Navratri 2026 Dates: Sharad Navratri Calendar, Colors & Dussehra

Sharad Navratri 2026 — the main autumn Navratri most people mean when they search this — begins with Ghatasthapana on Sunday, October 11 and runs through nine nights, ending with Vijayadashami (Dussehra) on Tuesday, October 20, 2026.

Which Navratri? There Are Actually Four a Year

"Navratri" without a season attached almost always refers to Sharad Navratri, also called Ashwin or Shardiya Navratri — the one associated with Durga Puja, Garba, and Dandiya. But there are technically four Navratris on the Hindu calendar each year: Chaitra Navratri in spring (which ends with Ram Navami rather than Dussehra, and emphasizes fasting and inward reflection more than celebration), Sharad Navratri in autumn, and two lesser-known Gupt Navratris (Magha and Ashadha) observed mainly by dedicated tantric practitioners. This guide covers Sharad Navratri 2026 specifically, since that's what the overwhelming majority of searches for "Navratri" are looking for.

Why Some Calendars Show Different Day Counts

If you've compared a few Navratri calendars and noticed the day count doesn't quite add up the same way everywhere, there's a real lunar-calendar reason for that, not just inconsistency between sources. Saptami (the seventh tithi) runs long this year and actually spans two civil days, October 17 and 18 — so both dates share the same tithi label. To balance that out, Ashtami (the eighth tithi) and Navami (the ninth) compress into a single civil day, October 19: Ashtami ends around 10:51 AM that morning, and Navami begins at the same moment, which is also when Sandhi Puja — the junction worship between the two — is performed.

The net effect is that the nine tithis of Navratri still span exactly nine civil days, October 11 through October 19, with Vijayadashami following on October 20 as the tenth day. Some pages will list the range as "October 11–19" and others as "October 11–20" depending on whether they're counting the nine nights alone or including Dussehra — both are correct, just counting slightly different things.

Ghatasthapana Muhurat

Ghatasthapana — the installation of the sacred kalash that opens the festival — is performed on the morning of October 11, while Pratipada Tithi is active and before Hindu midday, following the standard sunrise-tithi rule. In most locations, the general morning muhurat runs from roughly 6:19 AM to 10:12 AM, with a shorter Abhijit Muhurat window of about 11:44 AM to 12:31 PM as a backup — Abhijit Muhurat is considered universally auspicious regardless of other factors, which matters this year specifically.

It matters because the main morning window for Ghatasthapana in 2026 falls during Chitra Nakshatra, which some traditions consider unfavorable for this particular ritual. If your family follows that convention, the Abhijit Muhurat window offers a safe alternative later in the same morning. As always, exact minute-level timings shift by city, so check a local Panchang rather than relying on a single national time.

The Nine Days: Forms, Colors, and Dates

Over the nine nights, worshippers invoke the Navadurga — the nine forms of Goddess Durga — one per day, along with an associated color that changes each year based on which weekday each day falls on. Here's the full 2026 sequence:

Durga Ashtami, Maha Navami, and Sandhi Puja

October 19 is the day both Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami fall this year, given the tithi compression explained above. Sandhi Puja — considered one of the most powerful moments of the entire festival — is performed at the precise junction between the two tithis, around 10:51 AM. Many households and larger public Durga Puja pandals treat this as the single most significant ritual moment of Navratri, even more so than the opening Ghatasthapana.

Vijayadashami (Dussehra): Significance and Rituals

October 20 marks Vijayadashami, commemorating Goddess Durga's victory over the demon Mahishasura — and, in North India, Lord Rama's victory over Ravana, which is why effigy-burning celebrations are common on this date in that tradition. It's also the day for Ayudha Puja, in which tools and instruments that support one's livelihood are worshipped: students honor their books, musicians their instruments, and professionals their work tools, with vehicles often decorated and blessed as well.

Vijayadashami is traditionally considered a Siddha Muhurat — a day so inherently auspicious that no separate muhurat calculation is needed for starting new ventures, buying property, signing business agreements, beginning a course of study, or moving into a new home. It's one of the most commonly chosen dates on the entire Hindu calendar for exactly this reason.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Navratri 2026 start and end?

Sharad Navratri 2026 begins with Ghatasthapana on Sunday, October 11, and concludes with Vijayadashami (Dussehra) on Tuesday, October 20.

Why do Ashtami and Navami fall on the same day in 2026?

Because Saptami runs long this year and spans two civil days (October 17–18), Ashtami and Navami compress into a single day, October 19, to keep the total at nine tithis. Sandhi Puja is performed at the exact junction between them, around 10:51 AM.

Is Navratri the same as Durga Puja?

They overlap but aren't identical — Durga Puja refers specifically to the elaborate Bengali-tradition worship concentrated in the last few days (Shashthi through Dashami), while Navratri refers to the full nine-night observance across India in various regional forms, including Garba and Dandiya in Gujarat.

Is Vijayadashami a good day to start something new?

Yes — it's traditionally considered a Siddha Muhurat, meaning the entire day is auspicious without needing a separate muhurat calculation, making it a popular date for new ventures, property purchases, and similar milestone decisions.