Dussehra 2026: Shastra Puja and Ayudha Puja at Home and Work

Dussehra, or Vijayadashami, falls on Tuesday 20 October 2026. To do Shastra Puja at home or at work, clean the weapons, tools, vehicles, machines or books you depend on, arrange them on a clean cloth, apply tilak, offer flowers, akshat and a lamp, and pray to Devi Durga for protection and success before sharing prasad. In much of South India the same worship, called Ayudha Puja, is traditionally done a day earlier on Mahanavami, and customs vary widely by region and family.

Below you will find what the day marks, how Shastra Puja, Ayudha Puja, Aparajita puja and Shami puja fit together, a simple vidhi for a home or office, and the samagri to keep ready.

What Vijayadashami celebrates

Vijayadashami means "the tenth day of victory". It comes straight after the nine nights of Sharad Navratri, which in 2026 run from Sunday 11 October to Monday 19 October, and it closes the festival.

The victory it marks depends on where you are. Across much of India, and especially in Bengal and the east, it is Durga's triumph over the buffalo demon Mahishasura, and the day clay Durga idols are immersed. In North India it is also Ram's victory over Ravana: Ramlila performances end and effigies of Ravana are burnt at dusk.

Both stories carry the same idea of courage and right conduct overcoming arrogance and harm. That is why the day is widely considered auspicious for beginning new work, buying tools or vehicles, and honouring the instruments that let you do your duty. If you kept Navratri at home, our Navratri 2026 Ghatasthapana guide covers the nine days leading up to it.

Shastra Puja: honouring weapons and tools

Shastra means weapon, and Shastra Puja is the worship of the arms that protect. It grew from the traditions of warrior communities and royal households, who worshipped their swords, shields and horses on this day; the season after the monsoon is often said to have been when campaigns began.

Today Shastra Puja is kept by many families with a martial heritage, by people whose work involves weapons, and in many police and military establishments. In most homes, though, the idea has widened. A household's "weapons" are its tools of livelihood: a farmer's sickle, a tailor's scissors and sewing machine, a doctor's stethoscope, a writer's pen and a programmer's laptop are all honoured as the means by which the family earns and serves.

If you keep a licensed weapon at home, keep it unloaded and secured throughout, handle it only if you are trained to, and keep children well away. Many families simply place the closed case on the puja cloth; worship does not require the weapon to be taken out.

Ayudha Puja in South India

In Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the worship of tools is called Ayudha Puja, and it is one of the most visible days of the festive season. In many southern regions it is traditionally done on Mahanavami, the day before Vijayadashami, though some communities keep it on Dussehra itself, so follow local custom.

Ayudha Puja takes in almost everything that does work. Cars, autorickshaws, buses and bicycles are washed and decorated with flowers, turmeric and kumkum. Factory machines, looms, printing presses, computers and kitchen appliances are cleaned and garlanded. Many families rest their tools for the day and take them up again, with a small prayer, on Vijayadashami. In many places an ash gourd or coconut is broken, or a lemon placed under a vehicle's wheel, to ward off harm before the vehicle's first drive after the puja.

Books, pens and musical instruments are placed before Devi Saraswati in many southern homes in the last days of Navratri and taken back for study on Vijayadashami. In Kerala and parts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, Vijayadashami is also traditionally chosen for Vidyarambham, when young children are initiated into letters, often by tracing their first letters in rice with an elder, teacher or priest guiding the hand. Customs differ, so check with your temple or family. You can find Saraswati murtis for this corner on our Saraswati page.

Aparajita puja and Shami puja

Two smaller rituals belong to Vijayadashami in many regions.

Aparajita puja. Aparajita means "the undefeated", a name of the Devi. In many households she is worshipped on Vijayadashami, traditionally in the afternoon, before any journey or new undertaking. Some families draw a simple eight-petalled lotus in kumkum and invoke the Devi on it, and some offer the blue aparajita flower. In Maharashtra the day also includes Seemollanghan, symbolically crossing the boundary of the village or town. Confirm the afternoon Vijay muhurat for your city with a local panchang or your family priest.

Shami puja. The Shami tree is worshipped on Dussehra in many parts of India, recalling the Mahabharata story that the Pandavas hid their weapons in a Shami tree during their year in disguise and recovered them on this day. Families visit a nearby Shami, offer water, akshat and a lamp, and walk around it. In Maharashtra, leaves of the apta tree are commonly exchanged with friends and elders as symbolic "gold", and in parts of Karnataka Shami leaves are exchanged instead.

A simple Shastra Puja and Ayudha Puja vidhi

This outline suits a home, a small shop, an office or a workshop. Families with an established tradition or a family priest should follow that; the order below is a common one, not the only correct one.

Step 1: Clean and prepare the day before

• Wash vehicles, dust machines, clean tools, and tidy the desk or shop floor.
• Switch off and unplug any machine or device you plan to include. Nothing should be running during the puja.
• Clear a space and lay a clean red or yellow cloth on a table or chowki.

Step 2: Arrange the items

• Place an image or murti of Devi Durga at the centre, with Ganesha, and Saraswati if you are including books and instruments.
• Arrange tools, cased weapons, account books, pens, laptops and instruments on the cloth. Vehicles are worshipped where they are parked.
• Set the diya on a metal plate, well away from fuel, fabric, paper and electrical boards.

Step 3: The puja

• Take a sankalp: hold a little water, akshat and a flower, and state who is doing the puja, where, and for what.
• Remember Ganesha first with a flower and a short prayer.
• Sprinkle a few drops of Ganga jal on metal tools. Never pour water on electronics or machines; touch a drop to a flower and offer the flower instead.
• Apply a tilak of roli or kumkum and haldi, draw a small swastik on tools and vehicles if your family does, and tie kalawa where you can.
• Offer marigold flowers or a garland, akshat, incense and the lamp.
• Offer naivedya: sweets, fruit, jaggery, puffed rice, or whatever your family prepares.
• Recite a Durga or Saraswati prayer you know, or pray in your own words for safety, skill and honest work.
• Perform aarti with the bell before the Devi and then the tools. Our guide on doing aarti the right way covers direction and rounds.

Step 4: After the puja

• Share prasad with everyone present, including staff, drivers and helpers.
• In many families tools and books rest until the next day; follow your own custom.
• Put out lamps and camphor completely before you lock the shop or office.

For a fuller sequence of everyday home worship, see our puja vidhi at home guide.

Samagri list for Shastra Puja and Ayudha Puja

• A clean red or yellow cloth and a chowki or low table
• An image or murti of Devi Durga, with Ganesha, and Saraswati for books
• Roli or kumkum, haldi and chandan
• Akshat (unbroken rice)
• Kalawa or mauli thread
• Marigold flowers, garlands and mango leaves
• Ganga jal in a small lota
• A diya with ghee or oil, cotton wicks and a metal plate to stand it on
• Agarbatti or dhoop, and camphor
• A hand bell for aarti
• Coconut, fruit and sweets for naivedya
• Shami or apta leaves and aparajita flowers, if your tradition uses them
• A puja thali to hold it all

Our puja thali samagri checklist explains what each item is for. You can stock up from our puja samagri range, choose a good brass bell that will serve every festival after this one, or let Samagri Seva put the list together for your occasion.

How businesses, shops and workshops observe Dussehra

For many workshops and small businesses, Dussehra is one of the most important days of the year. The day before, the premises are cleaned, machines serviced and vehicles washed, and the entrance gets a toran of marigold and mango leaves. On the day, owners and staff gather for a short puja, often led by the senior-most person or a priest, and everyone shares prasad. Many factories, garages and transport operators give workers a holiday or a half day.

In many trading communities of western India, new account books are consecrated at Diwali rather than Dussehra, so check which your family or firm follows. A few practical points help the day go smoothly:

• Fix the puja time in advance so that shift workers can attend.
• Keep lamps and camphor away from fuel, chemicals, dust and electrical panels, and keep a fire extinguisher close.
• Garland machines only while they are switched off, and remove garlands and lemons before restarting them.
• If you break an ash gourd or coconut outside, sweep up the pieces straight away so they do not make a two-wheeler skid.

Temples, large offices and institutions planning a bigger puja will find lamps, thalis and kalash sets under temple supplies.

If you are coming to Vijayadashami after nine days of Navratri, our Navratri collection and Durga deity page are good places to find the Devi and the lamps and bells to go with her.

Frequently asked questions

When is Dussehra 2026?

Dussehra (Vijayadashami) falls on Tuesday 20 October 2026, the day after Navratri ends. Muhurat timings, including the afternoon Vijay muhurat, vary by city, so confirm them with a local panchang or your family priest.

What is the difference between Shastra Puja and Ayudha Puja?

They share one idea: worshipping the weapons, tools and instruments of your work. Shastra Puja is the common name in North and West India and is usually done on Vijayadashami. Ayudha Puja is the South Indian name and, in many southern regions, is traditionally done on Mahanavami, the day before.

Can I do Shastra Puja in an office on laptops and computers?

Yes, many offices do. Switch the devices off, place a small tilak on the case away from screens, keyboards and vents, offer flowers and keep the lamp at a safe distance. Never sprinkle water directly on electronics.

Should tools be used on the day of Ayudha Puja?

In many South Indian families and workshops, tools, vehicles and books rest on the day of the puja and are taken up again on Vijayadashami with a short prayer. Others use them once the puja is done. Follow your family or workplace custom.

What is offered in Aparajita puja?

Families typically offer akshat, kumkum, flowers (the blue aparajita flower in some traditions), a lamp and sweets, often in the afternoon of Vijayadashami before setting out on a new task. The details differ between families, so ask an elder or priest.

Do I need a priest for Shastra Puja at home?

No. A sincere home puja with a sankalp, tilak, flowers, a lamp and aarti is complete for most families. Larger workplace pujas, or families with a specific tradition, sometimes invite a priest.