Navratri 2026: Dates, 9 Days of Goddesses, Colours and Significance

Navratri, meaning "nine nights," is a Hindu festival dedicated to Goddess Durga and her nine forms. It celebrates her victory over the demon Mahishasura, and is marked with fasting, prayer, garba and dandiya, and Durga Puja, ending with Dussehra on the tenth day.

Quick facts

• Navratri 2026 dates: Sunday, 11 October to Monday, 19 October 2026
• Dussehra (Vijayadashami): Tuesday, 20 October 2026
• Also known as: Sharad Navratri, Shardiya Navratri
• Dedicated to: Goddess Durga and her nine forms, the Navadurga
• Key traditions: Ghatasthapana, fasting, garba and dandiya, Kanya Pujan, Durga Puja, golu

When is Navratri in 2026?

Sharad Navratri 2026 begins on Sunday, 11 October with Ghatasthapana and ends on Monday, 19 October. Dussehra follows on Tuesday, 20 October. Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami fall on 18 and 19 October in most North Indian calendars, but regional calendars differ, so check your local panchang for exact tithis and puja timings.

Why is Navratri celebrated?

The demon Mahishasura had won a boon that no god could defeat him, and he took over the heavens. The gods combined their powers to create Goddess Durga, who fought him for nine days and nights and killed him on the tenth. Navratri honours those nine nights, and Vijayadashami celebrates her victory.

In Bengal, the autumn worship of Durga is also linked to the Ramayana: Rama is said to have invoked the goddess before his battle with Ravana, a ritual called Akal Bodhan, the "untimely awakening" of Durga in autumn.

How many Navratris are there in a year?

There are four Navratris a year: Chaitra Navratri in spring, Sharad Navratri in autumn, and two lesser-known Gupt Navratris. Sharad Navratri, in the month of Ashvin, is the most widely celebrated, and is the one that leads into Dussehra.

Navratri 2026: nine days, nine goddesses and colours

Each day is dedicated to one form of the goddess. Wearing a different colour each day is a popular modern custom rather than a scriptural rule, and the colour list varies a little between sources. This is the most commonly followed one.

• Day 1, 11 October: Shailaputri, daughter of the mountains. Colour: orange.
• Day 2, 12 October: Brahmacharini, the goddess of devotion and penance. Colour: white.
• Day 3, 13 October: Chandraghanta, who wears a crescent moon like a bell. Colour: red.
• Day 4, 14 October: Kushmanda, the creator of the universe. Colour: royal blue.
• Day 5, 15 October: Skandamata, mother of Kartikeya. Colour: yellow.
• Day 6, 16 October: Katyayani, the warrior form that slew Mahishasura. Colour: green.
• Day 7, 17 October: Kalaratri, the fierce destroyer of darkness. Colour: grey.
• Day 8, 18 October: Mahagauri, the goddess of purity and peace (Durga Ashtami). Colour: purple.
• Day 9, 19 October: Siddhidatri, the giver of wisdom and fulfilment (Maha Navami). Colour: peacock green.

Navratri rituals and traditions

• Ghatasthapana: on the first day, a kalash (pot) is installed to invoke the goddess, often with barley sown beside it to sprout over the nine days.
• Akhand jyoti: many homes keep a lamp burning continuously through the festival.
• Fasting: devotees fast for all nine days or on the first and last days, eating sattvic food such as fruit, milk, sabudana khichdi, kuttu (buckwheat) and singhara (water chestnut) flour, and avoiding grains, onion and garlic.
• Kanya Pujan: on Ashtami or Navami, young girls are worshipped as forms of the goddess and served puri, halwa and chana.
• Aarti and bhajans: evening prayers and devotional songs, often late into the night.

How is Navratri celebrated across India?

• Gujarat: nine nights of garba and dandiya raas, with huge gatherings dancing until the early hours.
• West Bengal: Durga Puja, the region's biggest festival, from Shashthi to Dashami, with artistic idols, themed pandals, feasting and cultural performances.
• Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh: golu (Bommai Kolu or Bombe Habba), tiered displays of dolls that friends and neighbours visit, with Saraswati puja and Ayudha puja towards the end.
• Karnataka: Mysuru Dasara, with the illuminated palace and a grand procession on Vijayadashami.
• North India: Ramlila performances every night, building up to Ravan Dahan on Dussehra, along with temple visits and jagratas.

What is the difference between garba and dandiya?

Garba is a circular dance performed around a lamp or an image of the goddess. The lamp, or garbo, represents life and the divine energy within all of us, and dancers clap and sway in ever-widening circles. Dandiya raas is danced in pairs or lines with decorated sticks, which are said to represent Durga's sword in her battle with Mahishasura. Both are danced through the nine nights, especially in Gujarat.

Navratri wishes to send

• "May Maa Durga bless you with strength, joy and prosperity this Navratri."
• "Nine nights of devotion, dance and light. Wishing you and your family a very happy Navratri!"
• "May the nine forms of the goddess guide you through every challenge. Happy Navratri!"
• "May your days be as colourful as the garba nights. Shubh Navratri!"

Frequently asked questions

Is Navratri the same as Durga Puja?

They are celebrated at the same time and honour the same goddess, but differ by region. Navratri is the nine-night festival observed across India, while Durga Puja is Bengal's grand celebration of Durga, concentrated in the last five days.

What is Ghatasthapana?

Ghatasthapana is the first-day ritual of Navratri, in which a sacred pot (kalash) is installed to invoke Goddess Durga for the nine days.

What can you eat during the Navratri fast?

Common fasting foods include fruit, milk and curd, sabudana, kuttu and singhara flour, potatoes and sendha namak (rock salt). Grains, onion, garlic and regular salt are usually avoided.

What happens after Navratri?

Navratri is followed by Dussehra, or Vijayadashami, on the tenth day, celebrating Durga's victory over Mahishasura and Rama's victory over Ravana. In 2026, Dussehra is on 20 October.