Dussehra 2026 in Coral Springs: Events, Puja & Where to Celebrate

TL;DR 🎆

• Dussehra 2026 is Tuesday October 20, closing nine nights of Navratri that began October 11
• Coral Springs has a growing South Asian community with Hindu and Bengali cultural organizations
• Hindu Bengali Society Of Florida INC anchors local Bengali community programming for Durga Puja and Dussehra
• South Florida's Desi corridor spans Coral Springs, Pembroke Pines, and Weston with multiple worship spaces
• Karva Chauth arrives October 29, extending the autumn festive season 🪔

Dussehra and Durga Puja in South Florida

For much of the South Asian diaspora, October is the most sacred month of the year. In South Florida, where Bengali, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, North Indian, and other communities coexist in the Broward County suburbs, the Dussehra season holds multiple layers of meaning.

For families with roots in West Bengal, Odisha, and Bangladesh, October's biggest celebration is Durga Puja — a four-day festival that typically concludes with Vijayadashami on October 20. The Durga Puja tradition involves the creation of a clay murti (idol) of Goddess Durga and her children Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik, and Ganesha, elaborate decorations and pujas over four days, and culminates in the immersion (visarjan) of the murti on Dussehra day. This is called Sindoor Khela for women — the ritual playing with sindoor before bidding farewell to the goddess.

For families from North India and Gujarat, Dussehra centers on the Ramayana narrative: Ram Lila performances through the nine nights of Navratri leading to Ravan Dahan — the burning of effigies of Ravana and his sons — on the 20th.

Both traditions converge on October 20, 2026, making Vijayadashami a day that carries deep significance across the breadth of South Florida's South Asian community.

Coral Springs Community Organizations

The South Asian community in Coral Springs has developed organizational infrastructure to support religious and cultural continuity across generations.

Hindu Bengali Society Of Florida INC at 3926 Coral Ridge Drive serves the Bengali Hindu community in Coral Springs and the broader North Broward County area. The organization's primary role in October is the organization of Durga Puja, bringing the multi-day celebration to the local community and providing a space where Bengali traditions — from the dhak drum to the Sindoor Khela ceremony — can be observed in a neighborhood setting. For Bengalis in Coral Springs who might otherwise need to travel to Miami or further for a full Durga Puja program, Hindu Bengali Society Of Florida INC provides a local anchor.

The Indian Regional & Cultural Center of Florida serves a broader South Asian population, providing cultural programming that spans multiple regional traditions. The center has organized community events for Diwali, Navratri, and other major festivals, acting as a cross-cultural meeting point for the Desi families spread across Broward County.

BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha serves the Gujarati Swaminarayan community in South Florida, with major celebrations for Navratri garba, Annakut on Diwali, and other Vaishnava observances. BAPS also participates in interfaith and community outreach events through the festive season.

What the Navratri Season Looks Like in Coral Springs

October 11 — Navratri Day 1: Shailaputri. The garba season opens. South Florida's large Gujarati community starts its nine-night celebrations with dandiya-raas events at banquet halls and temple grounds across Broward County.

October 14–17 — Peak garba nights: The first two weekends of Navratri bring the largest garba events, often at convention centers with live music. These are the social peak of the season — hundreds of families in traditional attire dancing through long evenings.

October 17–19 — Bengali Durga Puja: The four-day Durga Puja typically runs Saptami through Dashami (the seventh through tenth days of Navratri). For the Bengali community, these days are the emotional core of the year.

October 18 — Durga Ashtami: For Shakta traditions, the eighth day is the most sacred. Kanya puja, havan, and special offerings mark the day.

October 20 — Vijayadashami: Dussehra arrives. Bengali communities observe Sindoor Khela and murti visarjan. Other communities observe Ravan Dahan. All traditions celebrate the victory of the goddess and of Rama.

October 29 — Karva Chauth: The fasting festival for married women, widely observed across North Indian, Punjabi, and Rajasthani households in South Florida.

Insider Tip: South Florida's Durga Puja events organized by Bengali associations are genuinely open to all Hindu visitors — you do not need to be Bengali to attend. If you have never witnessed a full Durga Puja program, with the magnificent clay murtis, the dhak drums, and the pushpanjali flower offering ritual, contact Hindu Bengali Society Of Florida INC early in October for their 2026 schedule and venue details. The visarjan ceremony on Vijayadashami is particularly moving.

South Florida Desi Community Context

Coral Springs sits in the northwest corner of Broward County, a suburb that has seen steady South Asian population growth alongside its established Jewish and Caribbean communities. The Desi population in Coral Springs is newer than that in some other South Florida hubs, but it has grown meaningfully since the 2010s as families moved outward from more established Desi centers in Fort Lauderdale and Pembroke Pines.

Nearby Weston, Davie, and Miramar have more established South Asian infrastructure, and Coral Springs families often participate in events and temple programs across the county. For Dussehra, this means that even if the most elaborate programming is at larger temples elsewhere in Broward, the community bonds forged locally at Hindu Bengali Society Of Florida INC and the Indian Regional & Cultural Center of Florida matter enormously to families with deep roots in the neighborhood.

FAQ

When is Dussehra 2026? Tuesday, October 20, 2026.

What is the difference between Durga Puja and Dussehra? They are the same date — Vijayadashami on the tenth day of Navratri — observed through different regional traditions. Durga Puja (Bengali/Odishan) focuses on a four-day festival of Goddess Durga's murti, ending in immersion on Vijayadashami. Dussehra (North Indian) focuses on Ravan Dahan, the burning of Ravana's effigy. The underlying occasion is the same.

What is Sindoor Khela? Sindoor Khela is the Bengali tradition observed on Vijayadashami, where married women apply sindoor (vermilion powder) to the Durga murti and to each other before the goddess departs for the year. It is an emotional and joyful farewell ceremony.

What organizations serve the South Asian community in Coral Springs? Hindu Bengali Society Of Florida INC serves the Bengali Hindu community. The Indian Regional & Cultural Center of Florida serves a broader South Asian constituency. BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha serves the Gujarati Swaminarayan community in South Florida.

What happens on Durga Ashtami? Durga Ashtami (October 18) is the eighth day of Navratri, observed with kanya puja (ritual worship of nine girls as goddess forms), havan, and special aarti.

Bottom Line 🌺

Coral Springs's South Asian families observe Dussehra 2026 through a plural lens: Bengali families honor Durga Puja and Sindoor Khela at Hindu Bengali Society Of Florida INC, Gujarati families celebrate garba nights through the nine days of Navratri, and families from across the subcontinent mark Vijayadashami on October 20. The Indian Regional & Cultural Center of Florida and BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha extend the community network across traditions. October 20 is the day all of these threads converge.