Dussehra 2026: Wishes, Images & Greeting Cards for WhatsApp
Dussehra 2026 is on Tuesday, 20 October. Free Happy Dussehra cards and images for WhatsApp, copy-ready wishes in Hindi, English and 9 Indian languages, and the 2026 dates for Ravan Dahan, Bijoya Dashami, Mysuru Dasara and Kullu Dussehra.
Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 is on Tuesday, 20 October, the tenth day after Sharad Navratri began on Sunday, 11 October. The Vijay Muhurat falls in the early afternoon, around 2:00 to 2:45 PM in Delhi, and Ravan Dahan takes place after sunset. Because the Dashami tithi runs into the afternoon of 21 October, Bengal's Bijoya Dashami and the Mysuru Jamboo Savari are on Wednesday, 21 October.
Dussehra 2026 calendar
Date
Event
Where and what
Sharad Navratri begins
Ghatasthapana; Mysuru Dasara is inaugurated on Chamundi Hill.
Dussehra · Vijayadashamiदशहरा
Ravan Dahan across North India, Shami and Apta leaf exchange, Vidyarambham; Kullu Dussehra opens at Dhalpur Maidan.
Bijoya Dashami · Jamboo Savariবিজয়া দশমী
Sindoor Khela and Durga visarjan in Bengal; Mysuru's Jamboo Savari elephant procession, floral tribute 4:10 to 4:35 PM.
Kullu Dussehra ends
The week-long fair of Lord Raghunath and the valley's village deities closes.
Diwali
Tradition holds that Rama reached Ayodhya about 20 days after defeating Ravana. Diwali 2026 cards and dates.
Free Happy Dussehra cards and images for WhatsApp
18 free Dussehra greeting cards: Lord Rama, Ravana effigies, Maa Durga, Apta leaves, rangoli and festive sweets. Tap Copy text for the message, Download for the image, or share straight to WhatsApp. The GIF card animates in WhatsApp chats.
The Divine Bow
May Lord Rama's bow of truth guide you to victory over every challenge. Happy Dussehra!
In Bengal the greeting is Shubho Bijoya, exchanged after the immersion; in the South the day is usually called Vijayadashami.
Happy Dussehra in Indian languages
Language
Greeting
Say it as
Where
Hindi
दशहरा की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएँ
Dussehra ki hardik shubhkamnayein
North and Central India
Marathi
दसऱ्याच्या हार्दिक शुभेच्छा
Dasryachya hardik shubhechha
Maharashtra
Bengali
শুভ বিজয়া
Shubho Bijoya
West Bengal, Tripura, Assam
Gujarati
દશેરાની હાર્દિક શુભકામનાઓ
Dasherani hardik shubhkamnao
Gujarat
Punjabi
ਦੁਸਹਿਰੇ ਦੀਆਂ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ
Dussehre diyan vadhaiyan
Punjab
Kannada
ದಸರಾ ಹಬ್ಬದ ಶುಭಾಶಯಗಳು
Dasara habbada shubhashayagalu
Karnataka
Telugu
విజయదశమి శుభాకాంక్షలు
Vijayadashami shubhakankshalu
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana
Tamil
விஜயதசமி நல்வாழ்த்துகள்
Vijayadashami nalvazhthukal
Tamil Nadu, Puducherry
Malayalam
വിജയദശമി ആശംസകൾ
Vijayadashami ashamsakal
Kerala
How Dussehra is celebrated across India
Dussehra traditions by region
Region
Name
Signature tradition
North India
Dussehra
Ramlila performances end with Ravan Dahan: effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghnad burned after sunset
West Bengal, Assam, Odisha, Tripura
Bijoya Dashami
Sindoor Khela, Durga visarjan, then Bijoya visits with sweets and the greeting Shubho Bijoya
Karnataka
Dasara · Nada Habba
Mysuru Palace illuminated; Jamboo Savari with Goddess Chamundeshwari on the Golden Howdah
Himachal Pradesh
Kullu Dussehra
Lord Raghunath's chariot and village deities carried in on palanquins to Dhalpur Maidan for a week
Maharashtra
Dasara
Apta leaves given as "sona" (gold); Seemollanghan; Shastra Puja of tools and vehicles
Gujarat
Dussehra
Fafda and jalebi for breakfast after the last garba night
Telangana
Dasara
Jammi (Shami) leaves exchanged; spotting a Palapitta (Indian roller) is considered lucky
Kerala and Tamil Nadu
Vijayadashami
Vidyarambham, children's first letters; Ayudha Puja; Golu dolls put away
Chhattisgarh
Bastar Dussehra
A long tribal festival honouring Goddess Danteshwari, with a giant wooden chariot
Ravan Dahan and Ramlila
Across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan, Ramlila troupes act out the Ramayana through Navratri. On Vijayadashami evening, towering effigies of Ravana, his brother Kumbhakarna and son Meghnad are packed with firecrackers and set alight by an arrow, a public reminder that pride and evil burn out.
Bengal: Bijoya Dashami
For Bengalis, Dashami is the farewell to Maa Durga. In 2026 Bengali panchangs place it on Wednesday, 21 October. Married women offer sindoor to the goddess and smear it on each other in Sindoor Khela, the idols are taken for immersion, and families then visit elders with sweets, touching their feet and embracing friends with "Shubho Bijoya". See our Durga Puja cards.
Mysuru Dasara and the Jamboo Savari
Karnataka's state festival runs from 11 to 21 October 2026. The palace is illuminated every evening, and on 21 October the Jamboo Savari procession carries Goddess Chamundeshwari on the Golden Howdah atop the lead elephant, followed by a torchlight parade.
Kullu Dussehra
Kullu starts when everywhere else ends. From 20 to 26 October 2026, Lord Raghunath's chariot is drawn through Dhalpur Maidan and the gods of the valley's villages arrive on palanquins to pay their respects.
Apta leaves, Shami and "gold"
In Maharashtra and Karnataka, people exchange Apta leaves (Bauhinia racemosa) as symbolic gold, a custom that is also behind our Golden Leaf card. In Telangana and Andhra, Shami (Jammi) leaves are worshipped and shared, recalling the Pandavas, who hid their weapons in a Shami tree during their exile.
Why we celebrate Dussehra
Vijayadashami means "the victorious tenth day", the day after the nine nights of Navratri. Two stories meet on this date:
Rama defeats Ravana: in the Ramayana, Lord Rama kills the ten-headed king of Lanka and rescues Sita. The name Dussehra is linked to the end of the ten-headed one.
Durga defeats Mahishasura: in the Devi Mahatmya, the goddess battles the buffalo demon for nine nights and wins on the tenth day.
The Pandavas and the Shami tree: the Mahabharata's heroes retrieved their weapons from a Shami tree at the end of their exile, which is why weapons and tools are worshipped on this day.
The day is also considered one of the most auspicious in the year to begin something new: a business, a purchase, or a child's education.
Dussehra 2026: FAQ
When is Dussehra 2026?
Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 is on Tuesday, 20 October, the tenth day after Sharad Navratri began on 11 October. The Vijay Muhurat falls in the early afternoon, around 2:00 to 2:45 PM in Delhi; exact timings shift by city, so check a local panchang.
Is Bijoya Dashami on the same day as Dussehra in 2026?
Not in Bengal. Most calendars keep Dussehra on Tuesday, 20 October, but the Dashami tithi runs from about 12:50 PM on 20 October to about 2:11 PM on 21 October, so Bengali panchangs place Bijoya Dashami, Sindoor Khela and Durga visarjan on Wednesday, 21 October.
When is the Mysuru Dasara Jamboo Savari in 2026?
Mysuru Dasara 2026 runs from 11 to 21 October. The Jamboo Savari elephant procession is on Wednesday, 21 October, with the floral tribute to Goddess Chamundeshwari scheduled between 4:10 and 4:35 PM.
When is Kullu Dussehra 2026?
Kullu Dussehra begins on Vijayadashami, Tuesday 20 October 2026, and runs for a week to Monday 26 October at Dhalpur Maidan in Kullu, starting just as Dussehra ends in the rest of India.
Why is Dussehra celebrated?
Dussehra marks the victory of good over evil. In the Ramayana tradition it is the day Lord Rama defeated Ravana, which is why giant effigies of Ravana are burned. In the Devi tradition it marks Goddess Durga's victory over the buffalo demon Mahishasura after nine nights of battle.
What is the difference between Dussehra and Vijayadashami?
They are the same festival. Vijayadashami means the victorious tenth day, after the nine nights of Navratri. Dussehra, also written Dasara or Dashahara, is the popular name, linked to the defeat of the ten-headed Ravana.
How do you say Happy Dussehra in Hindi, Marathi and Bengali?
In Hindi it is Dussehra ki hardik shubhkamnayein, in Marathi Dasryachya hardik shubhechha, and in Bengali the greeting on Dashami is Shubho Bijoya.
Are the Dussehra cards on this page free?
Yes. All Dussehra cards and images on this page are free to download and share for personal, non-commercial use. For commercial use, email editor@deepestfeelings.com.
Usage terms
All Dussehra cards and images on this page are free to download and share for personal, non-commercial use. Please do not resell them, remove the DeepestFeelings credit or use them in advertising. For commercial or bulk licensing, email editor@deepestfeelings.com.
