Quick answer: Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 in Orlando is on Tuesday 20 October 2026. The Vijay Muhurat for Orlando is 3:03 PM – 3:49 PM local time (EDT, UTC-4), 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 Orlando timings on this page were calculated for the city's own sunrise and sunset using the Drik Panchang method, in local Eastern Daylight Time (Florida 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 Orlando timings are shown separately 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.

Central Florida's Hindu community is both large and unusually varied. Alongside families from Gujarat, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bengal and North India, Orlando is home to a sizeable Indo-Caribbean Hindu community with roots in Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, whose mandirs keep their own devotional traditions. Students at the University of Central Florida and professionals in the region's tourism, technology and healthcare sectors add to the mix, so Navratri here can mean garba in a convention hall, bhajans and havan at a Caribbean mandir, and Golu displays in suburban homes, all in the same week.

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Dussehra 2026 dates and timings for Orlando

ObservanceOrlando (local time, EDT)
Navratri begins (Ghatasthapana)Sunday 11 October 2026
Durga Ashtami and Maha NavamiMonday 19 October 2026
Dussehra / VijayadashamiTuesday 20 October 2026
Dashami tithi beginsTue 20 Oct, 3:20 AM
Dashami tithi endsWed 21 Oct, 4:41 AM
Vijay Muhurat (calculated by the Drik Panchang method)3:03 PM – 3:49 PM
Aparahna (afternoon puja window)2:18 PM – 4:34 PM
Sunset6:51 PM

In Orlando 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 Orlando for Navratri & Dussehra

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

  • Hindu Temple of Central Florida, Casselberry: run by the Hindu Society of Central Florida, this is the region's largest Hindu temple, set on a ten-acre site north of Orlando with several shrines and a community hall that has long hosted multi-night Navratri celebrations.
  • BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, south Orlando: the BAPS mandir for Central Florida, inaugurated in 1994, serving a large Gujarati congregation.
  • ISKCON Orlando: the Hare Krishna temple and centre in Orlando, with close links to students at the University of Central Florida; Vijayadashami is remembered here as the day of Lord Rama's victory.
  • Shri Lakshmi Narayan Mandir, Orlando: one of the city's older mandirs, completed in 1992, serving many Indo-Caribbean Hindu families.
  • Shri Surya Narayan Mandir, Orlando: a community mandir with strong Indo-Caribbean roots.
  • Maa Durga Sri Sai Baba Temple, Orlando: a temple dedicated to Durga, Sai Baba, Shiva and Krishna; Vijayadashami is also observed by Sai devotees as Baba's Mahasamadhi day.

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 Orlando celebrates Navratri and Dussehra

Garba and dandiya nights

Gujarati families in Central Florida make garba and dandiya raas the most visible part of Navratri. A typical evening starts with an aarti to Amba Mata, followed by hours of circular garba and dandiya with live music or a DJ, with dancers in chaniya choli and kediyu. Because most Navratri nights fall on weekdays, the biggest events usually take place on the weekends, in temple halls, banquet venues and event spaces around the metro area.

Orlando's Guyanese and Trinidadian Hindu families keep Navratri in their own devotional style. Mandirs typically hold nine nights of Devi puja, bhajans and havan, with readings from the Durga Saptashati or the Ramayan, and families often keep a vegetarian fast through the festival. Dussehra itself is usually marked with prayers and a Ramayan-centred programme rather than large outdoor effigy burnings.

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Durga Puja

Bengali families in the region celebrate Durga Puja with 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 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.

Ramlila and Ravan Dahan

North Indian families mark Dussehra with Rama's victory over Ravana. In Orlando this usually means Ramayana readings, children's Ramlila skits and, where local rules allow, a small effigy burning held by a community group. Large open-air Ravan Dahan events are far less common than in India, and any burning depends on permits from local fire authorities.

Dussehra puja at home

Because 20 October is a working Tuesday, many Orlando 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 (2:18 PM – 4:34 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 (3:03 PM – 3:49 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 Orlando

  • 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 Florida law and your county or city. Check with local authorities before planning anything at home.
  • Getting there: Orlando is a car-dependent city, and temple car parks fill quickly on festival evenings. Carpool, arrive early and allow extra time on I-4 and the toll roads.
  • Weather: October evenings in Central Florida are usually warm. Carry water for long garba nights and check the forecast.
  • Clock check: the US is still on daylight saving time on 20 October, so the times on this page are EDT.

Frequently asked questions

When is Dussehra 2026 in Orlando?

Tuesday 20 October 2026. Navratri begins on Sunday 11 October, and Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami both fall on Monday 19 October. In Orlando the Dashami tithi runs from Tue 20 Oct, 3:20 AM to Wed 21 Oct, 4:41 AM local time, so it covers the whole afternoon of the 20th.

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What is the Vijay Muhurat in Orlando on Dussehra 2026?

3:03 PM – 3:49 PM Eastern Daylight Time on Tuesday 20 October 2026, calculated by the Drik Panchang method for Orlando. It falls inside the Aparahna (2:18 PM – 4:34 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 Orlando time. Use the Orlando timings on this page or your temple's calendar.

When is Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela in Orlando?

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

Which temples in the Orlando area celebrate Navratri and Dussehra?

The Hindu Temple of Central Florida in Casselberry, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in south Orlando, ISKCON Orlando, the Shri Lakshmi Narayan Mandir, the Shri Surya Narayan Mandir and the Maa Durga Sri Sai Baba Temple are among the places that mark the festival. Check each one's website for its 2026 programme.

Is there Ravan Dahan in Orlando?

Some community groups in Central Florida 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.