Chhath Puja 2026 in Mysuru: Events, Puja & Where to Celebrate

TL;DR

• Mysuru's festival calendar for late September through October 2026 is anchored by the city's most celebrated annual event: Dasara 🎪
• Navratri begins Oct 11 and builds toward the grand Vijayadashami / Dussehra procession on Oct 20 — Mysuru's signature spectacle
• The month opens with Pradosh Vrat (Sep 24) and Purnima (Sep 26) before the festival cluster
• Durga Ashtami (Oct 18) marks the eighth night of Navratri, with particular significance in Mysuru's Chamundi Hills tradition
• This calendar is your guide to the most important ritual and festival dates in the city from now through late October

Mysuru and the Festival Calendar

Mysuru holds a particular place in India's festival geography. The Wadiyar dynasty's connection to Devi worship and the Chamundeshwari temple on Chamundi Hills has made Mysuru's Dasara not just a local celebration but one of the country's most famous. The ten-day festival that culminates in the Vijayadashami procession draws visitors from across Karnataka, from across India, and increasingly from across the world.

But Mysuru's festival life isn't only about Dasara. The lunar calendar runs its full cycle here as it does everywhere: Ekadashi fasting days, Pradosh Vrat evenings, Purnima full moons, and Sankashti Chaturthi all mark the rhythm of devotional life between the major festivals. For families in the city, for devotees connected to local temples, and for anyone trying to plan around the sacred calendar, having these dates mapped is genuinely useful.

The Opening Dates: Late September

Pradosh Vrat on Sep 24 opens the period covered by this calendar. The evening fast dedicated to Shiva is observed across Karnataka by devotees who gather at Shiva temples for the pradosh kala worship — the auspicious twilight window. In Mysuru, the city's several notable Shiva temples provide the setting for these regular observances.

Purnima on Sep 26 brings the full moon of the Bhadra month, preceding the transition into Ashwin. Purnima is auspicious for temple visits, charitable giving, and devotional practices across traditions; in Karnataka, specific Purnima days are associated with regional saints and traditions.

Sankashti Chaturthi on Sep 30 is the monthly Ganesh fast, observed on the dark-fortnight fourth day. Families with Ganesh devotion maintain this monthly fast through the year; the preceding Ganesh Chaturthi makes the September Sankashti particularly resonant.

October Opens: Building Toward Navratri

Ekadashi (Oct 6) and Pradosh Vrat (Oct 8) and Amavasya (Oct 10) carry the lunar rhythm into October. The Amavasya of Ashwin month — the no-moon that immediately precedes Navratri — has its own significance in the ritual calendar.

Then the city transforms.

Navratri begins Oct 11. In Mysuru, this is not Navratri as observed elsewhere — it is the opening of Dasara season, the ten days that define the city's identity. The Mysuru Palace is illuminated with tens of thousands of lights. The Chamundeshwari temple at the hill draws continuous streams of devotees. Cultural programs, music festivals, and art exhibitions fill the city's venues. The scale of the transformation is hard to describe to someone who hasn't experienced it; Mysuru during Dasara is a city operating at maximum cultural intensity.

Durga Ashtami and Vijayadashami 🎊

Within Navratri, Durga Ashtami on Oct 18 is the eighth night — when the Devi is worshipped in her most powerful warrior form. At Chamundeshwari temple, the eighth night brings its own special rituals and increased pilgrim flow. Across the city, households with Kolu displays observe Saraswati Puja on the ninth day (Mahanavami), blessing books and tools and musical instruments.

Vijayadashami / Dussehra on Oct 20 is the culmination. In Mysuru, this means the Jumbo Savari — the procession in which a golden howdah carrying the idol of Chamundeshwari is placed atop a caparisoned elephant and led through the city's streets in a procession of decorated elephants, cavalry, uniformed soldiers, tableaux, and folk performers that takes hours to pass. The Amba Vilas Palace grounds host the torch-lighting ceremony that closes the day.

Insider Tip: Mysuru during Dasara procession day (Oct 20) draws enormous crowds. Viewing spots along the procession route fill from early morning. If you're planning to watch the Jumbo Savari, arrive several hours early to secure a good position, particularly near the palace grounds. Accommodation books out months in advance — if you're visiting from another city, plan this trip well ahead.

The scale is genuine: the Mysuru Dasara procession is one of India's great public spectacles, the kind of cultural event that's been maintained for centuries and shows no sign of diminishing. Foreign tourists, domestic visitors, and locals all share the streets on Vijayadashami.

After Vijayadashami

Ekadashi on Oct 21 arrives the day after the procession — the immediate return to the lunar fasting calendar after the festival's peak. For Mysuru's religious households, the transition from Dasara's exuberance back into the regular devotional rhythm is part of the calendar's design. The festival's energy doesn't dissipate; it subsides into the everyday practice that continues between celebrations.

The Chamundi Hills Connection

Mysuru's festival identity is inseparable from Chamundi Hills and the Chamundeshwari temple at its summit. The Wadiyar kings were devotees of Chamundeshwari (a form of Durga), and the association between the royal house and the goddess became the foundation of Dasara as it's practiced today.

The hill is accessible year-round; the 1,000 stone steps on one face are a popular pilgrimage and morning exercise route for Mysoreans. During Navratri, the temple and the hill take on a particular intensity as the goddess is honored in her nine forms across the nine nights. The eighth-night Durga Ashtami program at Chamundeshwari draws particularly devoted crowds.

FAQ

Is Mysuru during Dasara worth the crowds? Most people who experience it answer yes, without hesitation. The scale and cultural authenticity of Mysuru's Dasara is difficult to replicate — it's the real thing, maintained across centuries, and the crowds are part of the energy rather than a detraction from it.

How far in advance should I book for Vijayadashami weekend? Accommodation in Mysuru for the Oct 20 procession weekend typically sells out 2-3 months in advance. Alternatives include Bengaluru hotels with day-trip transport or guesthouses in smaller surrounding towns.

What else is worth doing in Mysuru during Dasara? The palace illumination (every evening of Navratri), the cultural programs at the exhibition grounds, the traditional music concerts, and the Chamundi Hills early-morning visit are all part of the complete experience.

Bottom Line

Mysuru's October 2026 is structured around one central truth: Dasara arrives Oct 11–20, and the entire city orients itself around it. Navratri opens the festival, Durga Ashtami (Oct 18) marks its devotional peak, and Vijayadashami (Oct 20) delivers the Jumbo Savari procession that has made Mysuru synonymous with the festival. The regular lunar calendar — Pradosh (Sep 24), Purnima (Sep 26), Sankashti (Sep 30) — provides the devotional frame around it. Plan the trip, arrive early on procession day, and see for yourself why Mysuru's Dasara is described the way it is.