Victory of Rama over Ravana. End of Navratri.
Dussehra, also called Vijayadashami, falls on the tenth day after Navratri and celebrates the victory of good over evil. It marks two great triumphs: Lord Rama’s defeat of the ten-headed demon king Ravana, and Goddess Durga’s slaying of the buffalo demon Mahishasura after her nine nights of battle. The very name Vijayadashami means "the tenth day of victory".
On Dussehra, towering effigies of Ravana, Meghnad and Kumbhakarna are burnt in the evening as Ravana Dahan, a joyful reminder that pride and cruelty always fall. The day is counted among the most auspicious of the year, free of any need for a special muhurat to begin good work. Families exchange greetings, share sweets, and many begin new ventures, journeys or learning on this victorious day.
In Gujarat, Vijayadashami is one of the year’s most auspicious days to begin something new. Families perform Shastra Puja, honouring tools and instruments of their trade, and Vahana Puja for their vehicles. Because the day is considered self-auspicious, many choose it to buy a new vehicle, property or gold, to start a business, or to begin a child’s education. The Vijaya muhurat in the afternoon is regarded as especially powerful for these new beginnings.
Dussehra 2026 (Vijayadashami) is on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, the tenth day after the start of Sharad Navratri.
The Vijaya muhurat falls in the afternoon and is considered the most auspicious time to begin new work on Dussehra. The exact timing varies by city, so check the 20 October Panchang for your location.
Dussehra celebrates the victory of good over evil, marking Lord Rama’s defeat of Ravana and Goddess Durga’s defeat of Mahishasura. Ravana Dahan in the evening symbolises the burning away of pride and wrongdoing.
Yes. In Gujarat, Vijayadashami is considered self-auspicious, one of the best days of the year to buy a vehicle or property, start a business, or begin learning, with the Vijaya muhurat being especially favoured.