October 2026 Hindu Festivals Australia: Dates & Tithi

Quick answer: the main October 2026 Hindu festivals in Australia are Navratri from Sunday 11 October, Durga Ashtami on Monday 19 October, Maha Navami on Monday 19 October, Dussehra on Wednesday 21 October, Sharad Purnima on Sunday 25 October and Karwa Chauth on Thursday 29 October. These are Australian dates from Drik Panchang's Australia list.

Compared with India, Dussehra (Wed 21 Oct here, Tue 20 Oct in India) falls on a different day; everything else on the list matches. For festivals Drik does not list separately for Australia, we give the India date marked with an asterisk.

How this calendar was made: festival dates for Australia come only from Drik Panchang's Australia list; India dates come from Drik Panchang's Hyderabad day panchang. The daily Sydney sunrise, and the tithi and nakshatra at that sunrise, are computed with HinduTone's panchang calculator, validated against Drik Panchang (tithi at sunrise matched on every checked date; sunrise within about a minute). Each date links to that day's full panchang page. We never convert India's clock times to local time.

October 2026 Hindu festivals in Australia: the month at a glance

Australia is ahead of India on the clock, which turns the usual NRI pattern around: here some tithis reach sunrise a day later than in India, so a festival can come a day after your family's in Hyderabad or Ahmedabad. The clearest case this month is Dussehra. Our table uses Sydney; Melbourne shares its zone, while Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth keep different clocks in October.

The month follows the moon. It opens in the dark fortnight that ends Pitru Paksha, turns at the new moon of Sat 10 Oct into Ashwina Shukla Paksha, the bright fortnight of Navratri and Dussehra, peaks at the full moon of Sharad Purnima, and then enters the waning fortnight in which North Indian calendars begin the month of Kartika and married women keep Karwa Chauth. Sydney is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of India on daylight saving time, which is why a tithi that begins or ends near dawn can give Australia a different date from India.

Date-by-date October 2026 Hindu calendar for Australia

Columns show the date (linked to its daily panchang), the weekday, the tithi prevailing at Sydney sunrise, Sydney sunrise in local time, and the observances. Unmarked festival names are Australian Drik dates; names with an asterisk (*) are India dates — abroad it may fall a day earlier or later — check your local temple.

Date	Day	Tithi at Sydney sunrise	Sunrise (Sydney)	Festivals and observances
1–9 Oct	Thu–Fri	See last week's panchang	—	India: Pitru Paksha continues until Sarva Pitru Amavasya on Sat 10 Oct
10 Oct	Sat	Krishna Amavasya	6:19 AM	Sarva Pitru Amavasya
11 Oct	Sun	Shukla Pratipada	6:18 AM	Navratri Begins; Ghatasthapana
12 Oct	Mon	Shukla Dwitiya	6:16 AM	Chandra Darshana*
13 Oct	Tue	Shukla Tritiya	6:15 AM	—
14 Oct	Wed	Shukla Chaturthi	6:14 AM	—
15 Oct	Thu	Shukla Chaturthi	6:13 AM	Upang Lalita Vrat (Lalita Panchami)*
16 Oct	Fri	Shukla Panchami	6:11 AM	Akal Bodhon (Bengal Durga Puja Shashti); Saraswati Avahan; Skanda Sashti*
17 Oct	Sat	Shukla Shashthi	6:10 AM	Navpatrika Puja; Saraswati Puja; Tula Sankranti*
18 Oct	Sun	Shukla Saptami	6:09 AM	—
19 Oct	Mon	Shukla Ashtami	6:08 AM	Maha Navami; Durga Ashtami; Sandhi Puja*
20 Oct	Tue	Shukla Navami	6:06 AM	Ayudha Puja*
21 Oct	Wed	Shukla Dashami	6:05 AM	Dussehra; Vijayadashami; Bengal Vijayadashami; Madhvacharya Jayanti; Mysore Dasara; Vidyarambham Day
22 Oct	Thu	Shukla Ekadashi	6:04 AM	Papankusha Ekadashi*
23 Oct	Fri	Shukla Dwadashi	6:03 AM	Papankusha Ekadashi Parana; Shukra Pradosh Vrat
24 Oct	Sat	Shukla Trayodashi	6:02 AM	—
25 Oct	Sun	Shukla Chaturdashi	6:01 AM	Sharad Purnima; Kojagara Puja
26 Oct	Mon	Shukla Purnima	6:00 AM	Ashwina Purnima; Meerabai Jayanti; Valmiki Jayanti*
27 Oct	Tue	Krishna Pratipada	5:58 AM	Kartika begins (North Indian calendar); Masik Karthigai
28 Oct	Wed	Krishna Dwitiya	5:57 AM	Atla Tadde*
29 Oct	Thu	Krishna Tritiya	5:56 AM	Karwa Chauth; Rohini Vrat; Vakratunda Sankashti
30 Oct	Fri	Krishna Panchami	5:55 AM	—
31 Oct	Sat	Krishna Shashthi	5:54 AM	—

New South Wales, Victoria, the ACT, Tasmania and South Australia moved to daylight saving time on Sunday 4 October 2026, before this table begins; Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory do not use it. Sydney's sunrise therefore runs from 6:19 AM to 5:54 AM through the month, and there is no further clock change until April.

Where Australia dates differ from India

Drik Panchang lists the main October festivals separately for Australia. Here is how they compare with India:

Festival	India	Australia	Difference
Sarva Pitru Amavasya	Sat 10 Oct	Sat 10 Oct	Same day
Navratri Begins	Sun 11 Oct	Sun 11 Oct	Same day
Durga Ashtami	Mon 19 Oct	Mon 19 Oct	Same day
Maha Navami	Mon 19 Oct	Mon 19 Oct	Same day
Dussehra	Tue 20 Oct	Wed 21 Oct	One day later
Sharad Purnima	Sun 25 Oct	Sun 25 Oct	Same day
Karwa Chauth	Thu 29 Oct	Thu 29 Oct	Same day

Sarva Pitru Amavasya (Mahalaya): Sat 10 Oct

The new moon that closes Pitru Paksha is the day for tarpanam and food offerings to all ancestors, including those whose death tithi is not known. In India it is Saturday 10 October. In Bengal the same morning is Mahalaya, which opens the Durga Puja season, and in Telangana it is the first day of Bathukamma.

Navratri 2026 in Australia: Sun 11 Oct to Mon 19 Oct

Sharad Navratri begins with Ghatasthapana on Sunday 11 October and runs through nine nights of worship of Durga in her nine forms. Saraswati Puja is kept on the last days (Saraswati Avahan on Fri 16 Oct and Saraswati Puja on Sat 17 Oct in India*), and many South Indian families keep a kolu of dolls. Day-by-day forms, colours and puja steps are in our Navratri 2026 guide for Australia and the Navratri 2026 colours list.

Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami: Mon 19 Oct and Mon 19 Oct

Ashtami is the day of Kanya Pujan and, in Bengal, of Sandhi Puja at the junction of Ashtami and Navami; Navami completes the nine nights. In India both fall on Monday 19 October, because in India Saptami prevailed at two sunrises (17 and 18 Oct) this year. Australia keeps Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami together on Monday 19 October, as India does. For the Bengali day-by-day calendar see Durga Puja 2026 dates.

Dussehra (Vijayadashami): Wednesday 21 October

Vijayadashami celebrates Rama's victory over Ravana and Durga's over Mahishasura. It is the day for Shami puja, Ravan Dahan, Vidyarambham and, in many South Indian homes, the closing of Ayudha Puja. In India Dussehra is Tuesday 20 October; Drik's Hyderabad panchang lists Ayudha Puja on the same day, though some calendars mark it on Mon 19 Oct. Australia is the one country in this series where Drik's Dussehra date is later than India's: Wednesday 21 October, and Dashami is also the tithi at Sydney's sunrise that day. See our Dussehra guide for Australia and Ayudha and Shami puja vidhi.

Papankusha Ekadashi: Thu 22 Oct in India*

The Ekadashi of the bright fortnight of Ashwina is said to remove sins that weigh on the mind; the fast is broken the next morning (in India, Fri 23 Oct, which is also a Shukra Pradosh). India keeps the fast on Thursday 22 October; abroad it may fall a day earlier or later — check your local temple. In our table, Ekadashi is the tithi at Sydney sunrise on Thu 22 Oct, the same day as India. Read more in Papankusha Ekadashi 2026.

Sharad Purnima and Kojagari Lakshmi Puja: Sunday 25 October

On the brightest full moon of autumn, families keep kheer in the moonlight and, in Bengal, Odisha and Assam, stay awake for Kojagari Lakshmi Puja. India keeps it on Sunday 25 October. See Sharad Purnima 2026.

Valmiki Jayanti: Mon 26 Oct in India*

The birthday of the Adi Kavi, author of the Ramayana, is kept on Ashwina Purnima, Monday 26 October, in India; abroad it may fall a day earlier or later — check your local temple. Purnima is the tithi at Sydney sunrise on Mon 26 Oct in our table. Sydney's sunrise falls in Purnima on Monday 26 October, as in India. See Valmiki Jayanti 2026.

Karwa Chauth: Thursday 29 October

Married women fast from before dawn until they see the moon, then break the fast with water from their husband's hands. The day is also Vakratunda Sankashti Chaturthi for Ganesha devotees (India: Thursday 29 October*). Moonrise is local and varies by city; see Karwa Chauth 2026 moonrise times for Australia.

Other observances this month (India dates*)

Thu 15 Oct: Upang Lalita Vrat (Lalita Panchami) — see Lalita Panchami 2026
Fri 16 Oct: Skanda Sashti (monthly) and Saraswati Avahan
Sat 17 Oct: Tula Sankranti, the Sun's entry into Libra — see Tula Sankranti 2026
Wed 21 Oct: Bengal Vijayadashami (Sindoor Khela), Mysore Dasara procession, Madhvacharya Jayanti
Tue 27 Oct: Kartika month begins in North Indian (purnimanta) calendars; Masik Karthigai
Wed 28 Oct: Atla Tadde, the Telugu women's vrat

Looking ahead: early November in Australia

Ahoi Ashtami falls on Sunday 1 November in India*. Dhanteras is Friday 6 November and Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) is Sunday 8 November in Australia (Drik). The Telugu and Kannada month of Karthika begins on Tuesday 10 November for Australia (Drik). Plan ahead with Diwali 2026 for Australia and Karthika Masam 2026 for Australia, and keep the November 2026 calendar for Australia handy.

Notes for Hindus in Australia

Dussehra is Wednesday 21 October in Australia, a day after India. When your relatives in India post Ravan Dahan videos on Tuesday evening, your Vijayadashami is still to come.
Different clocks in October: Perth is three hours behind Sydney and Brisbane one hour behind, because they do not use daylight saving. The tithi at sunrise in Perth can therefore differ from Sydney's; check Drik Panchang for your city.
Spring evenings: Sharad Purnima on Sunday 25 October is a mild spring night in most of the country, good for the traditional kheer left in moonlight.
Garba weekends: Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 October are the main Navratri weekend; community garba in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane is usually ticketed, so check organisers directly.
School term 4 is under way in every state, so weekday festivals such as Dussehra and Karwa Chauth mean an evening puja after work and school.

Frequently asked questions

What are the main October 2026 Hindu festivals in Australia?

Drik Panchang's Australia list: Navratri from Sunday 11 October, Durga Ashtami on Monday 19 October, Maha Navami on Monday 19 October, Dussehra on Wednesday 21 October, Sharad Purnima on Sunday 25 October and Karwa Chauth on Thursday 29 October. Smaller observances such as Papankusha Ekadashi (22 Oct) and Valmiki Jayanti (26 Oct) are given with India dates; abroad they may fall a day earlier or later, so check your local temple.

When is Dussehra 2026 in Australia?

Drik gives Wednesday 21 October for Australia, a day after India's Tuesday 20 October. Community Ravan Dahan events are often held on a nearby weekend, but Shami puja and Vidyarambham belong to Vijayadashami itself.

When is Karwa Chauth 2026 in Australia?

Thursday 29 October (Drik). The fast ends at local moonrise, which differs from city to city, so use a local moonrise time rather than India's.

Do clocks change in Australia in October 2026?

Yes, but before this table: New South Wales, Victoria, the ACT, Tasmania and South Australia began daylight saving on Sunday 4 October 2026. Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory do not change. Every Sydney sunrise in our table is daylight saving time, and Sydney is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of India.

Why can festival dates in Australia differ from India?

A tithi begins and ends at the same instant everywhere, but each place sees sunrise, sunset and moonrise at its own time. Sydney is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of India on daylight saving time. When a tithi changes close to dawn or dusk, the deciding moment can fall on a different calendar day in Australia. Use the tithi-at-sunrise column in our table to see where that happens.

Which October 2026 festivals fall on a weekend in Australia?

Navratri Begins (Sun 11 Oct) and Sharad Purnima (Sun 25 Oct) fall on a Saturday or Sunday. Expect larger crowds at temples on those days, and remember that weekday festivals can still be kept with a short home puja morning or evening.

Editor's note

Editor's note (9 October 2026): this calendar was rebuilt at its original address. Festival dates for Australia come only from Drik Panchang's Australia list; the India column comes from Drik Panchang's Hyderabad day panchang. The Sydney sunrise and the tithi at sunrise are computed with HinduTone's calculator, validated against Drik Panchang; they are a guide, not a temple ruling. Dates from 1 to 9 October have passed and are covered in last week's panchang. Regional traditions and sampradayas can choose a different day, so follow your temple or family priest where they differ. We do not list temple timings or event details; check each temple's official website.