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

Quick answer: Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 in Portugal is on Tuesday 20 October 2026 in every city. The Vijay Muhurat, calculated by the Drik Panchang method, is 3:11 PM – 3:55 PM in Lisbon, 3:08 PM – 3:52 PM in Porto and 3:07 PM – 3:51 PM in Faro (Portuguese summer time, UTC+1). 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, India time), using the summer time still in force in Portugal 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 temples and associations announce their own programmes; please check with them directly.

Portugal's Hindu community has an unusual history. Its core is made up of Gujarati families, many with roots in Diu and other parts of Gujarat, who had lived for generations in Mozambique and moved to Portugal after Mozambique's independence in 1975. They rebuilt their lives mainly around Lisbon, founded the Comunidade Hindu de Portugal in 1982 and opened the large Radha Krishna temple in Lumiar in 1998. Families with Goan links add to that older community. Since the 2000s, newer arrivals have broadened it considerably: Nepali workers and students, Indian IT professionals and students from many states, and smaller numbers of Hindus from Bangladesh and elsewhere. So Navratri in Portugal mixes long-established Gujarati garba with Nepali Dashain, and with the Durga Puja, Golu and Ramlila traditions that newer families bring from home.

Dussehra 2026 in Portugal: dates and Vijay Muhurat by city

Mainland Portugal is on UTC+0100 on 20 October; the clocks go back on Sunday 25 October. The Dashami tithi begins and ends at the same moment everywhere on the mainland, so only the sun-based windows differ from city to city, by just a few minutes between Faro in the south and Lisbon on the Atlantic coast.

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

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 Portuguese city the Dashami tithi covers the whole Aparahna on 20 October, by more than two hours, so there is no doubt about the date. Because Portugal lies far to the west of India, Dashami begins here in the morning of the 20th, local time.

Hindu temples in Portugal for Navratri & Dussehra

These temples 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.

Lisbon

Lisbon's Vijay Muhurat is 3:11 PM – 3:55 PM, within an Aparahna of 2:27 PM – 4:39 PM, and sunset is at 6:51 PM. Greater Lisbon is home to the great majority of Portugal's Hindus, with large concentrations in the city itself and in suburbs such as Loures and Odivelas to the north.

• Templo Hindu Radha Krishna (Comunidade Hindu de Portugal) — Lumiar, northern Lisbon. Opened in 1998 and inaugurated in the presence of the President of Portugal, it is the community's main temple and cultural centre, with a marble worship hall, an auditorium and a community hall used for festivals.
• BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Lisbon — Avenida Almirante Gago Coutinho area, north-east Lisbon. Opened in 2014, it serves Swaminarayan and wider Gujarati families.
• Associação Templo Shiva — Santo António dos Cavaleiros, Loures. A community association founded in 1984 that worships in a temporary hall while a permanent Shiva temple is built on land provided by the municipality.
• ISKCON Lisbon (Hare Krishna) — central Lisbon. Known for kirtan, Bhagavad Gita classes, vegetarian food and the city's Rathayatra.

At Navratri, the Lisbon temples are the heart of the Gujarati community's garba and dandiya: nights of circle dances around a central image of Amba Mata, with aarti, chaniya choli and kediyu, and prasad afterwards. Temples typically also hold special Devi pujas, Kanya pujan near Ashtami and Navami, and bhajans through the nine nights. Nepali families in Lisbon mark Dashain, receiving tika and jamara from elders on Vijaya Dashami, often at home or at community gatherings, and Indian student and professional groups may organise their own Durga Puja or Ramlila-style events.

Porto

Porto's Vijay Muhurat is 3:08 PM – 3:52 PM, with an Aparahna of 2:24 PM – 4:35 PM and sunset at 6:46 PM, the earliest of the three cities. The Hindu community in the north is much smaller than Lisbon's, made up of students, professionals and some long-settled families.

• ISKCON Porto (Hare Krishna temple) — city centre, near the Vitória and Clérigos area. A temple, preaching centre and vegetarian restaurant in the heart of the city.

We could not confirm a dedicated Navratri-style Devi temple in Porto. Families here usually combine puja at home with informal community gatherings organised by Indian and Nepali groups, and some travel to Lisbon (about three hours by train) for the larger temple celebrations at the weekend.

Algarve: Faro

Faro's Vijay Muhurat is 3:07 PM – 3:51 PM, with an Aparahna of 2:22 PM – 4:35 PM and sunset at 6:48 PM. The Algarve has a growing South Asian population, including many Nepali and Indian workers in agriculture, tourism and hospitality, but it is spread across towns rather than concentrated in one place.

We could not confirm a permanent Hindu temple in Faro or elsewhere in the Algarve, so we do not list one. Families in the region usually mark Navratri and Dussehra with home puja, Nepali Dashain tika gatherings among friends and relatives, and visits to the Lisbon temples when work allows. If you know of an established temple or association in the Algarve, let your local community WhatsApp and social groups be your first source for 2026 plans.

How Portugal celebrates Navratri and Dussehra

Because 11–20 October are ordinary working and school days, much of the community celebration in Portugal falls on the weekends of 17–18 October and after. Garba and dandiya are the most visible Navratri tradition, thanks to the Gujarati community's long roots in Lisbon: whole families, from grandparents to toddlers, dance in concentric circles to garba songs, with a Mataji image, a garbo (lamp pot) and aarti at the start. Bengali families, where present, gather for Durga Puja with pushpanjali, bhog and Bijoya greetings. South Indian families set up Golu (Bommai Kolu) displays of dolls on steps and invite friends home, and keep Saraswati Puja and Ayudha Puja at the end of Navratri. Telugu families may celebrate Bathukamma with stacked flowers and circle songs.

For Portugal's large Nepali community, the season is Dashain, the biggest festival of the year. On Vijaya Dashami, elders put red tika and jamara (barley shoots grown from Ghatasthapana) on younger relatives and give blessings, and families share feasts and visits over the following days. North Indian families tell the Ramayana to children, watch Ramlila online and, where permitted, burn a small symbolic Ravan effigy. Large open-air Ravan Dahan of the kind seen in India is rare in Portugal, as fireworks and open fires need permission.

Dussehra puja at home

If you cannot reach a temple 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), 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, bikes 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 Portugal

• 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.
• Fireworks and fire: the use of fireworks and open fires is regulated, and local authorities (câmaras municipais) decide what is allowed. Do not burn effigies in parks, gardens or on beaches without permission.
• Getting to temples: parking near the Lisbon temples is limited on festival evenings. The Lisbon Metro and Carris buses are usually easier; in Porto, the Metro do Porto and walking are simplest in the centre.
• Weather: late October can bring the first autumn rains. Sunset is between 6:46 PM and 6:51 PM depending on the city, so bring a light jacket for evening events.
• Puja items: Indian and Nepali grocers in Lisbon (especially around Martim Moniz and Almirante Reis) and in Porto stock flowers, kumkum and sweets, but buy a few days early before Navratri weekends.
• Muhurat: use your own city's times from the table above; never convert India's times into Portuguese time.

Frequently asked questions

When is Dussehra 2026 in Portugal?

Tuesday 20 October 2026 in every city on the mainland, including Lisbon, Porto and Faro. The Dashami tithi begins at 8:20 AM Portuguese time on 20 October and ends at 9:41 AM on Wednesday 21 October, so it covers the whole afternoon of the 20th.

What is the Vijay Muhurat in Lisbon, Porto and Faro?

Calculated by the Drik Panchang method for each city: Lisbon 3:11 PM – 3:55 PM, Porto 3:08 PM – 3:52 PM and Faro 3:07 PM – 3:51 PM on Tuesday 20 October 2026, in Portuguese summer time (UTC+1).

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

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

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

In India, Bengal-tradition Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela fall on Wednesday 21 October 2026 (Drik Panchang, Kolkata). Any Durga Puja held in Portugal follows its own committee's schedule, so check the organisers' announcements.

Where will garba and Ravan Dahan take place in Portugal?

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. Fireworks and open fires are regulated by Portuguese law and local câmaras municipais, so any effigy burning needs permission.

Is Dussehra a holiday in Portugal?

No. Tuesday 20 and Wednesday 21 October 2026 are normal working and school days in Portugal, so many families do the afternoon puja at home and join temple celebrations in the evening or at the 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 Spain, city by city
• Dussehra 2026 in France, city by city
• Dussehra 2026 in Italy, city by city
• Dussehra 2026 in Switzerland, city by city
• Dashain 2026 in Nepal
• Dussehra 2026 UK, region by region
• October 2026 Hindu festival calendar