Dashain and Tihar 2026 US date/time guide

This is a planning guide for Nepalese families in the United States. It gives Nepal-observance dates, Bikram Sambat labels, and the main US-timezone caveat; it does not give a local puja muhurta or tika saait.

Major 2026 dates to plan around

How the dates were checked

Hamro Patro and QPP Studio agree on all four AD dates above. USEF-Nepal's 2026 holiday calendar separately corroborates Dashami on October 21 and Bhai Tika on November 11. UnitedSewa's own BS-AD converter was then checked in both directions for the BS labels in the table.

Timezone caveat for the US

Nepal Standard Time is ahead of the mainland United States. Around Dashain and Tihar 2026, that gap is roughly 9 hours 45 minutes ahead of Eastern Daylight Time and 12 hours 45 minutes ahead of Pacific Daylight Time before the US daylight-saving change; after the November 1, 2026 US clock change, the gap is one hour larger for most mainland US zones. A tithi can start or end while it is still the previous evening in the US.

Why this guide does not publish exact muhurta times

Dashain and Tihar observances are tithi-based. Calendar publishers can differ when they calculate for different places, and a muhurta for Kathmandu is not automatically the right time for Dallas, New York, the Bay Area, or the DMV. Treat this as the date guide for planning leave, travel, family gatherings, and school/work conflicts. For the exact puja or tika time, verify with the temple, family priest, or calendar source you follow for your US city.

Practical US planning

• If you need time off for Vijaya Dashami, the key weekday is Wednesday, October 21, 2026.
• If you are planning a Tihar family gathering, the main Laxmi Puja and Bhai Tika dates fall on Sunday, November 8, and Wednesday, November 11, 2026.
• If your local community program uses a weekend date, use the organizer's event page as the authority for that program. A community program date is not the same thing as the Nepal calendar observance date.