Dussehra 2026 in Salt Lake City: Date, Vijay Muhurat, Temples and Navratri Celebrations

Quick answer: Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 in Salt Lake City is on Tuesday 20 October 2026. The Vijay Muhurat for Salt Lake City is 3:01 PM – 3:45 PM local time (MDT, UTC-6), 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 Salt Lake City timings on this page were calculated for the city's own sunrise and sunset using the Drik Panchang method, in local Mountain Daylight Time (Utah 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 Salt Lake City 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.

Utah's Hindu community has grown steadily over the past few decades, drawn by the universities, hospitals and the fast-growing technology sector along the Wasatch Front. What began with worship in family basements now spans several temples from Kearns and South Jordan to Spanish Fork, and Navratri brings together Gujarati garba, Bengali Durga Puja, South Indian Golu and Telugu Bathukamma, with families travelling across the valley for celebrations.

Dussehra 2026 dates and timings for Salt Lake City

In Salt Lake City 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 Salt Lake City for Navratri & Dussehra

These temples and organisations are established in the Salt Lake City area and along the Wasatch Front. Programmes vary from year to year, so check each one's official website for current details.

• Sri Ganesha Hindu Temple of Utah, South Jordan: the community temple of the Salt Lake Valley, with Lord Ganesha as its main deity and regular pujas in the traditional manner.
• India Cultural Center of Utah, South Jordan: a multi-use hall run alongside the Ganesha temple, dedicated to Indian music, dance and culture; it has hosted garba nights and the local Bengali community's Durga Puja.
• BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Kearns: the BAPS mandir for Utah, which opened in a converted meetinghouse in September 2025 and serves as both a place of worship and a community centre.
• Krishna Temple, Salt Lake City: the Hare Krishna temple in the Salt Lake Valley, home to the white marble deities of Sri Sri Radha Govinda; Vijayadashami is remembered here as the day of Lord Rama's victory.
• Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple, Spanish Fork: Utah's first Hindu temple, in Utah County, best known for its spring festival of colours.

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 Salt Lake City celebrates Navratri and Dussehra

Garba and dandiya nights

Gujarati families have been part of Utah's Indian community for decades, and garba and dandiya raas are among the most popular Navratri events in the valley. 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 families dressed in chaniya choli and kediyu. Because most Navratri nights fall on weekdays, the biggest gatherings are usually held at the weekend, in temple halls, community centres and school gyms.

Durga Puja

Salt Lake City's Bengali community has held Durga Puja for many years. A typical puja includes the dhak, pushpanjali on Ashtami, Sandhi Puja, home-cooked bhog shared with everyone who comes, 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 the Salt Lake City area this usually means Ramayana readings, bhajans, children's Ramlila skits and, where local rules allow, a small symbolic 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 the local fire authority.

Dussehra puja at home

Because 20 October is a working Tuesday, many Salt Lake City 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 (2:17 PM – 4:28 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 (3:01 PM – 3:45 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 Salt Lake City

• Weekday festival: Tuesday 20 October and Wednesday 21 October are school and work days. Plan a quick puja in the evening or arrange a short break during the Vijay Muhurat.
• Weekend events: many garba nights, Durga Puja 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 Utah and local authorities, and autumn fire restrictions can apply. Check with your city before planning anything at home.
• Getting there: temples are spread across the valley, from Kearns and South Jordan to Spanish Fork, and parking fills up on busy festival days. Carpool, arrive early, and use UTA TRAX or FrontRunner where they serve your destination.
• Weather: late October evenings in the Salt Lake Valley can be chilly, and early snow is possible in the mountains. Bring layers for outdoor events and for the drive home after garba.
• Clock check: the US is still on daylight saving time on 20 October, so the times on this page are MDT.

Frequently asked questions

When is Dussehra 2026 in Salt Lake City?

Tuesday 20 October 2026. Navratri begins on Sunday 11 October, and Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami both fall on Monday 19 October. In Salt Lake City the Dashami tithi runs from Tue 20 Oct, 1:20 AM to Wed 21 Oct, 2:41 AM local time, so it covers the whole afternoon of the 20th.

What is the Vijay Muhurat in Salt Lake City on Dussehra 2026?

3:01 PM – 3:45 PM Mountain Daylight Time on Tuesday 20 October 2026, calculated by the Drik Panchang method for Salt Lake City. It falls inside the Aparahna (2:17 PM – 4:28 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 Utah time. Use the Salt Lake City timings on this page or your temple's calendar.

When is Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela in Salt Lake City?

In India, the Bengal-tradition Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela fall on Wednesday 21 October 2026 (Drik Panchang, Kolkata). Utah's Durga Puja is organised by the local Bengali community, which sets its own schedule, often around a weekend, so follow your puja committee's announcements.

Which temples in the Salt Lake City area celebrate Navratri and Dussehra?

Sri Ganesha Hindu Temple of Utah and the India Cultural Center in South Jordan, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Kearns, the Krishna Temple in Salt Lake City and the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork are among the places that serve the community. Check each one's website for its 2026 programme.

Is there Ravan Dahan in Salt Lake City?

Large open-air Ravan Dahan events are rare in Utah, and any effigy burning depends on permits from local fire authorities. Temples and community groups usually announce Navratri garba, Durga Puja, Ramlila and Ravan Dahan programmes a few weeks ahead — check their websites/social pages.

Related guides

• Dussehra 2026 USA, state by state
• Dussehra 2026 in Denver
• Dussehra 2026 in Las Vegas
• Dussehra 2026 in Phoenix
• Dussehra 2026 in Sacramento
• Dussehra 2026 in Seattle
• Navratri 2026 in the USA, city by city
• Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026: complete guide