Kullu Dussehra explained: the week-long festival in Himachal's Kullu valley that begins on Vijayadashami, Raghunath's rath yatra, the visiting village deities and Lanka Dahan.
The main procession at Kullu Dussehra, with long horns sounding. Photo: Kondephy, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.
The festival starts on Vijayadashami and lasts about seven days. Most 2026 calendars place Vijayadashami on Tuesday 20 October, which would put the festival at roughly 20 to 26 October.
Effigies of Ravana and his brothers before Ravan Dahan on Dussehra. Photo: Thesocialtalks, CC0, Wikimedia Commons.
The story is usually told like this: in the 17th century, Raja Jagat Singh of Kullu, seeking to atone for a wrong, had an idol of Raghunath brought from Ayodhya, installed it as the valley's ruling deity, and declared himself its servant.
Festival of the Goddess Durga at Calcutta, a 19th-century print. Photo: Louis-Henri de Rudder / After Alexei Dmitriyevich Saltykov, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons.
The first day: the rath yatra. Raghunath's idol is brought to Dhalpur Maidan and placed on a wooden chariot.
Village deities in their palanquins at Kullu Dussehra. Photo: Kondephy, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Kullu Dussehra is one of the many ways India ends the nine nights: compare it with Mysuru Dasara, north India's Ramlila and Ravan dahan, and Bengal's Bijoya Dashami, and see the whole map in Navratri across India.
Sabudana khichdi, a common Navratri fasting food. Photo: Mrudit161187, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Kullu Dussehra explained: the week-long festival in Himachal's Kullu valley that begins on Vijayadashami, Raghunath's rath yatra, the visiting village deities and Lanka Dahan.
Kullu Dussehra → Next story: Mysuru Dasara: Karnataka's royal festival All photo storiesMusic: Garba dance during Navaratri festival in Mehsana Gujarat India, Nizil Shah, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.