October 2026 Hindu Festivals USA: Dates & Tithi

Quick answer: the main October 2026 Hindu festivals in the USA 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 Wednesday 28 October. These are US dates from Drik Panchang's USA list.

Compared with India, Sarva Pitru Amavasya (Fri 9 Oct here, Sat 10 Oct in India), Durga Ashtami (Sun 18 Oct here, Mon 19 Oct in India) and Karwa Chauth (Wed 28 Oct here, Thu 29 Oct in India) fall on a different day; everything else on the list matches. For festivals Drik does not list separately for the USA, we give the India date marked with an asterisk.

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

For Hindu families in the USA, October 2026 packs the end of Pitru Paksha, all nine nights of Navratri, Dussehra, Sharad Purnima and Karwa Chauth into one month, and most of the big days land on working weekdays. Our daily table follows New York (Eastern Time). Chicago, Houston, Denver and the West Coast see sunrise later on the world clock, so when a tithi changes close to dawn, a festival can sit on a different day for you than for relatives in New Jersey.

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. New York is 9 hours 30 minutes behind India until US clocks fall back on Sunday 1 November, and 10 hours 30 minutes behind after that, which is why a tithi that begins or ends near dawn can give the USA a different date from India.

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

Columns show the date (linked to its daily panchang), the weekday, the tithi prevailing at New York sunrise, New York sunrise in local time, and the observances. Unmarked festival names are US 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 New York sunrise	Sunrise (New York)	Festivals and observances
1–9 Oct	Thu–Fri	See last week's panchang	—	Sarva Pitru Amavasya, Fri 9 Oct (local Drik date); India: Pitru Paksha continues until Sarva Pitru Amavasya on Sat 10 Oct
10 Oct	Sat	Krishna Amavasya	7:00 AM	—
11 Oct	Sun	Shukla Pratipada	7:01 AM	Navratri Begins; Ghatasthapana
12 Oct	Mon	Shukla Dwitiya	7:02 AM	Chandra Darshana*
13 Oct	Tue	Shukla Tritiya	7:03 AM	—
14 Oct	Wed	Shukla Chaturthi	7:04 AM	—
15 Oct	Thu	Shukla Panchami	7:05 AM	Upang Lalita Vrat (Lalita Panchami)*
16 Oct	Fri	Shukla Shashthi	7:06 AM	Akal Bodhon (Bengal Durga Puja Shashti); Saraswati Avahan; Skanda Sashti*
17 Oct	Sat	Shukla Saptami	7:08 AM	Navpatrika Puja; Saraswati Puja; Tula Sankranti*
18 Oct	Sun	Shukla Ashtami	7:09 AM	Durga Ashtami
19 Oct	Mon	Shukla Navami	7:10 AM	Maha Navami; Sandhi Puja*
20 Oct	Tue	Shukla Dashami	7:11 AM	Dussehra; Vijayadashami; Ayudha Puja*
21 Oct	Wed	Shukla Ekadashi	7:12 AM	Bengal Vijayadashami; Madhvacharya Jayanti; Mysore Dasara; Vidyarambham Day
22 Oct	Thu	Shukla Dwadashi	7:13 AM	Papankusha Ekadashi*
23 Oct	Fri	Shukla Trayodashi	7:14 AM	Papankusha Ekadashi Parana; Shukra Pradosh Vrat
24 Oct	Sat	Shukla Chaturdashi	7:15 AM	—
25 Oct	Sun	Shukla Purnima	7:16 AM	Sharad Purnima; Kojagara Puja
26 Oct	Mon	Krishna Pratipada	7:18 AM	Ashwina Purnima; Meerabai Jayanti; Valmiki Jayanti*
27 Oct	Tue	Krishna Dwitiya	7:19 AM	Kartika begins (North Indian calendar); Masik Karthigai
28 Oct	Wed	Krishna Tritiya	7:20 AM	Karwa Chauth; Atla Tadde*
29 Oct	Thu	Krishna Chaturthi	7:21 AM	Rohini Vrat; Vakratunda Sankashti
30 Oct	Fri	Krishna Panchami	7:22 AM	—
31 Oct	Sat	Krishna Shashthi	7:23 AM	—

US clocks do not change during October. Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday 1 November 2026, so every sunrise in the table is Eastern Daylight Time, and the mornings simply get darker through the month.

Where US dates differ from India

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

Festival	India	USA	Difference
Sarva Pitru Amavasya	Sat 10 Oct	Fri 9 Oct	One day earlier
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	Wed 28 Oct	One day earlier

Sarva Pitru Amavasya (Mahalaya): Fri 9 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. In the USA, Drik places it on Friday 9 October, a day ahead of India, because the Amavasya that India sees on Saturday is already under way on Friday in North America.

Navratri 2026 in the USA: 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 USA 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. The New York sunrise column shows Ashtami on Sunday 18 October and Navami on Monday 19 October, which is why the US Ashtami is a day ahead of India's. 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 USA 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 New York sunrise on Wed 21 Oct, a day before 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 New York sunrise on Sun 25 Oct in our table. See Valmiki Jayanti 2026.

Karwa Chauth: Wednesday 28 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 deciding moment is moonrise: in North America the Chaturthi tithi is already running when the moon rises on Wednesday evening and has ended before Thursday's moonrise, so the US date is a day ahead of India's. Moonrise is local and varies by city; see Karwa Chauth 2026 moonrise times for the USA.

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 USA

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

Notes for Hindus in the USA

Weekday festivals: Dussehra (Tue 20 Oct) and Karwa Chauth (Wed 28 Oct) fall on working days. Temples and associations often hold Ravan Dahan, garba and community dinners on the nearest weekend, but the home puja and the fast belong to the tithi day itself.
Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples' Day, Monday 12 October, is the second day of Navratri. It is a federal holiday, but many schools and private employers stay open, so plan the day-two puja around your usual schedule.
Four mainland time zones: the table is for New York. On the West Coast the local sunrise tithi differs more often, especially around Ekadashi and Purnima, so check Drik Panchang for your own city before a fast.
Garba and Durga Puja season: large garba nights run on the Navratri weekends of 17–18 October; Bengali associations follow the Durga Puja days (Shashti to Dashami), which do not always match the Navratri numbering.
Halloween is Saturday 31 October. If you are lighting diyas for the evening of Karwa Chauth or for a Kartika lamp, keep them inside, away from costumes, decorations and children's hands.

Frequently asked questions

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

Drik Panchang's USA 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 Wednesday 28 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 USA?

Drik gives Tuesday 20 October for the USA. 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 USA?

Wednesday 28 October (Drik), one day before India's Thursday 29 October. The fast ends at local moonrise, which differs from city to city, so use a local moonrise time rather than India's.

Do the clocks change in October 2026 in the USA?

No. Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 AM on Sunday 1 November 2026, after this calendar. All sunrise times in the October table are Eastern Daylight Time. From 1 November, New York is 10 hours 30 minutes behind India instead of 9 hours 30 minutes, which matters when you compare Diwali-week times with family in India.

Why can festival dates in the USA 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. New York is 9 hours 30 minutes behind India until US clocks fall back on Sunday 1 November, and 10 hours 30 minutes behind after that. When a tithi changes close to dawn or dusk, the deciding moment can fall on a different calendar day in the USA. Use the tithi-at-sunrise column in our table to see where that happens.

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

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 USA come only from Drik Panchang's USA list; the India column comes from Drik Panchang's Hyderabad day panchang. The New York 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.