Festival dates · 2026
Ashvina Shukla Ashtami. The date in 21 cities, computed for local sunrise, with the tithi times.
The cities split across Sun, 18 Oct and Mon, 19 Oct this year: the tithi boundary falls between their sunrises. The table shows every city.
| City | Date | Tithi (local time) | Kathmandu date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia and New Zealand | |||
| Sydney | Monday 19 October 2026 | Sun, 18 Oct, 1:59 pm → Mon, 19 Oct, 4:23 pm | same day |
| Melbourne | Monday 19 October 2026 | Sun, 18 Oct, 1:59 pm → Mon, 19 Oct, 4:23 pm | same day |
| Brisbane | Monday 19 October 2026 | Sun, 18 Oct, 12:59 pm → Mon, 19 Oct, 3:23 pm | same day |
| Perth | Monday 19 October 2026 | Sun, 18 Oct, 10:59 am → Mon, 19 Oct, 1:23 pm | same day |
| Adelaide | Monday 19 October 2026 | Sun, 18 Oct, 1:29 pm → Mon, 19 Oct, 3:53 pm | same day |
| Canberra | Monday 19 October 2026 | Sun, 18 Oct, 1:59 pm → Mon, 19 Oct, 4:23 pm | same day |
| Hobart | Monday 19 October 2026 | Sun, 18 Oct, 1:59 pm → Mon, 19 Oct, 4:23 pm | same day |
| Darwin | Monday 19 October 2026 | Sun, 18 Oct, 12:29 pm → Mon, 19 Oct, 2:53 pm | same day |
| Auckland | Monday 19 October 2026 | Sun, 18 Oct, 3:59 pm → Mon, 19 Oct, 6:23 pm | same day |
| Nepal | |||
| Kathmandu | Monday 19 October 2026 | Sun, 18 Oct, 8:44 am → Mon, 19 Oct, 11:08 am | — |
| United States | |||
| New York | Sunday 18 October 2026 | Sat, 17 Oct, 10:59 pm → Mon, 19 Oct, 1:23 am | Mon, 19 Oct |
| Dallas–Fort Worth | Sunday 18 October 2026 | Sat, 17 Oct, 9:59 pm → Mon, 19 Oct, 12:23 am | Mon, 19 Oct |
| Houston | Sunday 18 October 2026 | Sat, 17 Oct, 9:59 pm → Mon, 19 Oct, 12:23 am | Mon, 19 Oct |
| Chicago | Sunday 18 October 2026 | Sat, 17 Oct, 9:59 pm → Mon, 19 Oct, 12:23 am | Mon, 19 Oct |
| Washington DC | Sunday 18 October 2026 | Sat, 17 Oct, 10:59 pm → Mon, 19 Oct, 1:23 am | Mon, 19 Oct |
| Boston | Sunday 18 October 2026 | Sat, 17 Oct, 10:59 pm → Mon, 19 Oct, 1:23 am | Mon, 19 Oct |
| Atlanta | Sunday 18 October 2026 | Sat, 17 Oct, 10:59 pm → Mon, 19 Oct, 1:23 am | Mon, 19 Oct |
| San Francisco Bay Area | Sunday 18 October 2026 | Sat, 17 Oct, 7:59 pm → Sun, 18 Oct, 10:23 pm | Mon, 19 Oct |
| Los Angeles | Sunday 18 October 2026 | Sat, 17 Oct, 7:59 pm → Sun, 18 Oct, 10:23 pm | Mon, 19 Oct |
| Seattle | Sunday 18 October 2026 | Sat, 17 Oct, 7:59 pm → Sun, 18 Oct, 10:23 pm | Mon, 19 Oct |
Rule: the day the tithi is current at local sunrise (udaya tithi).
Maha Ashtami, the eighth day of Navratri and of Dashain, the day of the fiercest form of the goddess. In Nepal the night that follows is Kalratri, with offerings at the Taleju temple and the Kot; in Bengal it is the central day of Durga Puja.
Fasting for some, the great offerings at the goddess temples, and in Nepal the family’s own puja at the dashain ghar.
In the glossary: durga.
Monday 19 October 2026. Ashvina Shukla Ashtami; the tithi runs Sun, 18 Oct, 1:59 pm to Mon, 19 Oct, 4:23 pm Sydney time.
Monday 19 October 2026 in Kathmandu. Ashvina Shukla Ashtami; the tithi runs Sun, 18 Oct, 8:44 am to Mon, 19 Oct, 11:08 am Nepal time.
Sunday 18 October 2026 in New York (the same day across the US cities listed). US sunrises fall ten to fifteen hours behind Kathmandu's, so when the tithi ends in that gap the US keeps the festival a day earlier than Nepal.
Because the day is decided by which civil day the tithi (lunar day) is current at local sunrise. Sydney's sunrise is four to six hours ahead of Kathmandu's and New York's ten hours behind, so a tithi that ends between two sunrises gives a different day. In 2026 the cities split across Sun, 18 Oct and Mon, 19 Oct.
Sun and Moon positions from Meeus' algorithms with the Lahiri ayanamsa, amanta lunar months named by the solar ingress inside them, and the day on which the tithi is current at local sunrise (udaya tithi). Tithi boundaries are accurate to a few minutes; a boundary within minutes of sunrise is worth checking against your temple's panchang.
Other years: Maha Ashtami (Durga Ashtami) 2027. Nearby: Ghatasthapana · Maha Navami · all festivals.
See also: the full-year calendar by city · why festival dates differ between Nepal, India and Australia · Dashain 2027 dates.
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