Sharad Navratri 2026: Nine-Day Calendar, Ghatasthapana, Colors, and Durga Ashtami
July 14, 2026
Sharad Navratri, also called Shardiya or Maha Navratri, is the autumn nine-night worship of Goddess Durga. In 2026, it begins on Sunday, October 11, with Ghatasthapana, and closes with Vijayadashami on Tuesday, October 20.
Because Navratri follows lunar tithis, civil dates, day colours, and muhurat windows shift slightly by city. The tables below use New Delhi, NCT as the planning reference. Check Today's Panchang for the city where you will actually perform the puja.
Sharad Navratri 2026 at a Glance
| Event | Date / New Delhi window |
|---|---|
| Navratri begins / Ghatasthapana | Sunday, October 11, 2026 |
| Ghatasthapana muhurat | About 06:19 AM to 10:12 AM |
| Ghatasthapana Abhijit (secondary) | About 11:44 AM to 12:31 PM |
| Durga Ashtami + Maha Navami | Monday, October 19, 2026 |
| Sandhi Puja | About 10:27 AM to 11:15 AM on October 19 |
| Navratri Parana / Vijayadashami | Tuesday, October 20, 2026 |
Pratipada begins the evening of October 10 (about 09:19 PM) and ends about 09:30 PM on October 11. Ghatasthapana is still performed on the morning of October 11 while Pratipada is active and before Hindu midday.
Nine-Day Calendar: Goddess Form, Tithi, and Colour
| Day | Date (2026) | Tithi (sunrise context) | Goddess form / focus | Colour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Sun, Oct 11 | Pratipada | Shailputri; Ghatasthapana | Orange |
| Day 2 | Mon, Oct 12 | Dwitiya | Brahmacharini; Chandra Darshana | White |
| Day 3 | Tue, Oct 13 | Tritiya | Chandraghanta; Sindoor Tritiya | Red |
| Day 4 | Wed, Oct 14 | Chaturthi | Kushmanda | Royal Blue |
| Day 5 | Thu, Oct 15 | Panchami | Skandamata; Upang Lalita Vrat | Yellow |
| Day 6 | Fri, Oct 16 | Shashthi | Katyayani; Saraswati Avahan | Green |
| Day 7 | Sat, Oct 17 | Saptami | Kalaratri; Saraswati Puja | Grey |
| Day 8 | Sun, Oct 18 | Saptami (continues) | No separate Navadurga form listed on the source calendar for this civil day; many homes still keep the eighth-day Mahagauri custom | Purple |
| Day 9 | Mon, Oct 19 | Ashtami → Navami | Mahagauri; Durga Ashtami, Sandhi Puja, Maha Navami | Peacock Green |
| Day 10 | Tue, Oct 20 | Navami → Dashami | Vijayadashami, Ayudha Puja, Navratri Parana, Durga Visarjan | — |
Tithi skip / merge notes for 2026
- Saptami is long: it covers both October 17 and October 18, so two civil “Navratri days” share the same tithi label.
- Ashtami and Navami merge on October 19: Ashtami ends about 10:51 AM; Navami begins at the same moment. That is why Durga Ashtami, Sandhi Puja, and Maha Navami share Monday, October 19.
- Siddhidatri: the ninth Navadurga form is not listed as a separate civil-day entry on the 2026 New Delhi calendar page. Households that follow a strict nine-form sequence often place Siddhidatri on the Ashtami–Navami day (October 19). Flag this as tradition-dependent rather than a single universal listing.
- Day 10 is Vijayadashami, not a tenth Navadurga day. See the companion Dussehra 2026 guide context and HinduLab Dussehra festival page.
Ghatasthapana on October 11
Ghatasthapana (Kalash Sthapana) opens Navratri by invoking Shakti in the kalash. For New Delhi:
| Item | Timing context |
|---|---|
| Primary muhurat | 06:19 AM to 10:12 AM |
| Abhijit muhurat (if needed) | 11:44 AM to 12:31 PM |
| Pratipada | Begins ~09:19 PM Oct 10; ends ~09:30 PM Oct 11 |
Source notes for 2026 also flag that the preferred morning window overlaps Chitra Nakshatra and Vaidhriti Yoga, which some texts treat as less ideal. The practical rule remains: complete Ghatasthapana in the forenoon while Pratipada is running, and prefer a local priest or city panchang when in doubt. Use Abhijit Muhurat and Choghadiya only as supporting tools, not as a substitute for the Ghatasthapana rules.
Simple household vidhi
- Clean the puja space and place a wooden or raised base.
- Fill a kalash with water, place mango or other traditional leaves, and seal with a coconut if that is family custom.
- Sow barley or other sapta-dhanya grains in soil near the kalash where practiced.
- Invoke Goddess Durga / Shailputri, light a lamp, offer flowers, incense, fruits, and sweets.
- Keep the lamp and kalash cared for through the nine nights, then complete visarjan or immersion customs on Vijayadashami as your region does.
Why Sharad Navratri Matters
Sharad Navratri falls in Ashwin during Sharad Ritu and is the most widely observed of the Navratris. The nine nights honour nine forms of the Goddess, while the tenth day celebrates victory: Durga over Mahishasura, and in many regions Rama over Ravana. Fasting, japa, garba, Durga Puja pandals, and kanya puja all grow out of that shared theme of Shakti and dharma.
Useful HinduLab tools:
- Festival Calendar
- Navratri festival guide
- Dussehra festival guide
- Today's Panchang
- Monthly Panchang
- Vrat food guidelines
Daily Rituals and Vrat Practice
Common household rhythm
- Morning bath, clean altar, fresh flowers and lamp.
- Offer the day’s form of Devi with simple prasad.
- Optional reading from Durga Saptashati / Devi Mahatmya, especially from Saptami onward.
- Evening aarti and, in many homes, garba or community singing.
Fasting
Fasting ranges from full nirjala or one-meal vrat to fruit-and-milk discipline or simply avoiding grain and non-satvik food. Follow health needs and family tradition. For common fasting food categories, see Vrat food guidelines.
Ashtami, Sandhi, and Navami (October 19)
- Durga Ashtami / Mahashtami: intensified puja, often with Kumari / Kanya Puja.
- Sandhi Puja (about 10:27 AM to 11:15 AM in New Delhi): the junction of the last minutes of Ashtami and first minutes of Navami, linked with Goddess Chamunda.
- Maha Navami: worship of Durga as Mahishasuramardini; Navami homa and ayudha preparations continue into October 20 in some traditions.
Regional Variations
- North India: nine-day Devi vrat, kanya puja on Ashtami or Navami, then Ramlila and Dussehra.
- Gujarat: garba and dandiya across the nine nights, with strong day-colour fashion customs.
- West Bengal and East India: Durga Puja focus from Shashthi through Dashami, with Mahashtami, Sandhi, and Maha Navami as peak temple and pandal days. Some Bengal calendars place Vijayadashami one day later than the North Indian listing.
- South India: golu displays, Ayudha Puja, and Saraswati worship near the end of the cycle.
- Maharashtra: home kalash worship, fasting, and community Durga programmes; many families also prepare for Vijayadashami Shami / Aparajita customs.
How to Prepare
Before Day 1
Decide the fasting style, clean the home, arrange kalash materials, and confirm the local Ghatasthapana window on Today's Panchang.
During the nine nights
Keep a simple daily log of form, colour, and prasad if that helps the family stay consistent. Do not force elaborate ritual if health or schedule is constrained; sincerity and regularity matter more than display.
On Day 10
Complete Navratri Parana only after local parana conditions are satisfied, then join Vijayadashami customs such as Shami Puja, Aparajita Puja, or Ravan Dahan as practiced in your city. See Dussehra for the victory-day context.