ਦੁਸਹਿਰਾ 2026 ਮਾਰਗਦਰਸ਼ਕ: ਵਿਜਯਾਦਸ਼ਮੀ, ਰਾਵਣ ਦਹਿਨ ਅਤੇ ਜੋਤਿਸ਼ੀ ਸ਼ੁਭ ਸਮਾਂ

Dussehra 2026 Date and the Meaning of Vijayadashami

Dussehra 2026, also known as Vijayadashami, falls on the tenth day of Ashwin Shukla Paksha, immediately following the conclusion of Navratri. The word Vijayadashami is a compound of Vijaya (victory) and Dashami (tenth), and the festival marks the victory of good over evil in multiple scriptural narratives simultaneously. Most prominently, it commemorates Lord Rama's victory over the demon king Ravana after a battle that lasted across the nine preceding nights of Navratri. In the Devi Bhagavata tradition, it marks the moment when Goddess Durga slew the buffalo demon Mahishasura after a nine-night battle. In Maharashtra, the day is celebrated as the occasion when Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's army crossed the traditional Shami tree border (Seemolanghan) to begin military campaigns. The timing of Vijayadashami is astronomically precise — it begins at the moment when the Shravana Nakshatra rises or when the Dashami tithi is in force during the Aparahna period (early afternoon), which is considered the specific muhurat of victory. No other festival in the Hindu calendar is as universally accepted across all traditions and regions as the ideal day to begin new ventures, journeys, learning, and conquests.