October 2026 Hindu Festivals UK: Dates & Tithi

Quick answer: the main October 2026 Hindu festivals in the UK are Navratri from Sunday 11 October, Durga Ashtami on Sunday 18 October, Maha Navami on Monday 19 October, Dussehra on Tuesday 20 October, Sharad Purnima on Sunday 25 October and Karwa Chauth on Thursday 29 October. These are UK dates from Drik Panchang's UK list.

Compared with India, Durga Ashtami (Sun 18 Oct here, Mon 19 Oct in India) falls on a different day; everything else on the list matches. For festivals Drik does not list separately for the UK, we give the India date marked with an asterisk.

How this calendar was made: festival dates for the UK come only from Drik Panchang's UK list; India dates come from Drik Panchang's Hyderabad day panchang. The daily London 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 the UK: the month at a glance

British Hindu families, from Leicester and Wembley to Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow, keep October 2026 around three anchors: Navratri garba, Dussehra and the run-up to Diwali, with Sharad Purnima and Karwa Chauth in between. Our table uses London's sunrise. The UK is far enough west of India that some tithis change before a London dawn, so a few festivals land a day earlier here than in India.

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. London is 4 hours 30 minutes behind India while British Summer Time lasts, and 5 hours 30 minutes behind from Sunday 25 October, which is why a tithi that begins or ends near dawn can give the UK a different date from India.

Date-by-date October 2026 Hindu calendar for the UK

Columns show the date (linked to its daily panchang), the weekday, the tithi prevailing at London sunrise, London sunrise in local time, and the observances. Unmarked festival names are UK 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 London sunrise	Sunrise (London)	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	7:14 AM	Sarva Pitru Amavasya
11 Oct	Sun	Shukla Pratipada	7:15 AM	Navratri Begins; Ghatasthapana
12 Oct	Mon	Shukla Dwitiya	7:17 AM	Chandra Darshana*
13 Oct	Tue	Shukla Tritiya	7:19 AM	—
14 Oct	Wed	Shukla Chaturthi	7:20 AM	—
15 Oct	Thu	Shukla Panchami	7:22 AM	Upang Lalita Vrat (Lalita Panchami)*
16 Oct	Fri	Shukla Shashthi	7:24 AM	Akal Bodhon (Bengal Durga Puja Shashti); Saraswati Avahan; Skanda Sashti*
17 Oct	Sat	Shukla Saptami	7:26 AM	Navpatrika Puja; Saraswati Puja; Tula Sankranti*
18 Oct	Sun	Shukla Ashtami	7:27 AM	Durga Ashtami
19 Oct	Mon	Shukla Navami	7:29 AM	Maha Navami; Sandhi Puja*
20 Oct	Tue	Shukla Navami	7:31 AM	Dussehra; Vijayadashami; Ayudha Puja*
21 Oct	Wed	Shukla Dashami	7:32 AM	Bengal Vijayadashami; Madhvacharya Jayanti; Mysore Dasara; Vidyarambham Day
22 Oct	Thu	Shukla Ekadashi	7:34 AM	Papankusha Ekadashi*
23 Oct	Fri	Shukla Dwadashi	7:36 AM	Papankusha Ekadashi Parana; Shukra Pradosh Vrat
24 Oct	Sat	Shukla Trayodashi	7:38 AM	—
25 Oct	Sun	Shukla Purnima	6:39 AM	Sharad Purnima; Kojagara Puja
26 Oct	Mon	Krishna Pratipada	6:41 AM	Ashwina Purnima; Meerabai Jayanti; Valmiki Jayanti*
27 Oct	Tue	Krishna Dwitiya	6:43 AM	Kartika begins (North Indian calendar); Masik Karthigai
28 Oct	Wed	Krishna Tritiya	6:45 AM	Atla Tadde*
29 Oct	Thu	Krishna Chaturthi	6:46 AM	Karwa Chauth; Rohini Vrat; Vakratunda Sankashti
30 Oct	Fri	Krishna Panchami	6:48 AM	—
31 Oct	Sat	Krishna Shashthi	6:50 AM	—

British Summer Time ends at 2 AM on Sunday 25 October 2026. That is why London's sunrise in the table jumps from 7:38 AM on Saturday 24 October to 6:39 AM on Sunday 25 October: the sun has not moved, the clocks have. The change falls on Sharad Purnima, so check that any temple programme that evening has been listed in GMT.

Where UK dates differ from India

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

Festival	India	UK	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	Sun 18 Oct	One day earlier
Maha Navami	Mon 19 Oct	Mon 19 Oct	Same day
Dussehra	Tue 20 Oct	Tue 20 Oct	Same day
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 the UK: 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 the UK and the Navratri 2026 colours list.

Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami: Sun 18 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. London's sunrise falls in Ashtami on Sunday 18 October, so the UK Durga Ashtami is a day ahead of India while Maha Navami stays on Monday 19 October. For the Bengali day-by-day calendar see Durga Puja 2026 dates.

Dussehra (Vijayadashami): Tuesday 20 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. See our Dussehra guide for the UK 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 London 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. It is also the day British Summer Time ends, so the evening is an hour earlier by the clock than you may expect. 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 London sunrise on Sun 25 Oct in our table. 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*). The UK keeps Karwa Chauth on Thursday 29 October, the same day as India, though the moon rises much later by the clock than in Delhi. Moonrise is local and varies by city; see Karwa Chauth 2026 moonrise times for the UK.

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 the UK

Ahoi Ashtami falls on Sunday 1 November in India*. Dhanteras is Friday 6 November and Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) is Sunday 8 November in the UK (Drik). The Telugu and Kannada month of Karthika begins on Monday 9 November for the UK (Drik). Plan ahead with Diwali 2026 for the UK and Karthika Masam 2026 for the UK, and keep the November 2026 calendar for the UK handy.

Notes for Hindus in the UK

Clock change on 25 October: British Summer Time ends on the morning of Sharad Purnima. From that day London is 5 hours 30 minutes behind India, so a video puja with family in India shifts by an hour.
October half-term: most schools in England and Wales take half-term in the last week of October, but dates vary by local authority. It overlaps Valmiki Jayanti and Karwa Chauth, which helps families who want children at the temple.
Navratri weekends: Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 October are the main garba weekend; Durga Ashtami in the UK is itself on Sunday 18 October, so expect busy Devi temples that day.
Dussehra on a Tuesday: Vijayadashami (Tue 20 Oct) is a working day. Many families do Shami or Ayudha puja at home in the morning or evening and join a community Ravan Dahan on a weekend.
Daylight: by the end of October London's sunset is before 5 PM. Karwa Chauth moonrise therefore comes well after dark; see our UK moonrise guide for your city.

Frequently asked questions

What are the main October 2026 Hindu festivals in the UK?

Drik Panchang's UK list: Navratri from Sunday 11 October, Durga Ashtami on Sunday 18 October, Maha Navami on Monday 19 October, Dussehra on Tuesday 20 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 the UK?

Drik gives Tuesday 20 October for the UK. 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 the UK?

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.

When do the clocks go back in the UK in October 2026?

British Summer Time ends at 2 AM on Sunday 25 October 2026, the day of Sharad Purnima. London's sunrise moves from 7:38 AM on 24 October to 6:39 AM on 25 October in our table, and the UK becomes 5 hours 30 minutes behind India. Tithi dates are not affected by the clock change; only the clock times are.

Why can festival dates in the UK 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. London is 4 hours 30 minutes behind India while British Summer Time lasts, and 5 hours 30 minutes behind from Sunday 25 October. When a tithi changes close to dawn or dusk, the deciding moment can fall on a different calendar day in the UK. Use the tithi-at-sunrise column in our table to see where that happens.

Which October 2026 festivals fall on a weekend in the UK?

Navratri Begins (Sun 11 Oct), Durga Ashtami (Sun 18 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 the UK come only from Drik Panchang's UK list; the India column comes from Drik Panchang's Hyderabad day panchang. The London 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.