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

Quick answer: Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 in San Diego is on Tuesday 20 October 2026. The Vijay Muhurat for San Diego is 2:25 PM – 3:10 PM local time (PDT, UTC-7), 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 San Diego timings on this page were calculated for the city's own sunrise and sunset using the Drik Panchang method, in local Pacific Daylight Time (California 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 San Diego 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.

San Diego's Hindu community has grown steadily alongside the region's universities, research institutes, biotech firms and technology companies. Many families live in the northern neighbourhoods and suburbs such as Mira Mesa, Carmel Valley, Rancho Bernardo and Poway, and that is where most temples and festival gatherings are found. Navratri here brings together Gujarati garba, Bengali Durga Puja, South Indian Golu and Telugu Bathukamma, often in temple halls, school gyms and community centres.

Dussehra 2026 dates and timings for San Diego

In San Diego the Dashami tithi begins just after midnight on Tuesday and lasts through the whole day, 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 San Diego for Navratri & Dussehra

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

• Sri Lakshmi Venkateswara Temple and Cultural Center, Miramar: a South Indian temple dedicated to Lord Venkateswara and Goddess Lakshmi, serving Telugu, Tamil and Kannada families in the northern neighbourhoods.
• BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Black Mountain Road (Mira Mesa area): the BAPS mandir for San Diego, a focal point for the city's Gujarati community.
• Shiva Vishnu Temple / Vedic Cultural and Spiritual Center, Poway: a community temple serving the North County suburbs, with shrines to Shiva, Vishnu and other deities.
• ISKCON San Diego, Pacific Beach: the Hare Krishna temple near the coast, active in San Diego since 1969, where Vijayadashami is remembered as the day of Lord Rama's victory.
• Chinmaya Mission San Diego: a Vedanta study and Bala Vihar centre; San Diego is where Swami Chinmayananda attained Mahasamadhi in 1993.
• Saikat, the Bengali Association of San Diego: founded in 1987, it organises the city's best-known Durga Puja each autumn.

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 San Diego celebrates Navratri and Dussehra

Garba and dandiya nights

Garba and dandiya raas are the most visible part of Navratri in San Diego. A typical evening begins 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 largest events tend to be held on the weekends, in school gyms, community halls and event spaces in the northern suburbs. Southern California's mild October evenings also make outdoor garba possible.

Durga Puja

Bengali families in San Diego have celebrated Durga Puja for decades. A typical puja includes 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

San Diego has a large South Indian community, many working in wireless, software and life sciences. Tamil and Telugu homes often set up a Golu (Bommai Kolu) of dolls on stepped shelves and invite friends for kumkum, songs and sundal, and Kannada families keep the Bombe Habba in the same spirit. 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 San Diego this usually means community 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, which are particularly cautious in Southern California's dry autumn.

Dussehra puja at home

Because 20 October is a working Tuesday, many San Diego 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 (1:40 PM – 3:55 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 (2:25 PM – 3:10 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 San Diego

• 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 the City and County of San Diego and local fire authorities, and fire risk is often high in autumn. Check the rules before planning anything at home, and keep diyas away from dry vegetation.
• Getting there: temple car parks fill quickly on festival days. Carpool, arrive early, and allow extra time on the I-15 and I-805 corridors during the evening rush.
• Weather: October is usually mild in San Diego, but inland evenings cool down quickly. Bring a light layer for outdoor garba.
• Clock check: the US is still on daylight saving time on 20 October, so the times on this page are PDT.

Frequently asked questions

When is Dussehra 2026 in San Diego?

Tuesday 20 October 2026. Navratri begins on Sunday 11 October, and Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami both fall on Monday 19 October. In San Diego the Dashami tithi runs from Tue 20 Oct, 12:20 AM to Wed 21 Oct, 1:41 AM local time, so it covers the whole of Tuesday's daytime.

What is the Vijay Muhurat in San Diego on Dussehra 2026?

2:25 PM – 3:10 PM Pacific Daylight Time on Tuesday 20 October 2026, calculated by the Drik Panchang method for San Diego. It falls inside the Aparahna (1:40 PM – 3:55 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 San Diego time. Use the San Diego timings on this page or your temple's calendar.

When is Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela in San Diego?

In India, the Bengali-tradition Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela fall on Wednesday 21 October 2026 (Drik Panchang, Kolkata). San Diego's Durga Puja, organised by the Bengali association Saikat, follows its own committee schedule, often around a weekend, so check Saikat's announcements.

Which temples in San Diego celebrate Navratri and Dussehra?

The Sri Lakshmi Venkateswara Temple in Miramar, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir off Black Mountain Road, the Shiva Vishnu Temple (Vedic Cultural and Spiritual Center) in Poway, ISKCON San Diego in Pacific Beach and Chinmaya Mission San Diego are among the places that mark the season. Check each one's website for its 2026 programme.

Is there Ravan Dahan in San Diego?

Some community groups in Southern California 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.

Related guides

• Dussehra 2026 USA, state by state
• Dussehra 2026 in Los Angeles
• Dussehra 2026 in Irvine
• Dussehra 2026 in Phoenix
• Dussehra 2026 in Las Vegas
• Dussehra 2026 in San Jose
• Navratri 2026 in the USA, city by city
• Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026: complete guide