Navratri 2026
शारदीय नवरात्रि 2026 · 11 - 19 अक्टूबर
Sharad Navratri 2026 begins on Sunday, 11 October with Ghatasthapana and ends on Monday, 19 October. Vijayadashami (Dussehra) is on Tuesday, 20 October. Here are the dates, the nine forms of Maa Durga, the colour of each day, and how to do the puja at home.
Ghatasthapana
Sunday, 11 October
Muhurat: 6:19 AM to 10:12 AM
Abhijit: 11:44 AM to 12:31 PM
Durga Ashtami & Maha Navami
Monday, 19 October
Both fall on the same day this year. Kanya Pujan and havan are done on 19 October.
Vijayadashami (Dussehra)
Tuesday, 20 October
Victory of good over evil. Ravan Dahan, Shastra Puja and Durga Visarjan.
Muhurat timings are for New Delhi. Pratipada tithi: 9:19 PM on 10 Oct to 9:30 PM on 11 Oct. Check your local panchang for your city.
Navratri 2026 Calendar: 9 Days, 9 Goddesses, 9 Colours
Maa Shailputri
माँ शैलपुत्री
Ghatasthapana day. Maa Shailputri, daughter of the Himalayas, marks new beginnings.
Maa Brahmacharini
माँ ब्रह्मचारिणी
Maa Brahmacharini, the Goddess of penance, blesses devotees with patience and self-discipline.
Maa Chandraghanta
माँ चंद्रघंटा
Maa Chandraghanta, whose bell-shaped moon drives away evil, gives courage and peace.
Maa Kushmanda
माँ कूष्मांडा
Maa Kushmanda created the universe with her smile and lives at the heart of the Sun.
Maa Skandamata
माँ स्कंदमाता
Maa Skandamata, mother of Lord Kartikeya, blesses her devotees with a mother's love.
Maa Katyayani
माँ कात्यायनी
Maa Katyayani, the warrior Goddess who slew Mahishasura, is worshipped for a good marriage.
Maa Kalaratri
माँ कालरात्रि
Maa Kalaratri, the fiercest form of Durga, destroys darkness and fear.
Maa Mahagauri
माँ महागौरी
Maa Mahagauri, radiant and pure, washes away past sins and grants peace.
Maa Siddhidatri
माँ सिद्धिदात्री
Maa Siddhidatri grants all siddhis. Durga Ashtami, Maha Navami and Kanya Pujan fall today.
Navratri Colours 2026
The colours follow the weekday each day falls on, so they change every year. Navratri 2026 starts on a Sunday, which gives this order:
| Day | Date | Goddess | Colour |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 Oct (Sun) | Shailputri | Orange |
| 2 | 12 Oct (Mon) | Brahmacharini | White |
| 3 | 13 Oct (Tue) | Chandraghanta | Red |
| 4 | 14 Oct (Wed) | Kushmanda | Royal Blue |
| 5 | 15 Oct (Thu) | Skandamata | Yellow |
| 6 | 16 Oct (Fri) | Katyayani | Green |
| 7 | 17 Oct (Sat) | Kalaratri | Grey |
| 8 | 18 Oct (Sun) | Mahagauri | Purple |
| 9 | 19 Oct (Mon) | Siddhidatri | Peacock Green |
Idol photos: Navadurga at Sanghasri Durga Puja, Kolkata, by Arnab Dutta (CC BY-SA 3.0); Brahmacharini: silver door at Amber Fort by Adamina (CC BY 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons. Resized.
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Ghatasthapana (Kalash Sthapana) Vidhi
Samagri (what you need)
- A clay or copper kalash, and a wide clay pot or tray
- Clean soil and barley (jau) seeds for sowing
- Ganga jal or clean water, a coin, betel nut (supari) and akshat (rice)
- 5 or 7 mango or ashoka leaves
- A coconut wrapped in red cloth or chunri, tied with mauli
- Roli or kumkum, flowers, incense, and a ghee lamp for the Akhand Jyoti
Steps
- Bathe, wear clean clothes and clean the puja area. Face east or north.
- Spread soil in the tray and sow the barley seeds. Sprinkle water.
- Fill the kalash with water, add Ganga jal, a coin, supari and akshat. Draw a swastik on it with roli.
- Place the leaves around the mouth of the kalash and set the wrapped coconut on top.
- Place the kalash on the soil and invoke Maa Durga. Light the Akhand Jyoti if your family keeps one for all nine days.
- Take a sankalp (vow) for the fast, then offer flowers, roli and bhog, and do the aarti.
Navratri Fasting Rules: What to Eat and Avoid
✅ Allowed in the vrat
Fruits, milk, curd, paneer, makhana, dry fruits, potato, sweet potato, arbi, pumpkin, sabudana, kuttu (buckwheat) atta, singhara (water chestnut) atta, rajgira, samak (barnyard millet) rice, and sendha namak (rock salt).
❌ Avoid
Wheat, rice, lentils and other grains, onion, garlic, regular table salt, meat, eggs, alcohol and tobacco. Many families also avoid turmeric and some spices during the fast.
Some devotees fast for all nine days, others only on the first and last days (Pratipada and Ashtami). Break the fast (parana) after Kanya Pujan or on Dashami, according to your family's tradition.
Kanya Pujan Vidhi (Monday, 19 October)
- Invite nine girls, usually aged 2 to 10, as forms of the Navadurga, along with one young boy as Langur (Bhairav).
- Wash their feet, seat them on a clean mat, and apply roli and akshat on their foreheads. Tie mauli on their wrists.
- Serve the prasad of halwa, puri and black chana.
- Give them a gift such as a chunri, bangles, fruits or dakshina, touch their feet and take their blessings.
Navratri Prayers: Aarti, Chalisa & Stotram
Navratri 2026: Frequently Asked Questions
When does Navratri start in 2026?
Sharad Navratri 2026 begins on Sunday, 11 October 2026 with Ghatasthapana and ends on Monday, 19 October 2026. Vijayadashami (Dussehra) is on Tuesday, 20 October 2026.
What is the Ghatasthapana muhurat in 2026?
For New Delhi, the Ghatasthapana muhurat on 11 October 2026 is 6:19 AM to 10:12 AM. The Abhijit muhurat, 11:44 AM to 12:31 PM, is also suitable. Timings differ slightly by city.
What are the Navratri colours for 2026?
Day 1 (11 Oct): Orange; Day 2 (12 Oct): White; Day 3 (13 Oct): Red; Day 4 (14 Oct): Royal Blue; Day 5 (15 Oct): Yellow; Day 6 (16 Oct): Green; Day 7 (17 Oct): Grey; Day 8 (18 Oct): Purple; Day 9 (19 Oct): Peacock Green.
When is Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami in 2026?
In 2026 both Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami are observed on Monday, 19 October, because the Saptami tithi runs over two days. Kanya Pujan is also done on 19 October.
Which goddess is worshipped on each day of Navratri?
Day 1: Maa Shailputri, Day 2: Maa Brahmacharini, Day 3: Maa Chandraghanta, Day 4: Maa Kushmanda, Day 5: Maa Skandamata, Day 6: Maa Katyayani, Day 7: Maa Kalaratri, Day 8: Maa Mahagauri, Day 9: Maa Siddhidatri. Together they are called the Navadurga.
Before Navratri comes Pitru Paksha: see the Shradh dates and Tarpan vidhi.