When Is Navratri in 2026? India Dates, Dussehra and the Mysuru Schedule

The short answer

For the October 2026 Navratri, the nine-night observance runs from Sunday, 11 October to Monday, 19 October 2026, according to the Incredible India listing. The practical start date is 11 October.

Vijayadashami/Dussehra is Tuesday, 20 October 2026 on the India Post 2026 holiday list, where it is marked as an All India Holiday. For a general India calendar entry, keep the dates separate: Navratri: 11–19 October; Dussehra: 20 October.

Why does another official schedule show 21 October?

“Navratri 2026” can refer to the nine-night observance, an all-India holiday listing, or a particular city’s festival programme. The official Mysuru Dasara schedule gives its 2026 Sharannavaratri window as 11–21 October and schedules Vijayadashami for Wednesday, 21 October.

That difference is useful rather than confusing. It shows that the date must be matched to what you are planning:

What you are checking	Date to use
The nine Navratri nights	11–19 October 2026
Dussehra in the All India holiday list	20 October 2026
Vijayadashami in the Mysuru Dasara programme	21 October 2026

The mistake is treating these three entries as competing answers to exactly the same question. They describe different calendar purposes. A search for the start of Navratri points to 11 October; a general Dussehra holiday check points to 20 October; a Mysuru Dasara plan points to 21 October.

The date line to save

Use 11 October 2026 as the start of Navratri, 11–19 October for the nine-night period, and 20 October for the All India Dussehra date. Use 21 October when your plans specifically follow the official Mysuru Dasara programme.