Dussehra 2026: Date, Holiday and Vijayadashami

Dussehra 2026 falls on Tuesday, October 20. Also called Vijayadashami, it is the tenth day of the Navratri period and a bank holiday across nearly all of India.

This page gives the exact date, the Vijaya Muhurat, and, the part most holiday pages get wrong, how bank closures actually work, since eastern and northeastern states close for several days around Dussehra while most of the country closes for just one.

Dussehra 2026, Date and Key Details

Dussehra is the culmination of the nine-day festivities of Navratri. In most of India it is celebrated as Vijayadashami marking the triumph of Rama over Ravana. In the eastern states, it is Bijoya Dashami, the last day of Durga Puja during which the deities are submerged. Both celebrations fall on the same day but result in starkly different patterns of bank closures as illustrated below.

The Vijaya Muhurat, the period thought of as auspicious for undertaking something new, is 2:00 PM - 2:45 PM in Delhi on October 20. The timing varies with the regional sunset, being 1:18 PM in Kolkata and 2:21 PM in Mumbai. Consult a regional panchang for the accurate timing in your city.

Is Dussehra a Bank Holiday in 2026?

Yes. October 20, 2026 will be a bank holiday in almost every RBI centre in the country and it will be closed on account of being a closed holiday of the Central Government under the Department of Personnel & Training. For most of India this single Tuesday will be the only holiday related to Dussehra.

What will vary between regions will be how many additional days banks close in the eastern and northeastern states as they celebrate the multi-day Durga Puja celebration.

Bank closures around Dussehra by region

Since the 4th Saturday (October 24) and Sunday (October 25) happen to follow this period, people in the eastern states may have to go through an extended period of time when few branches are available. Adjust your visits to the branches accordingly.

The Durga Puja / Dussehra Corridor, October 19 to 23

The dates below are taken from the RBI holiday calendar, which provides the closures according to regional centres (cities) and not the states.

October 19 (Monday), Maha Navami / Durga Puja / Ayudha Puja
Banks close in: West Bengal (Kolkata), Assam (Guwahati), Bihar (Patna), Jharkhand (Ranchi), Odisha (Bhubaneswar), Tripura (Agartala), Meghalaya (Shillong), Nagaland (Kohima), Manipur (Imphal), Arunachal Pradesh (Itanagar), Mizoram (Aizawl), and Tamil Nadu (Chennai) on account of Ayudha Puja. All other locations, including Delhi, Mumbai, Gujarat, Rajasthan, UP, MP, have October 19 as a normal working day.

October 20 (Tuesday), Dussehra / Vijayadashami
The main holiday. Banks are closed all across India.

October 21 (Wednesday), Vijaya Dashami / Durga Puja (continued)
Banks are closed in: Tripura (Agartala), Karnataka (Bengaluru), Sikkim (Gangtok), Assam (Guwahati), Kerala (Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram), and West Bengal (Kolkata).

October 22–23 (Thursday-Friday), Durga Puja / Dasain
Banks continue to be closed only in Sikkim (Gangtok), making this a five-day holiday in that state.

Navratri Lead-Up

Navratri 2026 starts on Sunday, October 11 and lasts for nine days until Dussehra. While the festival days are not bank holidays, only the specified dates above (Maha Navami on October 19 in the eastern states, and Vijayadashami on October 20 across the nation) close banks.

Banking During Dussehra 2026

Closing of a branch will not affect digital banking transactions.

Operational on Dussehra and holidays:

• NEFT 24x7 (RBI, from December 16, 2019)

• RTGS 24x7 (RBI, from December 14, 2020)

• IMPS and UPI, 24x7

• ATMs, operational, subject to cash availability

• Mobile and internet banking, operational in general

Not operational on the holiday:

• Cheque clearance (CTS), weekdays only; a cheque deposited before October 20 will be cleared on the next weekday (later in states with longer corridor)

• NACH auto-debit (EMIs, SIPs), processing the next working day; have enough funds if your debit date is during the closure period

• Branch counter services, cash deposit/collection at the counter, demand drafts, locker facility, documentation

If you want to conduct any branch service in eastern or northeastern states, you should do so prior to October 19. In most of the country, October 21 (Wednesday) will be the first working day after Dussehra.

Cooperative banks and Regional Rural Banks may observe extra holiday schedules apart from RBI centres' holiday calendar.

How to Know Your Branches Holiday Schedule for Dussehra

1. RBI Holiday Matrix atrbi.org.in, the official source. Select October 2026 and RBI centre that your branch comes under.

2. The website/app of your bank, most banks provide their holiday schedule related to festivals.

3. Directly from your branch, particularly in eastern/NE states, as the number of days of holiday varies depending on which centre your branch comes under.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Dussehra 2026?
October 20, 2026, Tuesday (Ashwin Shukla Dashami). Dussehra is the tenth day of Navratri, which starts on October 11.

Is Dussehra a bank holiday in all of India?
October 20 is a bank holiday in nearly all RBI centres and it is also a closed holiday for the Central Government. In most states it is the only Dussehra holiday, but in eastern and northeastern states there will be more days of holiday for Durga Puja celebration (October 19, and in some states October 21-23).

How many days do banks close on Dussehra 2026?
Rest of India: 1 day (October 20). Eastern/NE states: 2 days (October 19-20), in some states 3 days (up to October 21). Sikkim: 5 days (October 19-23). Next 4th Saturday and Sunday (October 24-25) follow right after Dussehra.

What is the Vijaya Muhurat for Dussehra 2026?
Approximately 2:00-2:45 PM in New Delhi on October 20, varying by location (around 1:18 PM in Kolkata, 2:21 PM in Mumbai). Check locally.

Can I make NEFT / IMPS / RTGS / UPI transactions on Dussehra?
Yes. NEFT, RTGS, IMPS, and UPI are operational 24x7, including Dussehra. Branch counter services and cheque clearance will be stopped on this day.