparahna (21 Oct, Newcastle)1:56 PM – 4:32 PM
Sunset (21 Oct, Newcastle)7:09 PM

Navratri, Ashtami and Navami dates are from Drik Panchang for India; your temple may publish its own local calendar for the nine nights. All Newcastle times are AEDT (UTC+11:00), because New South Wales is on daylight saving time in October. The Vijay Muhurat is calculated by the Drik Panchang method and falls well inside the Dashami tithi, so Shami puja, Aparajita puja and Shastra puja can all be done during that window on Wednesday afternoon.

Why Wednesday? The Dashami tithi starts at the same instant everywhere, 12:50 PM in India on 20 October. In Newcastle that instant is 6:20 PM on Tuesday, after the afternoon Aparahna has ended. Vijayadashami is observed on the day whose Aparahna falls in Dashami, which in eastern Australia is Wednesday 21 October. This is why most of the east coast marks Dussehra a day after India; see our Australia city-by-city guide for other cities.

Hindu temples in Newcastle for Navratri & Dussehra

The Hunter has a small number of Hindu places of worship and several active community organisations. These are the ones we have confirmed:

  • BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Newcastle (Cardiff, Lake Macquarie): the region's purpose-built mandir, inaugurated in 2022, with regular arti and festival assemblies.
  • New Gokula Farm, Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda temple (Millfield, near Cessnock, Hunter Valley): the ISKCON farm community, home to a temple and a cow-protection farm.
  • The Bhakti Tree (Newcastle): New Gokula Farm's city outreach, known for kirtan evenings and vegetarian prasadam.
  • Indian Association of Newcastle (Newcastle and Maitland): has hosted community Navaratri garba and dandiya evenings in the region.
  • Newcastle Tamil Sangam (Hunter region): the Tamil community organisation, a good contact for Navarathri, Golu and Saraswati Puja gatherings.

Temples and community groups usually announce Navratri garba, Durga Puja, Ramlila and Ravan Dahan programmes a few weeks ahead — check their websites/social pages. Many Hunter families also travel to Sydney for the larger temple festivals and Durga Pujas; see our Sydney guide and Parramatta guide.

How Newcastle celebrates Navratri and Dussehra

Garba and dandiya nights

Gujarati and North Indian families in the Hunter love a garba night. Community Navaratri evenings typically bring together traditional chaniya choli and kediyu, circles of garba around a decorated image of the Goddess, dandiya sticks, live or DJ music, an arti and a shared dinner. These evenings are often held on a weekend in hired halls, and some double as charity fundraisers.

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Temple Navratri and Vijayadashami

At the mandir, Navratri usually brings special arti, bhajans and Devi worship, and Vijayadashami is marked with an assembly, prayers for victory of good over evil and prasad. The Hare Krishna community celebrates Vijayadashami as the day of Lord Rama's victory, generally with kirtan, a talk on the Ramayana and a feast.

Durga Puja, Golu and southern traditions

Bengali families in the Hunter often join the large Durga Pujas held in Sydney or organise smaller gatherings locally. In the Bengal tradition, Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela fall on Wednesday 21 October 2026 in India (Drik Panchang for Kolkata); diaspora Durga Pujas follow their committee's own schedule, often on a weekend. Tamil, Telugu and Kannada families set up Golu or Bommai Kolu displays of dolls on stepped shelves, visit each other's homes, and keep Saraswati Puja and Ayudha Puja before Vijayadashami. Telangana families may hold Bathukamma with flower stacks and songs.

Ramlila and Ravan Dahan

Large Ramlila productions and huge burning effigies are rare in regional New South Wales. Where a Ravan Dahan does happen, it is usually a small, approved effigy as part of a community fair, or a dramatised Ramayana performance by children. Fireworks and open fires need permits from local authorities, so organisers plan accordingly.

Dussehra puja at home in Newcastle

Wednesday 21 October is a working and school day in New South Wales, so many families keep the puja simple and short. If you can, do the main rites during the Vijay Muhurat of 2:48 PM – 3:40 PM; otherwise anywhere in the Aparahna, 1:56 PM – 4:32 PM, is traditional, and the Dashami tithi continues until 7:41 PM.

  • Aparajita puja: draw an eight-petalled lotus with kumkum or rice on a clean plate, invoke Goddess Aparajita with Jaya and Vijaya on either side, and offer flowers, akshata and a lamp, praying for success and protection.
  • Shami puja: if you have a Shami (or substitute an Apta or other sacred leaf), offer water, turmeric, kumkum and a lamp, and exchange leaves as 'gold' with family and friends.
  • Ayudha or Shastra puja: clean and decorate tools, cars, laptops, books and work equipment, then offer flowers and a lamp. Southern families often do this on Navami.
  • Vidyarambham: small children write their first letters, often 'Om' or 'Hari Sri', in rice or sand with help from an elder, a lovely tradition to keep abroad.
  • Simple vidhi: bathe, light a diya, recite a Rama or Devi stotra, offer sweets and fruit, then share prasad. End with a prayer for the triumph of good over evil in your own life.

For the full story and a step-by-step puja, see the Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026 pillar guide.

Practical tips for Dussehra in Newcastle

  • Weekday festival: 20 and 21 October 2026 are weekdays. Expect many community events on the weekend before or after; plan leave early if you want to attend a weekday temple programme.
  • Fireworks and effigies: rules on fireworks and burning are set by local authorities and NSW fire services, and spring can bring fire restrictions. Do not light fireworks or bonfires at home; enjoy approved community events instead.
  • Getting around: the BAPS mandir in Cardiff and the farm at Millfield are best reached by car. Car-pool where possible and park considerately in residential streets.
  • Daylight saving: New South Wales is on AEDT in October, five and a half hours ahead of India. Times for relatives in India will differ, so give them their own timings, not yours.

Frequently asked questions

When is Dussehra 2026 in Newcastle?

Wednesday 21 October 2026. In India Vijayadashami is on Tuesday 20 October, but in Newcastle the Dashami tithi only begins at 6:20 PM on Tuesday 20 October, after that afternoon's Aparahna. The first full Dashami afternoon in Newcastle is therefore Wednesday 21 October.

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What is the Vijay Muhurat in Newcastle on Dussehra 2026?

2:48 PM – 3:40 PM on Wednesday 21 October 2026, Newcastle local time (AEDT), calculated by the Drik Panchang method. The wider Aparahna window is 1:56 PM – 4:32 PM, and the Dashami tithi runs until 7:41 PM that evening.

Why does Newcastle celebrate Dussehra a day after India?

The Dashami tithi starts at the same moment worldwide (12:50 PM IST on 20 October). Because New South Wales is five and a half hours ahead of India on daylight time, that moment falls on Tuesday evening in Newcastle, too late for the afternoon Vijay puja. Wednesday afternoon falls fully within Dashami, so Wednesday 21 October is Vijayadashami locally.

Where can I celebrate Navratri and Dussehra in Newcastle?

The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Cardiff, the Hare Krishna community at New Gokula Farm in Millfield and its Newcastle outreach, The Bhakti Tree, and community groups such as the Indian Association of Newcastle and the Newcastle Tamil Sangam. Temples and community groups usually announce Navratri garba, Durga Puja, Ramlila and Ravan Dahan programmes a few weeks ahead, so check their websites and social pages.

Is there a Ravan Dahan in Newcastle?

We do not list 2026 events. Any effigy burning or fireworks in New South Wales needs approval from the local council and fire authorities, so community events in the Hunter often hold a cultural programme or a small, permitted effigy instead. Check the organiser's announcement.

Can I use India's Dussehra timings in Newcastle?

No. Muhurat windows depend on local sunrise and sunset and on where the tithi falls in your own day. Use the Newcastle times on this page or your temple's calendar, and do not convert India's clock times into local time.