Dussehra 2026 in St. Louis: Date, Vijay Muhurat, Temples and Navratri Celebrations

Quick answer: Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 in St. Louis is on Tuesday 20 October 2026. The Vijay Muhurat for St. Louis is 2:35 PM – 3:19 PM local time (CDT, UTC-5), 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 St. Louis timings on this page were calculated for the city's own sunrise and sunset using the Drik Panchang method, in local Central Daylight Time (Missouri 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 St. Louis 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.

St. Louis has a close-knit and well-established Hindu community. Doctors, researchers, engineers and students drawn to the region's hospitals, universities and corporate offices have built temples and cultural centres across St. Louis County, from Ballwin in the west to Bridgeton near the airport. Navratri here brings together Gujarati garba, Bengali Durga Puja, South Indian Golu and Telugu Bathukamma, often under the same roof, since many of the area's festivals gather around a handful of shared community spaces.

Dussehra 2026 dates and timings for St. Louis

In St. Louis 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 St. Louis for Navratri & Dussehra

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

• Hindu Temple of St. Louis, Ballwin: the region's main Hindu temple, completed in 1991 and serving thousands of families across the metro area, with shrines to many deities and a cultural centre and auditorium that host festival gatherings.
• Mahatma Gandhi Center, Ballwin: the community and cultural hall beside the Hindu Temple of St. Louis, widely used for festival programmes, cultural evenings and community pujas.
• BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Bridgeton: the BAPS mandir and cultural centre in north St. Louis County, inaugurated in 2010, with murtis that include Shri Sita-Ram and Hanumanji.
• ISKCON St. Louis, Overland: the Hare Krishna temple, which has moved to a larger home in Overland; Vijayadashami is remembered here as the day of Lord Rama's victory.
• Punascha: the Bengali cultural association of Greater St. Louis, active since the 1980s, which holds the area's Durga Puja.
• HindiUSA St. Louis: a Hindi-language school and community group that has held Navratri garba and dandiya celebrations in the Ballwin area.

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 St. Louis celebrates Navratri and Dussehra

Garba and dandiya nights

Garba and dandiya raas are the most visible part of Navratri in St. Louis, led by the area's Gujarati families but joined by people from every community. A typical evening begins with an aarti to Amba Mata, followed by hours of circular garba and dandiya to live music or a DJ, with dancers in chaniya choli and kediyu. Because the Navratri nights fall mostly on weekdays, the largest gatherings are usually held at weekends in temple halls, school gyms and banquet spaces around the county.

Durga Puja

St. Louis's Bengali community has celebrated Durga Puja for decades. A typical puja includes the beat of 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 a weekend.

Golu, Bathukamma and Ayudha Puja

Tamil, Telugu and Kannada families in the area 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 stacked flower arrangements 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 St. Louis this usually means Ramayana readings, children's Ramlila skits at temples and Hindi schools 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 permission from the local fire authority.

Dussehra puja at home

Because 20 October is a working Tuesday, many St. Louis 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 (1:51 PM – 4:03 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 (2:35 PM – 3:19 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 St. Louis

• Weekday festival: Tuesday 20 October and Wednesday 21 October are school and work days. Plan a quick puja at lunchtime 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 Missouri, St. Louis County and individual municipalities. Check with your city or fire district before planning anything at home.
• Getting there: most temples are in suburban St. Louis County and are easiest to reach by car. Parking fills quickly on festival days, so carpool and arrive early.
• Weather: late October evenings in Missouri can turn cool. Bring a layer 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 CDT.

Frequently asked questions

When is Dussehra 2026 in St. Louis?

Tuesday 20 October 2026. Navratri begins on Sunday 11 October, and Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami both fall on Monday 19 October. In St. Louis the Dashami tithi runs from Tue 20 Oct, 2:20 AM to Wed 21 Oct, 3:41 AM local time, so it covers the whole afternoon of the 20th.

What is the Vijay Muhurat in St. Louis on Dussehra 2026?

2:35 PM – 3:19 PM Central Daylight Time on Tuesday 20 October 2026, calculated by the Drik Panchang method for St. Louis. It falls inside the Aparahna (1:51 PM – 4:03 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 St. Louis time. Use the St. Louis timings on this page or your temple's calendar.

When is Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela in St. Louis?

In India, the Bengali-tradition Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela fall on Wednesday 21 October 2026 (Drik Panchang, Kolkata). St. Louis Durga Puja committees such as Punascha set their own schedules, often around a weekend, so follow your puja committee's announcements.

Which temples in St. Louis celebrate Navratri and Dussehra?

The Hindu Temple of St. Louis in Ballwin, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Bridgeton and ISKCON St. Louis in Overland are among the places that mark the festival, along with community groups such as Punascha and HindiUSA St. Louis. Check each one's website for its 2026 programme.

Is there Ravan Dahan in St. Louis?

Some community groups may 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 Kansas City
• Dussehra 2026 in Chicago
• Dussehra 2026 in Indianapolis
• Dussehra 2026 in Louisville
• Dussehra 2026 in Nashville
• Navratri 2026 in the USA, city by city
• Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026: complete guide