Navratri 2026: Dates, Nine Days of Devi and a Simple Guide to Keeping

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Shardiya Navratri 2026 begins today, Sunday 11 October, and runs nine nights to Maha Navami on Monday 19 October. Vijayadashami, or Dussehra, follows on Tuesday 20 October. The dates and timings below are for New Delhi and shift by a few minutes in other cities, so check your local panchang before a puja. The sources are listed at the end of this post.

Photo: Kaushlendrapathe, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ghatasthapana: the first morning

Pratipada tithi runs from 8:49 AM on 10 October to 9:00 AM on 11 October. The Ghatasthapana muhurat is 7:12 AM to 9:00 AM today, a window of 1 hour 48 minutes. Ghatasthapana is the installation of the kalash that stays in the puja space through the nine days.

A typical household sets a clean copper or brass kalash filled with water on a bed of soil sown with barley, places mango leaves and a coconut on top, and lights an akhand diya or a daily lamp beside it. The barley shoots that sprout over nine days are watched with care; a healthy green is read by many families as a good sign. If you miss the window, ask your family pandit or local temple for guidance rather than guessing.

This year the calendar also notes that Durga arrives on an elephant and departs on Charanayudha. Different traditions read these vahanas differently, so treat them as part of the calendar’s lore, not a prediction.

Photo: Ashish Suryavanshi858, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

The nine days and nine forms

Each day is dedicated to one form of the Goddess, together called the Navadurga.

Day 1, 11 Oct: Shailputri, daughter of the mountain (also Ghatasthapana)

Day 2, 12 Oct: Brahmacharini, the form of devotion and austerity (Chandra Darshana)

Day 3, 13 Oct: Chandraghanta, with the crescent moon on her forehead (Sindoor Tritiya)

Day 4, 14 Oct: Kushmanda, associated with the creation of the universe

Day 5, 15 Oct: Skandamata, mother of Kartikeya

Day 6, 16 Oct: Katyayani (Saraswati Avahan)

Day 7, 17 Oct: Kalaratri, the fiercest form, dispeller of fear

Day 8, 18 Oct: Mahagauri, Durga Ashtami. Sandhi Puja begins 9:57 PM and ends 10:45 PM.

Day 9, 19 Oct: Siddhidatri, Maha Navami, Ayudha Puja and Navami Homa

Many families also wear a colour each day. Colour lists differ between sources and regions, so follow your own family or temple tradition.

Why nine nights

Navratri sits in Sharad Ritu, the season that begins as the monsoon withdraws and the air turns clear. Devotees tell the story of Durga’s battle with Mahishasura, which in many accounts lasted nine nights and ended on the tenth day. Across North India the same days belong to Rama’s Ramlila, which closes with Dussehra. In Gujarat the nights are for garba, in Bengal they lead into Durga Puja, and in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka homes set up the Golu or Bombe display. One festival, many ways of keeping it.

The nine days are traditionally a time of discipline: simple food, early mornings, prayer and, for many, time given to the community.

Keeping the vrat, sensibly

Practices vary widely. Some families keep all nine fasts, some the first and last, some Ashtami alone. Common fasting foods include kuttu (buckwheat), singhara, sabudana, fruit, milk and sendha namak. Keep these points in mind:

Drink enough water, and eat on time. A fast is a discipline, not an endurance test.

Avoid heavy fried food on an empty stomach; a handful of nuts or fruit steadies the day.

This is general information, not medical advice. If you are pregnant, elderly, diabetic or on medication, speak to your doctor before fasting.

Your family’s way matters more than any list online.

Photo: Blvrsngh80540, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Kanya pujan on Ashtami and Navami

On Ashtami or Navami, many households invite young girls, often nine, to their home and treat them as forms of the Devi. Their feet are washed, they are offered a meal of halwa, puri and chana, given small gifts, and their blessings are taken. It is a good moment to teach children what the festival means: respect for girls and women is not a ritual detail, it is the point of the nine nights.

Spending the nine days well

Some of the quietest parts of Navratri are the simplest. Ten minutes of morning japa. A diya lit at the same time each evening. One visit to a local temple. A shared meal with someone who is alone this season. If you want a gentle routine, see our wellness notes at wellness.dharmikvibes.com.

A simple nine-day plan:

Days 1 to 3: set the kalash, keep the home clean, begin a short morning japa

Days 4 to 6: add an evening reading of a stotra or the Devi Mahatmya, even a few verses

Days 7 to 9: keep the evenings free for aarti, kanya pujan and the community

Visiting the great Devi temples

Families often plan a yatra to a Shakti peeth or a major Devi temple in this season. Expect heavy crowds, especially on Ashtami and Navami, and plan well ahead. Reach early, carry water, follow temple and administration notices, and keep senior family members’ comfort first. If you are considering Divine Experiences with Dharmik Vibes, visit dharmikvibes.com.

Quick answers

When is Ghatasthapana in 2026? Today, 11 October, 7:12 AM to 9:00 AM in New Delhi. When is Durga Ashtami? 18 October, with Sandhi Puja from 9:57 PM to 10:45 PM. When is Maha Navami? 19 October. When is Dussehra? Tuesday 20 October (Bengal observes Vijayadashami on 21 October).

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