Festivals
Kota Dussehra Mela 2026 Programme List: 11 Oct to 5 Nov
Written by Kota Rajasthan Editorial Team · Updated
This is the day-by-day programme of the 133rd Rashtriya Dussehra Mela, Kota, as released by Kota Nagar Nigam on 1 October 2026 and reported in the regional press. The fair runs from Sunday 11 October to Thursday 5 November 2026 at Dussehra Maidan, Kishorepura Road. Every date is listed below, including the quiet days when only the nightly Ramlila is on. Where the organiser has not published a time or a stage, the table says so rather than guessing. Status as of 11 October 2026.
For the dates, venue and a short overview, see the Kota Dussehra Mela 2026 event page. This article carries the whole table.
How to read today’s programme
The fair keeps a steady daily rhythm, which makes the table easier to use than it looks.
- 8:00 pm, Shri Ram Rangmanch: Ramlila. Staged every night from 11 October onward. On a date where nothing else is listed, this is the programme.
- 7:00 pm: first evening slot. The competitions (malkhamb, hatha-mala, saafa-pagdi, bridal make-up, paridhan), the three laser shows and the drone show take this slot.
- 8:30 pm: main evening slot. The headline cultural programme of the night: kavi sammelan, bhajan sandhya, laughter show, Bhojpuri programme, Punjabi Night, Cine Sandhya.
- Daytime competitions (cooking on 22 October at 10:00 am; rangoli, mandana and mehendi on 27 October at 12:00 pm) are at the Nagar Nigam premises, not at the ground.
- Wrestling days, 1 and 2 November, run from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm at Shri Ram Rangmanch, the only daytime programme inside the ground.
So for “aaj ka program”: find today’s date, check whether there is a 7:00 pm item, and take the 8:30 pm item as the main event. Programmes run late; the 2025 Ravan Dahan ignition came at 8:38 pm, and evening shows at the fair are not known for starting on the minute.
Week one: 11 to 18 October, Navratri and the opening
The fair opens on the first day of Sharad Navratri. The first week is thin on stage events: the ground, the stalls and the rides settle in while the Ramlila builds its story night by night. Ram Baraat on 15 October is the one procession of the week; in 2025 about 5,100 children dressed as Ram, Sita and Lakshman walked in it.
| Date | Time | Event | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 11 Oct | 9:00 am | Durga puja | Ashapura Mata Mandir |
| Sun 11 Oct | 1:00 pm | Ramayan path | Not named in the programme |
| Sun 11 Oct | 5:30 pm | Inauguration, flag hoisting (dhwajarohan), Tourism Department folk programme | Shri Ram Rangmanch |
| Sun 11 Oct | 8:00 pm | Ramlila, first night | Shri Ram Rangmanch |
| Mon 12 Oct | 8:00 pm | Ramlila (nightly) | Shri Ram Rangmanch |
| Tue 13 Oct | 8:00 pm | Ramlila (nightly) | Shri Ram Rangmanch |
| Wed 14 Oct | 8:00 pm | Ramlila (nightly) | Shri Ram Rangmanch |
| Thu 15 Oct | 5:00 pm | Ram Baraat from Geeta Bhawan | Geeta Bhawan to Shri Ram Rangmanch |
| Thu 15 Oct | 8:00 pm | Ramlila (nightly) | Shri Ram Rangmanch |
| Fri 16 Oct | 8:00 pm | Ramlila (nightly) | Shri Ram Rangmanch |
| Sat 17 Oct | 8:00 pm | Ramlila (nightly) | Shri Ram Rangmanch |
| Sun 18 Oct | 8:00 pm | Ramlila (nightly) | Shri Ram Rangmanch |
Week two: 19 to 25 October, Dussehra week
This is the week the city turns up. Navami bhajans at Ashapura Mata Mandir on 19 October, Ravan Dahan on 20 October, Bharat Milap and the Rajyabhishek on 21 October, then the cultural programme proper opens at Vijayshree Rangmanch from 22 October. The Ramlila continues at 8:00 pm every night and is not repeated in the rows from here on.
| Date | Time | Event | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 19 Oct (Navami) | Evening, time not published | Bhajan sandhya | Ashapura Mata Mandir premises |
| Tue 20 Oct (Dussehra) | 5:00 pm | Shri Laxminarayan ji procession (savari) leaves Garh Palace | Garh Palace to Dussehra Maidan |
| Tue 20 Oct (Dussehra) | On arrival of the procession, at the muhurat; clock time not published | Ravan Dahan and fireworks | Dussehra Maidan |
| Wed 21 Oct | 5:00 pm | Bharat Milap procession from Kishorepura; Rajyabhishek (coronation) of Lord Ram on arrival | Kishorepura to Shri Ram Rangmanch |
| Thu 22 Oct | 10:00 am | Cooking competition | Nagar Nigam premises |
| Thu 22 Oct | 8:30 pm | Sindhi samaj programme | Vijayshree Rangmanch |
| Fri 23 Oct | 7:00 pm | Local cultural programme | Vijayshree Rangmanch |
| Fri 23 Oct | 8:30 pm | Tourism Department cultural programme | Vijayshree Rangmanch |
| Sat 24 Oct | 7:00 pm | Malkhamb competition | Dussehra Maidan (stage not named in the programme) |
| Sat 24 Oct | 8:30 pm | Ek Shaam Shaheedon Ke Naam | Vijayshree Rangmanch |
| Sun 25 Oct | 8:30 pm | Cultural programme | Vijayshree Rangmanch |
Week three: 26 October to 1 November, competitions, poets and lasers
From here the 7:00 pm competition slot and the 8:30 pm cultural slot run every night. The three laser-show evenings fall on 29, 30 and 31 October, and the first kushti dangal day is Sunday 1 November, which also has the fullest evening of the fair with three items at Vijayshree Rangmanch.
| Date | Time | Event | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 26 Oct | 7:00 pm | Hatha-mala competition | Dussehra Maidan (stage not named in the programme) |
| Mon 26 Oct | 8:30 pm | Bhajan sandhya | Vijayshree Rangmanch |
| Tue 27 Oct | 12:00 pm | Rangoli, mandana and mehendi competition | Nagar Nigam premises |
| Tue 27 Oct | 7:00 pm | Saafa-pagdi (turban tying) competition | Dussehra Maidan (stage not named in the programme) |
| Tue 27 Oct | 8:30 pm | Akhil Bharatiya Kavi Sammelan | Vijayshree Rangmanch |
| Wed 28 Oct | 7:00 pm | Best bridal make-up competition | Dussehra Maidan (stage not named in the programme) |
| Wed 28 Oct | 8:30 pm | Laughter show | Vijayshree Rangmanch |
| Thu 29 Oct | 7:00 pm | Laser show, night 1 | Dussehra Maidan (stage not named in the programme) |
| Thu 29 Oct | 8:30 pm | Rajasthani bhasha kavi sammelan | Vijayshree Rangmanch |
| Fri 30 Oct | 7:00 pm | Laser show, night 2 | Dussehra Maidan (stage not named in the programme) |
| Fri 30 Oct | 8:30 pm | Bal Pratibha (children’s talent), part 1 | Vijayshree Rangmanch |
| Sat 31 Oct | 7:00 pm | Laser show, night 3 | Dussehra Maidan (stage not named in the programme) |
| Sat 31 Oct | 8:30 pm | Bhojpuri programme | Vijayshree Rangmanch |
| Sun 1 Nov | 9:00 am to 7:00 pm | Kushti dangal (wrestling), day 1 | Shri Ram Rangmanch |
| Sun 1 Nov | 5:30 pm | Motivational programme | Vijayshree Rangmanch |
| Sun 1 Nov | 8:00 pm | Dadhi-moonch (beard and moustache) competition | Vijayshree Rangmanch |
| Sun 1 Nov | 9:00 pm | Local talent programme | Vijayshree Rangmanch |
Final days: 2 to 5 November, dangal, drones and the closing
The second wrestling day, then the drone show, Gatka demonstration and Punjabi Night stacked on 3 November, Cine Sandhya on 4 November and fireworks at the close on 5 November.
| Date | Time | Event | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2 Nov | 9:00 am to 7:00 pm | Kushti dangal (wrestling), day 2 | Shri Ram Rangmanch |
| Mon 2 Nov | 8:30 pm | Bal Pratibha, part 2 | Vijayshree Rangmanch |
| Tue 3 Nov | 7:00 pm | Drone show | Dussehra Maidan (stage not named in the programme) |
| Tue 3 Nov | 7:30 pm | Gatka demonstration | Dussehra Maidan (stage not named in the programme) |
| Tue 3 Nov | 8:30 pm | Punjabi Night | Vijayshree Rangmanch |
| Wed 4 Nov | 7:00 pm | Paridhan Utsav (costume festival) | Dussehra Maidan (stage not named in the programme) |
| Wed 4 Nov | 8:30 pm | Cine Sandhya “Taron Bhari Raat” | Vijayshree Rangmanch |
| Thu 5 Nov | Not published | Closing (samapan) with fireworks | Dussehra Maidan |
The two stages
Shri Ram Rangmanch is the religious stage. It carries the flag hoisting at the opening, the Ramlila every night, the arrival of the Ram Baraat, the Rajyabhishek after Bharat Milap, and the two days of kushti dangal. In 2025 the Nagar Nigam ran free buses to Shri Ram Rangmanch for the Ramlila; whether that repeats in 2026 is not announced.
Vijayshree Rangmanch is the cultural stage and the one most visitors mean when they say “the mela stage”. Until 2025 the Ravan effigies stood directly in front of it. Last year the dahan site moved to the right side of the ground near the temporary shops, with a clearance of more than 250 feet, so the stage area and the effigy area are now separate. Its 2026 programme is the Sindhi samaj evening, the bhajan sandhya, both kavi sammelans, the laughter show, the Bhojpuri programme, Bal Pratibha, Punjabi Night and Cine Sandhya. A third venue, Kisan Rangmanch, hosted a farmers’ programme in 2025 and is not named in the 2026 list.
For the atmosphere of those evenings and where to stand for photographs, explorekota.com covers the Vijayshree Rangmanch culture nights. For the wrestling, kotasports.com has a spectator’s guide to the dangal.
Still to be announced (as of 11 October 2026)
- Artists. Mayor Anusuiya Goswami said on 1 October that performers for the Akhil Bharatiya Kavi Sammelan (27 October), Punjabi Night (3 November) and Cine Sandhya “Taron Bhari Raat” (4 November) would be finalised soon. No names have been published. In 2025 the Star Night was B Praak.
- Ravan Dahan clock time. The programme says only that the dahan follows the procession’s arrival, at the muhurat. The procession leaves Garh Palace at 5:00 pm. See a full account of Ravan Dahan day for the effigy, the procession and how to watch it live.
- Closing-night time on 5 November: not published.
- Circus, rides and stall timings. Not part of the Nagar Nigam programme; these are private operators inside the ground. kotaguide.com covers what the laser and drone shows involve, along with the rides and the Ramlila.
- Not in the 2026 list. Mushaira, qawwali night, garba (introduced in 2025) and the pashu mela do not appear in the published programme. Their status is unconfirmed, not cancelled.
This page is corrected as the organiser updates the schedule. If a time here disagrees with a Nagar Nigam notice at the ground, trust the notice.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a PDF of the Kota Dussehra Mela 2026 programme list?
Kota Nagar Nigam released the programme through the press on 1 October 2026, and no public PDF had been found as of 11 October 2026. This page carries the full list as a table; print or save it, and check back because artist names and the Ravan Dahan time are still to be added.
What time do programmes start each evening at the fair?
The pattern is fixed: Ramlila at 8:00 pm every night at Shri Ram Rangmanch, a first evening slot at 7:00 pm for competitions and the laser and drone shows, and the main cultural programme at 8:30 pm at Vijayshree Rangmanch. Shows at the fair usually start later than the printed time.
How do I find today's programme at Kota Dussehra Mela?
Find today's date in the week tables above. If a 7:00 pm item is listed, that is the opener; the 8:30 pm item is the main event. On dates with no entry beyond the Ramlila, the Ramlila at 8:00 pm is the evening programme. Daytime competitions are at the Nagar Nigam premises, not the ground.
Which nights are the laser show and the drone show?
Laser shows are on Thursday 29, Friday 30 and Saturday 31 October at 7:00 pm, each followed by a cultural programme at 8:30 pm. The drone show is on Tuesday 3 November at 7:00 pm, followed by a Gatka demonstration at 7:30 pm and Punjabi Night at 8:30 pm.
Who is performing at Punjabi Night and Cine Sandhya 2026?
Not announced. On 1 October 2026 Mayor Anusuiya Goswami said the artists for the Kavi Sammelan, Punjabi Night and Cine Sandhya would be finalised soon, and no names had been published as of 11 October 2026. In 2025 the Star Night performer was B Praak.
When is the kushti dangal at the Kota Dussehra Mela 2026?
The wrestling runs on Sunday 1 and Monday 2 November 2026 from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm at Shri Ram Rangmanch inside Dussehra Maidan. A malkhamb competition is on 24 October at 7:00 pm and a Gatka demonstration on 3 November at 7:30 pm.
Sources
Editorial team
The KotaRajasthan.net team writes about the places, history and festivals of Kota and Hadoti, and corrects pages when readers point out changes.
