Kota weather during the Dussehra Mela 2026

The 133rd Rashtriya Dussehra Mela runs from 11 October to 5 November 2026. For Kota weather during Dussehra Mela evenings this year, the short version is this: expect warm, dry days of 31 to 34 C and evenings of 17 to 22 C, with rain unlikely but not impossible. Below: what each key night usually feels like, how October and November compare, the rain risk, and what to carry.

This page covers weather and what to carry, nothing else. For the fair itself, including how to reach Dussehra Maidan, parking and where to stay, see the Kota Dussehra Mela visitor guide on Kota Guide, and confirm programme timings with the organisers, Kota Nagar Nigam.

The short answer

Kota in the second half of October is hot by day and comfortable by night. The IMD long-period average for October is a daily maximum of 34.6 C; by the fair’s last week in early November the days run closer to 30 C. Nights slide from about 22 C at the inauguration to around 17 C by the closing fireworks on 5 November.

Rain is the smaller worry. October averages less than one rainy day in Kota and November barely any, so the 26-day window carries less than one rain day on average. Dust and fireworks smoke on Ravan Dahan night will bother you more than clouds will.

Check the forecast close to the date

We do not publish forecast numbers. As each date comes within range, check the IMD city forecast for Kota on mausam.imd.gov.in or the Mausam app, and the district warning map from the Meteorological Centre Jaipur. For Ravan Dahan on Tuesday 20 October, check on the morning of the day. Our guide to the Kota weather forecast explains how far ahead to trust each kind of forecast, and Kota weather warnings explains IMD’s colour codes.

October versus November: Kota climate normals

Metric	October	November
Mean daily maximum	34.6 C	30.1 C
Mean daily minimum	22.3 C	16.9 C
Record high	41.1 C	38.0 C
Average rainfall	18.9 mm	3.8 mm
Rainy days (2.5 mm or more)	0.9	0.4
Relative humidity at 5:30 pm	31 percent	31 percent

Source: IMD 1991-2020 normals for Kota Airport, as published in the Kota climate table on Wikipedia.

What the table hides is timing. Monthly normals average the whole month, and the fair sits in the late part of October, when the numbers are already lower. An IMD Kota bulletin for 26 October 2025 recorded a maximum of 30.0 C and called it 3.6 C below normal, which puts the late-October normal near 33.6 C by day. That is the better yardstick for Ravan Dahan week. For the full year, see Kota weather by month.

Evening by evening: what each key date usually feels like

These are typical conditions worked out from the normals above, not forecasts. Use them for clothing and timing; use the IMD forecast for actual numbers once each date is in range.

Sunday 11 October: inauguration, 5:30 pm, Shri Ram Rangmanch

Typically the warmest evening of the fair. The sun is still up at 5:30 pm and the maidan holds the day’s heat, so the flag hoisting happens in air only starting to drop from a mid-30s afternoon. By the first Ramlila staging at 8 pm it is easier. Cotton and water.

Tuesday 20 October: Ravan Dahan; procession leaves Garh Palace at 5 pm

Typically warm and dry, cooling slowly. Late-October normals put the afternoon near 33 to 34 C and the night near 20 to 21 C; the dahan sits between the two. No clock time is published for 2026 (the burn follows the procession’s arrival, at the muhurat; in 2025 ignition came at 8:38 pm). A dense crowd feels warmer than the air. Shirt sleeves are fine.

Thursday 29 to Saturday 31 October: laser shows, 7 pm

Typically clear, dry and pleasant. Days still around 31 to 33 C, but by 7 pm the heat has left the ground and by the end of the 8:30 pm programme the air is heading for the low 20s. Clear skies are the norm this week.

Tuesday 3 November: drone show 7 pm, Gatka 7:30 pm, Punjabi Night 8:30 pm

Typically the first properly cool evening. November normals take over: days near 30 to 31 C, nights down toward 17 to 19 C. A thin jacket or shawl for the late programme is sensible from here on.

Thursday 5 November: closing with fireworks

Typically the coolest night of the 26 days. Around 30 C by day, about 17 C late at night, low humidity. Bring the layer you skipped on dahan night.

Rain risk and the 2025 precedent

Kota’s October rainfall averages 18.9 mm for the whole month, usually from a stray shower or two, and November averages 3.8 mm. On the averages, the 26 fair days hold less than one rainy day between them.

Averages are not promises. On 30 September 2025, the eve of that year’s Ravan Dahan, heavy rain hit Kota; the dahan went ahead on 2 October. The 2026 mela starts later, on 11 October rather than 22 September, so its opening week sits further from the monsoon’s tail and the risk is lower. It is not zero. If the IMD forecast shows thunderstorms for 20 October, pack a folding umbrella. The maidan is open ground.

What to wear and carry

• Light cotton for the day. Mid-October afternoons near 34 C are normal and the maidan offers little shade.
• A light layer after 9 pm from the laser-show nights (29 to 31 October) onwards. Until then a shirt or kurta is enough; from the last days of October a thin jacket, shawl or full-sleeve shirt earns its place once the late programmes run on.
• Closed shoes. After weeks of footfall the ground is dust and loose grit, and the dahan-night crowd will stand on your toes.
• Water, about a litre per person. Evening humidity is only about 30 percent; dry air dehydrates you without the warning of sweat.
• Sun cover for the daytime wrestling on 1 and 2 November. The kushti dangal runs through the day at Shri Ram Rangmanch. Cap or scarf, sunglasses, sunscreen.
• A mask or scarf for dahan night, for the reasons below.

Our what to pack for Kota list covers the rest of the year.

Dust, smoke and air on dahan night

We do not quote air-quality numbers for the mela because there is no verified reading to quote. The general picture is enough: late October in Kota is dry, a crowd on open ground kicks up dust before anything is lit, and then three effigies burn (the Ravan at over 105 feet, Kumbhkaran and Meghnad at about 70 feet each) with fireworks fitted inside. The smoke drifts downwind for a while. The CPCB AQI portal shows readings from monitoring stations if you want to check the city’s air that day.

If you have asthma, or are bringing small children or elderly relatives, carry a mask, stand upwind of the effigies and step back once the fireworks start. Rinse stinging eyes with plain water.

Best weather evenings in the programme

• 29 to 31 October, laser-show nights: our pick for comfort. Mid-October heat has eased, nights are heading from the low 20s toward the high teens, skies are usually clear, and the crowd is a fraction of dahan night. Three chances, so one cloudy evening costs nothing.
• 3 November, drone show and Punjabi Night: cool, dry and still is what a drone display wants, and early November in Kota usually delivers it. One jacket covers the evening.
• 5 November, closing fireworks: the coolest night of the fair, and fireworks without the dahan-night crush. Carry a layer; you will be out past 10 pm at around 17 C.

Ravan Dahan on 20 October is the event everyone comes for and the weather will almost certainly be fine for it, but it is the least comfortable evening: warm, crowded and smoky. If you can come twice, add a laser-show night. Staying longer? October and November open Kota’s best season; see best time to visit Kota and the Kota tourist season and festivals guide.

Air on Ravan Dahan night

The effigy burning and fireworks on Dussehra night release a lot of smoke at a time of year when evenings are calm and the air is starting to settle near the ground. For most visitors that means nothing more than a smoky smell, but people with asthma or other breathing problems may want to keep an inhaler at hand, stand upwind of the effigies, and avoid the densest crowds near the fireworks. Our Kota air quality guide explains how to read the AQI. The Mela runs into early November in 2026; for the weather after it ends, see Kota weather in November.