Vijayadashami / Dussehra விஜயதசமி
Dates in the Tamil calendar, 2025–2028 (Chennai).
Next Vijayadashami / Dussehra
Every year
| 2025 | Thursday, 2 October 2025 |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Tuesday, 20 October 2026 |
| 2027 | Saturday, 9 October 2027 |
| 2028 | Wednesday, 27 September 2028 |
About the festival
Vijayadashami, the 'tenth day of victory', follows the nine nights of Navaratri and celebrates the triumph of good over evil: in much of northern India it marks Rama's victory over Ravana, while in southern India it is associated with the goddess Durga (as Chamundeshwari) defeating the demon Mahishasura.1,2,3
In Tamil Nadu the day is traditionally regarded as a good day to begin learning or new undertakings, and young children are often introduced to writing their first letters (Vidyarambham), including at the Maha Saraswathi Amman temple in Thiruvarur.3,4
Books, instruments and tools placed for worship on Saraswathi and Ayudha Pooja stay untouched until Vijayadashami, and in homes that keep a Golu, one of the dolls is laid to rest on this last day of the festival.4,5
At the Mutharamman temple in Kulasekarapattinam, devotees dress up in the guise of deities, kings, beggars and other figures as part of the Dasara celebrations there.3,5
When it falls: Vijayadashami falls on Dashami, the tenth day of the bright fortnight (Shukla Paksha) of the lunar month Ashvina, immediately after Sharad Navaratri, in September or October.1,3