Kullu Dussehra 2026: Dates (21 to 27 October), Raghunath Rath Yatra, Devtas, the Mela and How to Get There from Dharamshala

Short answer: International Kullu Dussehra 2026 runs from 21 to 27 October 2026 at Dhalpur Maidan in Kullu town, according to the Kullu district administration. It opened on 21 October with the rath yatra (chariot procession) of Lord Raghunath, and the festival committee invited 347 village deities (devtas) this year. It ends on 27 October with Lanka Dahan at the southern end of the ground. As we write on 22 October, the festival is on now, and Kullu is about 180 to 215 km (6 to 7 hours) by road from Dharamshala.

Kullu Dussehra is not the Dussehra most of India knows. Elsewhere the festival ends on Vijayadashami with Ravan effigies going up in flames; in Kullu, that is when it begins. For a week, hundreds of village gods are carried down from their valleys in palanquins to pay respects to Lord Raghunath, and the town fills with drums, horns, nati dancers, stalls and rides. This guide says clearly what is confirmed for 2026 and what is only typical. If you are in Dharamshala this month, also see our guide to the much smaller Dharamshala Dussehra at the Police Ground.

Kullu Dussehra 2026: Quick Facts

When is Kullu Dussehra in 2026?

21 to 27 October 2026. This is the date in the Kullu district administration listing, "International Kullu Dussehra 2026 (21-27 October)", and in news reports from The Tribune, IANS, Hill Post and HimbuMail.

Some travel websites still show 20 to 26 October, and the Incredible India page showed another date. Go by the district dates. Note that Dharamshala and most of north India burned their Ravan effigies on 20 October 2026; Kullu Dussehra started the next day. In the words of the Sahapedia account, the festival in Kullu "starts when Dussehra ends" elsewhere.

Day by day in 2026 (what is confirmed and what is planned):

What is the Raghunath ji rath yatra?

The rath yatra is the heart of Kullu Dussehra. Lord Raghunath (a form of Ram) is the presiding deity of the Kullu valley, and his idol normally lives in the Raghunath temple at Sultanpur in Kullu town.

On the first day, the idol is brought down and placed in a decorated wooden chariot (rath), which thousands of devotees pull by ropes across Dhalpur Maidan, with the village deities, their musicians and their attendants around it. The News Himachal described this year’s opening as "the decorated wooden chariot carrying Lord Raghunath" being brought into Dhalpur Maidan among devotees, traditional musicians and representatives of the deities.

Two details people often ask about:

• Hidimba Devi of Manali has a special place. Sahapedia notes that her arrival must happen before the procession can begin, and The News Himachal (2026) lists her arrival from Manali as part of the traditional sequence.
• The chharibardar. The descendant of the old Kullu royal family serves as the chharibardar (staff bearer) of Raghunath ji, a role that goes back to Raja Jagat Singh.

For the rest of the week the idol stays in a temporary camp temple on the ground. The Tribune (October 2025) reported prayers being offered there four times a day.

How many devtas come to Kullu Dussehra?

Hundreds, and the number changes every year. Here are the figures with their sources:

Not every invited deity comes: some villages are far, and attendance depends on the deity’s own committee (the kardar and devlus, the attendants). So treat "more than 300" in some reports as an expectation, not a count.

Each devta travels in a palanquin (rath or palki) dressed with metal masks of the deity called mohras, carried on the shoulders of villagers, with drums, long brass horns (narsingha) and flags. At Dhalpur, each one has its own tent or camp, and you can walk among them through the week. In 2025 the deities came from the Kullu, Manali, Banjar and Anni subdivisions.

Why is it called International Kullu Dussehra?

Because the state has officially notified it as an international festival. According to The Tribune (27 September 2017):

• 1966: Kullu Dussehra was made a state-level festival.
• 1970: it became a national-level festival.
• 1973: a cultural troupe from Romania took part, and people began calling it international.
• 2017: it was officially notified as an international festival, 44 years after 1973.

The international side is mostly the evening programme. In 2026, The Tribune (20 October) reported that artists from around 15 to 20 countries were expected, but that conflicts in the Middle East and between Russia and Ukraine might affect who comes. The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) helps invite foreign troupes, and a "global dance" with foreign artists dancing to Kullu folk tunes was planned. For context, in 2025 no international troupes were invited, to cut costs after the monsoon disaster (The Tribune, 9 October 2025).

What happens at the Kala Kendra cultural evenings?

The Lal Chand Prarthi Kala Kendra in Kullu is the open-air stage for the festival’s night programmes: Himachali nati, folk music, troupes from other states and abroad, and well-known singers. Sahapedia notes that the traditional nati, once danced by moonlight on Dhalpur Maidan, now happens mainly at the Kala Kendra.

New in 2026: the Kala Kendra renovation was completed in time for the festival, and the road via Kala Kendra is closed to vehicles (except official and VIP convoys) from 17 October to 8 November (The Tribune, 20 October 2026). Plan to walk there.

Passes and timings: we could not find the 2026 nightly line-up or any rule on passes. Ask at your hotel or check the Kullu district channels before you go.

What can you buy at the Kullu Dussehra mela?

The mela (fair) on Dhalpur Maidan runs alongside the rituals all week: food stalls, giant wheels and rides, household goods, woollens, and exhibition stalls from 19 government departments (Hill Post, September 2026).

Kullu shawls. The Kullu shawl was the first product from Himachal registered under the Geographical Indications Act, 1999. But in 2015 the state reported that about 80 percent of shawls sold as Kullu or Kinnauri shawls were made in Ludhiana factories, and that most sellers, "barring a few shops and the government emporia", were offering imitations (The Tribune, 3 January 2015). Sahapedia also notes that branded factory goods have largely replaced handmade items at the fair.

Our advice: if you want a real handwoven Kullu shawl, buy from a government emporium, a weavers’ society or a shop that can show GI or handloom marks, not from the first stall you see. We have no reliable current price to quote, so compare before you buy.

What is the history of Kullu Dussehra?

The festival dates to the 17th century and Raja Jagat Singh, who ruled Kullu from 1637 to 1672, according to the official Kullu Dussehra website of the Himachal government. The story, as told there:

1. The Raja was blamed for the death of a Brahmin, Durga Dutt, and believed himself cursed and fell ill.
2. A saint, Krishan Dutt (also called Pahari Baba), told him only the blessing of Lord Ram could cure him, through the charanamrit (holy water) of a Ram idol.
3. His disciple Damodar Das was sent to bring the idol from Ayodhya. It reached Kullu in July 1651 and was installed in the Raghunath temple at Sultanpur.
4. The Raja handed his throne to Raghunath ji, ruled as his servant (the chharibardar), and ordered all the gods and goddesses of his state to gather in Kullu on Vijayadashami.

That gathering is what you see today. The Wikipedia article on the festival gives other dates for its start, so we stick to the 1637-1672 reign and the 1651 idol date published by the state.

What happens at Lanka Dahan on the last day?

On the final day, the rath of Lord Raghunath, with the idols of Raghunath, Sita and Hanuman, is pulled from the camp temple in the middle of Dhalpur to the southern end of the ground, known as the Cattle Ground, for Lanka Dahan, the burning of Lanka, which stands for the victory of good over evil. The rath is then pulled back to Rath Maidan at the northern end, and the idols return in palanquins to Sultanpur. The village devtas then start their journeys home. This is how The Tribune described the 2025 finale (9 October 2025).

Until 2014 the final day included animal sacrifice. After the Himachal Pradesh High Court banned animal sacrifice at religious gatherings in 2014, it was replaced by offerings of coconuts and other symbolic items (The Tribune, 2025).

In 2026: Lanka Dahan is on Tuesday 27 October (HimbuMail, 20 October 2026). In 2025 the last day also had the Kullu Carnival, a parade from Rath Ground along the Mall Road to the Kala Kendra; we have not seen confirmation of a 2026 carnival.

How do I get to Kullu Dussehra from Dharamshala or McLeod Ganj?

By road, about 180 to 215 km, 6 to 7 hours. Published figures vary with the starting point and route: one bus operator lists 181 km from Dharamshala, while our own route notes give about 150 km from Dharamshala to Mandi and roughly 64 km more from Mandi to Kullu. McLeod Ganj is a little further, up the hill above Dharamshala. Expect slower going near Kullu during the festival.

The usual road runs Dharamshala - Palampur - Baijnath - Jogindernagar - Mandi - Aut - Kullu. Our Dharamshala to Manali guide covers this road in detail: Kullu is on it, about 40 km before Manali.

Where to stay: rooms in Kullu can fill up in Dussehra week, so book early or stay in Bhuntar or Manali. Many travellers do Kullu as part of a longer loop and come back to Dharamshala; see our hotels in Dharamshala and McLeod Ganj. For a full route, read our Delhi, Dharamshala and Manali itinerary.

Festival rules in 2026 (The Tribune, 20 October 2026): prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita are in force in Kullu from 21 to 27 October; traffic restrictions apply from 17 October to 8 November; there is a temporary bus stand near College Gate.

What else can you do from Kullu?

If you are making the long drive, give it a few days. From Kullu, many travellers head into the Parvati valley for Kasol, Malana and Tosh, or walk up to Bijli Mahadev above Kullu. Rafting on the Beas and zipline rides are popular in the Kullu valley too.

• Treks: see our guided treks for routes we arrange, from easy day walks to multi-day hikes.
• Adventure: paragliding, zipline and other activities are on our paragliding and adventure page.
• On the way: break the drive at Bir for paragliding; read our Bir Billing paragliding guide.

Weather and roads in the hills change quickly, so check road conditions before any drive or trek.

Tips for visiting Kullu Dussehra

1. Go on day 1 or day 7 for the rath yatra, or midweek for a calmer walk among the devta camps.
2. Ask before photographing a devta, a palanquin or the people carrying it, and do not touch the palanquins or step into a deity’s camp without being invited.
3. Make way for processions. Devtas move with drums and horns through the crowd; step aside when they pass.
4. Carry layers. Late October nights in Kullu are cold.
5. Walk, do not drive, in town. Roads near Dhalpur and the Kala Kendra are restricted.
6. Check live updates on the Kullu district administration YouTube and Instagram accounts, which post daily highlights.

For other fairs this season, see our melas and fairs in Dharamshala and Kangra guide and our events page. For the season ahead, read the best time to visit Dharamshala.