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

Quick answer: Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 in Nottingham is on Tuesday 20 October 2026. The Vijay Muhurat for Nottingham is 2:32 PM – 3:13 PM local time (BST, UTC+1), 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 Nottingham timings on this page were calculated for the city's own sunrise and sunset using the Drik Panchang method, in local British Summer Time (the UK is still on summer time on 20 October; clocks go back on the following Sunday). India's Dashami tithi runs from 12:50 PM IST on 20 October to 2:11 PM IST on 21 October; the Nottingham 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.

Nottingham has a well-established Hindu community that has grown since the 1960s and 1970s. Gujarati families, including many who came from East Africa, Punjabi Hindus, Bengali families, Sri Lankan and South Indian Tamils, and a growing number of students and professionals at the city's two universities and hospitals all keep Navratri in their own way. Many families also visit Leicester's famous celebrations, but the city has its own temples, samaj halls and puja committees.

Dussehra 2026 dates and timings for Nottingham

In Nottingham the Dashami tithi begins on Tuesday morning 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, which is at 5:58 PM in Nottingham on the day.

Hindu temples in Nottingham for Navratri & Dussehra

These temples and organisations are established in Nottingham and its suburbs. Programmes vary from year to year, so check each one's official website or social pages for current details.

• Hindu Temple Cultural & Community Centre of Nottingham, Carlton Road (St Ann's): the city's long-standing community mandir, founded in the early 1970s and established to honour all three deities of the Hindu Trinity, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. It holds religious, cultural and festival programmes through the year.
• BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Forest Fields: the BAPS mandir for Nottingham, inaugurated in 2007, with murtis including Shri Ram-Sita-Hanumanji and Shri Radha-Krishna, serving a largely Gujarati congregation.
• Sri Thurkkai Amman Temple, Beeston: a Tamil temple to the Goddess Durga (Thurkkai Amman), opened in 2012 in a converted church hall in Beeston Rylands, with daily poojas.
• Sai Dham Nottingham, Basford: a temple and community centre dedicated to Shirdi Sai Baba.
• Gujarat Samaj Nottingham, Sneinton: a Gujarati community organisation based at a community centre near the city centre, running cultural, religious and social activities.
• Nottingham Bengali Association: a Bengali Hindu charity whose aims include the public celebration of religious festivals in Nottinghamshire.

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 Nottingham celebrates Navratri and Dussehra

Garba and dandiya nights

Nottingham's Gujarati families bring the energy of garba to temple halls, samaj centres and hired school or leisure-centre halls. Typical evenings begin with an aarti to Amba Mata in front of a decorated garbo, followed by hours of circular garba and dandiya raas with live musicians or a DJ, with families dressed in chaniya choli and kediyu. Because most of the nine nights fall on school and work days, the busiest events are usually on the two Navratri weekends.

Durga Puja

For Bengali families, Navratri means Durga Puja. A typical puja includes the beat of the dhak, pushpanjali on Ashtami, Sandhi Puja, bhog shared by everyone, cultural programmes by children and adults and, at the end, Bijoya Dashami with Sindoor Khela and a 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.

Tamil Navaratri, Golu and Ayudha Puja

Nottingham's Tamil community, including many families of Sri Lankan heritage, keeps Navaratri as a festival of the Goddess in her three forms: Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati, three nights each. Many homes set up a Golu (Bommai Kolu) of dolls on stepped shelves and invite friends for kumkum, songs and sundal. On Navami, Ayudha Puja honours tools, books, instruments and vehicles, and on Vijayadashami many children begin learning with Vidyarambham, writing their first letters in rice. Telugu families may also gather for Bathukamma with stacked flower arrangements and circle songs.

Ramlila and Ravan Dahan

North Indian and Punjabi Hindu families mark Dussehra as the day of Rama's victory over Ravana. In Nottingham this usually means Ramayana readings, bhajans, children's Ramlila plays and, where permission is granted, a small effigy burning organised by a temple or community group. Large open-air Ravan Dahan events are far less common than in India, and anything involving fire or fireworks depends on the rules of the local council and fire service.

Dussehra puja at home

Because 20 October is a working Tuesday, many Nottingham 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 (1:50 PM – 3:54 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 plant or a few Shami or Apta leaves, ideally during the Vijay Muhurat (2:32 PM – 3:13 PM). Exchanging leaves as 'gold' with friends is a 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 Nottingham

• Weekday festival: Tuesday 20 October and Wednesday 21 October are school and work days. Plan a quick puja in the lunch hour 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 UK law, Nottingham City Council and neighbouring councils such as Broxtowe. Check before planning anything at home or in a public space.
• Getting there: temple car parks and nearby streets fill quickly on festival evenings. Car-share, arrive early, and use the city's buses or the NET tram where they serve your destination.
• Weather: late October evenings in the East Midlands are cool and often wet. Bring layers and an umbrella for outdoor events.
• Clock check: the UK is still on British Summer Time on 20 October, so the times on this page are BST.

Frequently asked questions

When is Dussehra 2026 in Nottingham?

Tuesday 20 October 2026. Navratri begins on Sunday 11 October, and Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami both fall on Monday 19 October. In Nottingham the Dashami tithi runs from Tue 20 Oct, 8:20 AM to Wed 21 Oct, 9:41 AM local time, so it covers the whole afternoon of the 20th.

What is the Vijay Muhurat in Nottingham on Dussehra 2026?

2:32 PM – 3:13 PM British Summer Time on Tuesday 20 October 2026, calculated by the Drik Panchang method for Nottingham. It falls inside the Aparahna (1:50 PM – 3:54 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 UK time. Use the Nottingham timings on this page or your temple's calendar.

When is Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela in Nottingham?

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

Which temples in Nottingham celebrate Navratri and Dussehra?

The Hindu Temple Cultural & Community Centre of Nottingham on Carlton Road, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Forest Fields, Sri Thurkkai Amman Temple in Beeston and Sai Dham in Basford are among the city's places of worship, alongside community groups such as Gujarat Samaj Nottingham and the Nottingham Bengali Association. Check each one's website or social pages for its 2026 programme.

Is there Ravan Dahan in Nottingham?

Some temples and community groups may hold Ramlila or Ravan Dahan programmes, usually on a weekend near Dussehra and subject to Nottingham City Council and fire safety rules. Temples and community groups usually announce these a few weeks ahead, so check their websites and social pages.

Related guides

• Dussehra 2026 UK, region by region
• Dussehra 2026 in Leicester
• Dussehra 2026 in Birmingham
• Dussehra 2026 in Coventry
• Dussehra 2026 in Leeds
• Dussehra 2026 in Manchester
• Navratri 2026 in the UK, city by city
• Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026: complete guide