Dashami Tithi 2026
Dashami Tithi 2026
What is Dashami: Understanding Its Significance?
Dashami is the tenth lunar day (tithi) in each fortnight of the Hindu calendar and holds both spiritual and symbolic importance. It is a day associated with culmination, victory, and the dissolution of ego. Most notably, Vijaya Dashami, or Dussehra, falls on the Shukla Paksha Dashami of Ashwin month, marking the triumph of good over evil—when Lord Rama defeated Ravana and Goddess Durga overcame Mahishasura.
Energetically, Dashami represents closure, transformation, and the beginning of a new phase after intense spiritual work. It signifies that the trials of previous days, particularly during Navratri, have reached completion. Spiritually, it is a time to surrender past karmas, release obstacles, and step into higher consciousness with clarity and courage.
Dashami is also favorable for starting new ventures, as it symbolizes divine victory and auspicious beginnings. Many traditions consider it a good day for vidyarambham (initiation into learning), travel, and inaugurations. Worship on this day often involves honoring deities like Durga, Vishnu, or Rama, depending on the occasion.
By observing Dashami with devotion and discipline, one aligns with divine will, dissolves inner conflicts, and makes space for blessings, wisdom, and successful new beginnings.
Mantras to Chant During Dashami
Dashami is a powerful day for invoking victory, transformation, and divine grace. Depending on the form of observance—whether it’s Vijaya Dashami, Durga Dashami, or a regular Dashami tithi—these mantras are highly beneficial for spiritual cleansing and empowerment:
For Goddess Durga (Especially on Vijaya Dashami)
1. Durga Moola Mantra
“Om Dum Durgayei Namaha”
This potent bija mantra invokes Goddess Durga’s fierce and protective energy, ideal for warding off negativity and fear.
2. Devi Aparajita Mantra
“Aparajitayai Namaha”
Chanted to honor the unconquerable aspect of the Divine Mother, especially relevant on Dashami, when Her victory is celebrated.
3. Durga Victory Mantra
“Om Sri Mahadevyai Cha Vidmahe Mahamayayai Cha Dheemahi
Tanno Durga Prachodayat”
This invocation prays for guidance, clarity, and inner strength through the blessings of Durga.
For Lord Rama (If Celebrating Vijaya Dashami as Dussehra)
4. Rama Taraka Mantra
“Shri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram”
Simple and deeply powerful, this mantra fosters devotion, inner discipline, and divine protection.
5. Rama Raksha Mantra (First Line)
“Charitam Raghunathasya Shatakoti Pravistaram”
Used to invoke the protection of Lord Rama’s divine virtues, suitable for recitation on Dashami.
Chant these mantras with focus and reverence to align with the victorious and transformative energies of Dashami.
Dashami Tithi 2026 (Chennai Time)
| Month | Paksha | Dashami Timing (Start – End) |
|---|---|---|
| January | Krishna Paksha | Jan 12, 12:43 pm – Jan 13, 3:18 pm |
| January | Shukla Paksha | Jan 27, 7:05 pm – Jan 28, 4:36 pm |
| February | Krishna Paksha | Feb 11, 9:59 am – Feb 12, 12:22 pm |
| February | Shukla Paksha | Feb 26, 2:41 am – Feb 27, 12:33 am |
| March | Krishna Paksha | Mar 13, 6:29 am – Mar 14, 8:11 am |
| March | Shukla Paksha | Mar 27, 10:07 am – Mar 28, 8:46 am |
| April | Krishna Paksha | Apr 12, 12:38 am – Apr 13, 1:17 am |
| April | Shukla Paksha | Apr 25, 6:28 pm – Apr 26, 6:07 pm |
| May | Krishna Paksha | May 11, 3:25 pm – May 12, 2:52 pm |
| May | Shukla Paksha | May 25, 4:31 am – May 26, 5:11 am |
| June | Krishna Paksha | Jun 10, 2:35 am – Jun 11, 12:58 am |
| June | Shukla Paksha | Jun 23, 4:40 pm – Jun 24, 6:12 pm |
| July | Krishna Paksha | Jul 09, 10:38 am – Jul 10, 8:16 am |
| July | Shukla Paksha | Jul 23, 7:03 am – Jul 24, 9:13 am |
| August | Krishna Paksha | Aug 07, 4:37 pm – Aug 08, 1:59 pm |
| August | Shukla Paksha | Aug 21, 11:36 pm – Aug 23, 2:00 am |
| September | Krishna Paksha | Sep 05, 9:54 pm – Sep 06, 7:29 pm |
| September | Shukla Paksha | Sep 20, 5:52 pm – Sep 21, 8:01 pm |
| October | Krishna Paksha | Oct 05, 3:54 am – Oct 06, 2:08 am |
| October | Shukla Paksha | Oct 20, 12:50 pm – Oct 21, 2:12 pm |
| November | Krishna Paksha | Nov 03, 11:55 am – Nov 04, 11:03 am |
| November | Shukla Paksha | Nov 19, 7:06 am – Nov 20, 7:16 am |
| December | Krishna Paksha | Dec 02, 10:52 pm – Dec 03, 11:04 pm |
| December | Shukla Paksha | Dec 18, 11:14 pm – Dec 19, 10:09 pm |
This table lists all Dashami tithi periods in 2026 for Chennai time zone, showing exact start and end timings for both Krishna and Shukla Paksha each month.
Remedies for Dashami
Here are remedies for Dashami, presented as requested in bullet form with selections from AstroBhava’s offerings (without external references):
- Take a ritual bath at a nearby temple or sacred river and offer white flowers to the deity, seeking blessings for victory over internal enemies like anger, greed, and ego.
- Light a ghee lamp at home or temple and chant the Durga Moola Mantra 108 times to invoke the Shakti that culminates on Dashami.
- Perform the Durga Sapta Shloki Homa from AstroBhava to remove negative karmas and invite divine protection and strength.
- Book the Sri Rama Dharma Homa from AstroBhava to receive blessings of righteousness, clarity, and protection in legal or ethical matters.
- Perform Durga Mahapuja from AstroBhava for spiritual upliftment, removal of obstacles, and to strengthen your personal energy.
- Opt for Vijaya Dashami Puja from AstroBhava, especially on Shukla Dashami, to honor the victory of good over evil and seek success in new beginnings.
- Consider Karma Vimochana Papa Parihara Puja from AstroBhava to release burdens of past negative actions and spiritual stagnation.
- Perform Runa Vimochana Papa Parihara Puja from AstroBhava to address karmic debts and blocks in finances or relationships.
Do’s During Dashami
- Wake up before sunrise and take a purifying bath to begin the day with spiritual readiness. Adding a few drops of Ganga water to your bath is considered especially auspicious.
- Clean your puja altar and offer prayers with devotion, using red or white flowers, sandalwood paste, and fruits as offerings to your chosen deity.
- Observe a fast according to your ability—either complete, fruit-based, or with light sattvic meals—to promote inner discipline and clarity.
- Chant mantras such as Om Dum Durgayei Namaha or Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram with japa beads or mentally throughout the day to stay aligned with divine energy.
- Visit a temple dedicated to Durga, Rama, or Vishnu, and participate in any special Dashami rituals or aartis held on that day.
- If observing Vijaya Dashami, reflect on the triumph of righteousness over negativity and make a personal resolve to let go of ego-based actions.
- Offer food, clothes, or donations to the needy as a form of gratitude and karmic balance, especially in the name of the deity you are honoring.
- Read from sacred texts such as the Ramayana or Devi Mahatmyam to align your mind with spiritual teachings.
- Begin new projects, learning endeavors, or spiritual practices on Dashami, as it is considered highly auspicious for fresh starts.
- Perform evening aarti with camphor or ghee lamp, and conclude your observances with a prayer of surrender and thanksgiving.
Don’ts During Dashami
Avoiding certain actions on Dashami helps preserve the spiritual potency of this highly auspicious day. The following practices should be consciously avoided to maintain purity in thoughts, actions, and environment:
- Do not consume non-vegetarian food, alcohol, or tamasic items like onion and garlic, as these disturb the energetic purity needed for spiritual connection.
- Avoid engaging in arguments, gossip, or harsh speech—words carry extra power on Dashami and can either uplift or harm significantly.
- Do not disrespect elders, spiritual texts, or symbols of divinity. Even casual irreverence on this day can result in karmic imbalance.
- Refrain from starting the day late or skipping morning bath and puja; doing so disrupts alignment with the divine energies active during Dashami.
- Avoid cutting nails, hair, or shaving on this day, especially during Vijaya Dashami, as it’s seen as disrespectful to the sacred vibration of completion and renewal.
- Do not indulge in laziness or procrastination. Dashami is about victory and action—misusing the energy through inaction hinders progress.
- Refrain from speaking ill of any deity or religious path. Dashami emphasizes divine order, and criticism of others’ beliefs weakens your own spiritual merit.
- Do not ignore your fast or break it casually. If you’ve committed to a vrat, keep it with sincerity and inner discipline.
- Avoid material indulgences like excessive shopping or entertainment; this is a time for reflection, not distraction.
- Don’t make major decisions in anger or haste. Though Dashami is auspicious, wisdom must guide all new beginnings.
Benefits of Dashami Fasting
Here are 20 detailed benefit points of observing a fast on Dashami, each with a dedicated subheading and descriptive explanation.
1. Spiritual Victory Over Ego
Fasting on Dashami, especially during Vijaya Dashami, symbolizes the victory over inner enemies like pride, jealousy, and anger. Abstaining from indulgence allows you to confront and transcend your egoistic tendencies, aligning you with divine consciousness.
2. Enhanced Mental Clarity
Fasting creates mental sharpness by reducing distractions caused by digestion. This clarity helps in better decision-making, focus during rituals, and connecting more deeply with scriptures and mantras recited on Dashami.
3. Strengthens Self-Discipline
The conscious choice to abstain from food, excessive speech, or indulgent behavior builds willpower. Regular Dashami fasting reinforces your inner discipline, which reflects in other areas of life like relationships, career, and habits.
4. Auspicious Beginnings
Dashami is a spiritually favorable day for starting new ventures. Fasting enhances the sanctity of these beginnings by aligning your mind and energy with clarity, intention, and divine grace.
5. Removes Karmic Debts
Spiritual austerities like fasting help neutralize karmic burdens. Dashami, known for its purificatory energy, assists in cleansing the subtle layers of karma when accompanied by sincere prayers and rituals.
6. Promotes Digestive Rest
Periodic fasting gives the digestive system a well-deserved break. A Dashami fast, especially with simple fluids or fruits, can help in detoxifying the body and improving gut health.
7. Balances Energy Channels
According to yogic traditions, fasting on powerful tithis like Dashami helps regulate pranic flow in the body. This balance is essential for physical wellness, emotional calm, and spiritual insight.
8. Increases Devotional Bhava (Feeling)
Going without food while focusing on divine remembrance cultivates bhakti (devotion). Hunger reminds the devotee of their dependency on the divine for sustenance, deepening surrender and humility.
9. Attracts Divine Blessings
Dashami is the day when divine energies like those of Durga or Rama are most accessible. Fasting prepares your body and mind to receive and retain those blessings more potently.
10. Amplifies Mantra Power
Fasting heightens the vibration of mantra chanting. When combined with japa on Dashami, your spiritual efforts are multiplied, often leading to quicker results or deeper realizations.
11. Aligns with Cosmic Rhythms
The lunar calendar is more than symbolic—it reflects energetic shifts. Observing a fast on Dashami aligns your body’s rhythms with the cosmos, increasing receptivity to divine energies.
12. Improves Emotional Stability
A disciplined fast requires emotional restraint and teaches you to observe your reactions. Over time, this builds resilience and reduces reactivity to life’s challenges.
13. Enhances Purity of Intentions
Fasting is a form of internal tapas (austerity). It strips away distractions and forces clarity of motive—why you pray, what you seek—making your spiritual intentions more aligned and effective.
14. Builds Gratitude
When you willingly abstain from food, you naturally become more appreciative of what you have. Gratitude develops not just for food but for health, family, and divine guidance.
15. Supports Ancestral Healing
Fasting with a sankalpa (intention) for one’s ancestors on Dashami can help relieve ancestral karmas. This is particularly effective when combined with pujas or homas performed with devotion.
16. Stabilizes Mood and Thoughts
Restricting sensory input like taste or heavy meals reduces mood fluctuations. Fasting on Dashami allows the mind to stay centered, especially useful for those prone to anxiety or distraction.
17. Improves Sleep Quality
When you fast during the day and maintain spiritual focus, the body requires less energy to digest, leading to deeper rest and sleep. Dashami fasting can support a peaceful night and better dreaming states.
18. Encourages Simplicity
Fasting leads you to embrace minimalism—not just in food but also in speech, thought, and consumption. This simplicity invites clarity and peace, both spiritual and psychological.
19. Boosts Ritual Sensitivity
A clean body through fasting is more receptive during pujas and homas. You’re likely to feel more connected during aarti, mantras, and homam fire ceremonies on Dashami.
20. Opens the Door to Higher Sadhana
Fasting on Dashami, especially when done regularly, prepares you for deeper spiritual practices. Whether it’s longer meditation, more intense mantra japa, or advanced yogic work, it builds a foundational strength.
Benefits of Dashami Fasting (Approx. 1500 words)
Here are 20 detailed benefit points of observing a fast on Dashami, each with a dedicated subheading and descriptive explanation.
1. Spiritual Victory Over Ego
Fasting on Dashami, especially during Vijaya Dashami, symbolizes the victory over inner enemies like pride, jealousy, and anger. Abstaining from indulgence allows you to confront and transcend your egoistic tendencies, aligning you with divine consciousness.
2. Enhanced Mental Clarity
Fasting creates mental sharpness by reducing distractions caused by digestion. This clarity helps in better decision-making, focus during rituals, and connecting more deeply with scriptures and mantras recited on Dashami.
3. Strengthens Self-Discipline
The conscious choice to abstain from food, excessive speech, or indulgent behavior builds willpower. Regular Dashami fasting reinforces your inner discipline, which reflects in other areas of life like relationships, career, and habits.
4. Auspicious Beginnings
Dashami is a spiritually favorable day for starting new ventures. Fasting enhances the sanctity of these beginnings by aligning your mind and energy with clarity, intention, and divine grace.
5. Removes Karmic Debts
Spiritual austerities like fasting help neutralize karmic burdens. Dashami, known for its purificatory energy, assists in cleansing the subtle layers of karma when accompanied by sincere prayers and rituals.
6. Promotes Digestive Rest
Periodic fasting gives the digestive system a well-deserved break. A Dashami fast, especially with simple fluids or fruits, can help in detoxifying the body and improving gut health.
7. Balances Energy Channels
According to yogic traditions, fasting on powerful tithis like Dashami helps regulate pranic flow in the body. This balance is essential for physical wellness, emotional calm, and spiritual insight.
8. Increases Devotional Bhava (Feeling)
Going without food while focusing on divine remembrance cultivates bhakti (devotion). Hunger reminds the devotee of their dependency on the divine for sustenance, deepening surrender and humility.
9. Attracts Divine Blessings
Dashami is the day when divine energies like those of Durga or Rama are most accessible. Fasting prepares your body and mind to receive and retain those blessings more potently.
10. Amplifies Mantra Power
Fasting heightens the vibration of mantra chanting. When combined with japa on Dashami, your spiritual efforts are multiplied, often leading to quicker results or deeper realizations.
11. Aligns with Cosmic Rhythms
The lunar calendar is more than symbolic—it reflects energetic shifts. Observing a fast on Dashami aligns your body’s rhythms with the cosmos, increasing receptivity to divine energies.
12. Improves Emotional Stability
A disciplined fast requires emotional restraint and teaches you to observe your reactions. Over time, this builds resilience and reduces reactivity to life’s challenges.
13. Enhances Purity of Intentions
Fasting is a form of internal tapas (austerity). It strips away distractions and forces clarity of motive—why you pray, what you seek—making your spiritual intentions more aligned and effective.
14. Builds Gratitude
When you willingly abstain from food, you naturally become more appreciative of what you have. Gratitude develops not just for food but for health, family, and divine guidance.
15. Supports Ancestral Healing
Fasting with a sankalpa (intention) for one’s ancestors on Dashami can help relieve ancestral karmas. This is particularly effective when combined with pujas or homas performed with devotion.
16. Stabilizes Mood and Thoughts
Restricting sensory input like taste or heavy meals reduces mood fluctuations. Fasting on Dashami allows the mind to stay centered, especially useful for those prone to anxiety or distraction.
17. Improves Sleep Quality
When you fast during the day and maintain spiritual focus, the body requires less energy to digest, leading to deeper rest and sleep. Dashami fasting can support a peaceful night and better dreaming states.
18. Encourages Simplicity
Fasting leads you to embrace minimalism—not just in food but also in speech, thought, and consumption. This simplicity invites clarity and peace, both spiritual and psychological.
19. Boosts Ritual Sensitivity
A clean body through fasting is more receptive during pujas and homas. You’re likely to feel more connected during aarti, mantras, and homam fire ceremonies on Dashami.
20. Opens the Door to Higher Sadhana
Fasting on Dashami, especially when done regularly, prepares you for deeper spiritual practices. Whether it’s longer meditation, more intense mantra japa, or advanced yogic work, it builds a foundational strength.
