Festival dates · 2026
Also Dussehra · Dashain (Tika)
Ashvina Shukla Dashami. The date in 21 cities, computed for local sunrise, with the tithi times.
The cities split across Tue, 20 Oct and Wed, 21 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 | Wednesday 21 October 2026 | Tue, 20 Oct, 6:21 pm → Wed, 21 Oct, 7:43 pm | same day |
| Melbourne | Wednesday 21 October 2026 | Tue, 20 Oct, 6:21 pm → Wed, 21 Oct, 7:43 pm | same day |
| Brisbane | Wednesday 21 October 2026 | Tue, 20 Oct, 5:21 pm → Wed, 21 Oct, 6:43 pm | same day |
| Perth | Wednesday 21 October 2026 | Tue, 20 Oct, 3:21 pm → Wed, 21 Oct, 4:43 pm | same day |
| Adelaide | Wednesday 21 October 2026 | Tue, 20 Oct, 5:51 pm → Wed, 21 Oct, 7:13 pm | same day |
| Canberra | Wednesday 21 October 2026 | Tue, 20 Oct, 6:21 pm → Wed, 21 Oct, 7:43 pm | same day |
| Hobart | Wednesday 21 October 2026 | Tue, 20 Oct, 6:21 pm → Wed, 21 Oct, 7:43 pm | same day |
| Darwin | Wednesday 21 October 2026 | Tue, 20 Oct, 4:51 pm → Wed, 21 Oct, 6:13 pm | same day |
| Auckland | Wednesday 21 October 2026 | Tue, 20 Oct, 8:21 pm → Wed, 21 Oct, 9:43 pm | same day |
| Nepal | |||
| Kathmandu | Wednesday 21 October 2026 | Tue, 20 Oct, 1:06 pm → Wed, 21 Oct, 2:28 pm | — |
| United States | |||
| New York | Tuesday 20 October 2026 | Tue, 20 Oct, 3:21 am → Wed, 21 Oct, 4:43 am | Wed, 21 Oct |
| Dallas–Fort Worth | Tuesday 20 October 2026 | Tue, 20 Oct, 2:21 am → Wed, 21 Oct, 3:43 am | Wed, 21 Oct |
| Houston | Tuesday 20 October 2026 | Tue, 20 Oct, 2:21 am → Wed, 21 Oct, 3:43 am | Wed, 21 Oct |
| Chicago | Tuesday 20 October 2026 | Tue, 20 Oct, 2:21 am → Wed, 21 Oct, 3:43 am | Wed, 21 Oct |
| Washington DC | Tuesday 20 October 2026 | Tue, 20 Oct, 3:21 am → Wed, 21 Oct, 4:43 am | Wed, 21 Oct |
| Boston | Tuesday 20 October 2026 | Tue, 20 Oct, 3:21 am → Wed, 21 Oct, 4:43 am | Wed, 21 Oct |
| Atlanta | Tuesday 20 October 2026 | Tue, 20 Oct, 3:21 am → Wed, 21 Oct, 4:43 am | Wed, 21 Oct |
| San Francisco Bay Area | Tuesday 20 October 2026 | Tue, 20 Oct, 12:21 am → Wed, 21 Oct, 1:43 am | Wed, 21 Oct |
| Los Angeles | Tuesday 20 October 2026 | Tue, 20 Oct, 12:21 am → Wed, 21 Oct, 1:43 am | Wed, 21 Oct |
| Seattle | Tuesday 20 October 2026 | Tue, 20 Oct, 12:21 am → Wed, 21 Oct, 1:43 am | Wed, 21 Oct |
Rule: the day the tithi is current at local sunrise (udaya tithi).
The tenth day: Dashain tika in Nepal, Dussehra in India. In Nepal the elders put tika of rice, yoghurt and vermilion on the foreheads of the young with the jamara sown on Ghatasthapana, and families travel for days to receive it; in India effigies of Ravana burn for Rama’s victory, and Bengal immerses the images of Durga. Both remember the victory of good: Durga over Mahishasura, Rama over Ravana.
Tika and jamara from every elder in the family, in order of seniority, and the blessing that goes with them; the tika-giving continues to Kojagrat Purnima.
In the glossary: durga · rama.
Wednesday 21 October 2026. Ashvina Shukla Dashami; the tithi runs Tue, 20 Oct, 6:21 pm to Wed, 21 Oct, 7:43 pm Sydney time.
Wednesday 21 October 2026 in Kathmandu. Ashvina Shukla Dashami; the tithi runs Tue, 20 Oct, 1:06 pm to Wed, 21 Oct, 2:28 pm Nepal time.
Tuesday 20 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 Tue, 20 Oct and Wed, 21 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: Vijaya Dashami 2027. Nearby: Maha Navami · Kojagrat Purnima · all festivals.
See also: the full-year calendar by city · why festival dates differ between Nepal, India and Australia · Dashain 2027 dates.
Walk with us
One passage, one question, every Sunday. Nothing else, ever.