🔱 Sharad Navratri 2026

Nine nights of Maa Durga from Ashwin Shukla Pratipada to Navami — Ghatasthapana, akhand jyoti, Kanya Pujan and Dussehra.

Sharad Navratri is the greatest festival of Maa Durga, running nine days from the Pratipada to the Navami of the Shukla Paksha of Ashwin month. Ghatasthapana (installing the kalash) happens on day one, the nine forms of the Goddess — from Shailputri to Siddhidatri — are worshipped over nine days, Kanya Pujan is done on Ashtami or Navami, and the tenth day is Vijayadashami (Dussehra).

Women of the house keep the fast in these days — some all nine days, some the first and last day (jode), some only Ashtami. Below are this year's complete dates (which Goddess on which day), the Ghatasthapana muhurat, the puja vidhi, samagri, fasting food, Kanya Pujan and the customs of different states.

Significance — why this vrat

According to the Puranas Maa Durga killed Mahishasura on the tenth day after a nine-day battle — hence the Dashami is called 'Vijaya'. In the Ramayana, Lord Rama worshipped Shakti in these very nine days before killing Ravana. It is also a change of season, so fasting and restraint are considered good for the body too.

Nine days, nine Goddesses: Shailputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyayani, Kalratri, Mahagauri, Siddhidatri. Each day has its own colour, bhog and mantra; at home a simple puja — lamp, flowers, chunari, bhog and a reading of Durga Saptashati or Durga Chalisa — is enough.

The dates above come from the engine's calculation. Note: when a tithi is lost (kshaya) or doubled (vriddhi), Navratri can run 8 or 10 days — the middle days (Dwitiya to Saptami) may then shift by a day; the Ashtami, Navami and Dashami dates above come directly from the panchang and are firm.

Puja vidhi (step by step)

Ghatasthapana on day one, puja every morning and evening, Kanya Pujan and havan on Ashtami/Navami — this is the household vidhi.

1. Ghatasthapana (Pratipada): bathe in the morning and clean the puja place. Fill an earthen tray with soil and sow barley (jawara); place a water-filled kalash on or beside it — put betel nut, a coin, akshat and durva in the kalash; on its mouth place 5 mango leaves and a coconut wrapped in red cloth/chunari and tied with mauli.
2. Install Maa Durga's idol/picture beside the kalash on a red cloth; offer a chunari. The best time for Ghatasthapana is in the morning of Pratipada after sunrise, or in Abhijit Muhurat — see above. Installation is avoided in Chitra nakshatra and Vaidhriti yoga; if that is the case, do it in Abhijit.
3. Akhand jyoti: light a ghee or oil lamp that stays lit for nine days — a home that cannot keep an akhand jyoti may light a lamp morning and evening; that is fully valid.
4. Take the sankalp — 'I will keep Maa Durga's vrat with faith for nine days (or as many days).' Then worship Ganesha, the kalash and the Goddess with roli, akshat, flowers, incense, lamp and naivedya.
5. Every morning and evening: lamp and incense, flowers, bhog (of that day's Goddess), a reading of Durga Saptashati (or at least Kavach-Argala-Kilak and Siddha Kunjika Stotra) or Durga Chalisa, and the aarti 'Jai Ambe Gauri'. Sprinkle a little water on the jawara daily.
6. Kanya Pujan on Ashtami or Navami: invite 9 girls aged 2-10 and 1 boy (langur/Bhairav); wash their feet, seat them, apply tilak and kalava, serve poori-chana-halwa, give dakshina and gifts (chunari, bangles, handkerchief), touch their feet and see them off.
7. Havan on Navami: in a havan kund with mango wood/cow-dung cakes offer ghee and havan samagri with 'Om Dum Durgayai Namah Swaha' or Saptashati mantras; end with purnahuti (coconut).
8. Paran: break the fast after the Navami puja/havan or on Dashami morning after puja — according to your family tradition. Eat only after the girls have been fed.
9. Dashami (Vijayadashami): sprinkle the kalash water in the house, cut the jawara and place it in the caps/behind the ears of the men of the family and give it to sisters and daughters, break a coconut/distribute prasad, and immerse the kalash, jawara and idol in a river/pond or in a plant at home.

Puja samagri checklist

Check this list a day before Ghatasthapana — items for Ashtami-Navami are listed separately at the end.

• Earthen kalash (or copper/brass) with lid
• Wide earthen tray + clean soil + barley (to sow the jawara)
• Mango leaves (5), coconut (with husk), red cloth/chunari
• Mauli (kalava), roli, kumkum, turmeric, akshat, betel nut, coin, durva
• Maa Durga idol/picture, red cloth for the seat, chunari, shringar items
• Large lamp for akhand jyoti, ghee/mustard oil, cotton wick
• Incense, agarbatti, camphor, aarti thali
• Flowers and garland (red hibiscus special), paan, cloves, cardamom
• Bhog — fruit, sweets, makhana, a different bhog for each of the nine days
• Durga Saptashati / Durga Chalisa book, aasan
• Kanya Pujan: poori-chana-halwa, dakshina, chunari/handkerchief/bangle gifts, tilak-kalava
• Havan: havan kund, mango wood/dung cakes, havan samagri, ghee, coconut for purnahuti

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Vrat katha (the story)

The demon Mahishasura won a boon from Brahma that no man or god could kill him. Drunk with power he conquered heaven and drove out the gods. Then from the combined radiance of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh a divine feminine power appeared — Maa Durga. All the gods gave her their weapons and the Himalaya gave her a lion as her mount.

The Goddess fought Mahishasura's army for nine days — Chanda-Munda, Raktabeej, Dhumralochan were all slain. On the tenth day she killed Mahishasura; Vijayadashami commemorates this victory and the Goddess came to be called 'Mahishasuramardini'.

The second story is from the Ramayana — before going to Lanka, Shri Rama worshipped Shakti; 108 blue lotuses were to be offered, one fell short and Rama moved to offer his own eye — the Goddess was pleased and granted victory. This is why Bengal calls its puja 'Akal Bodhan' (untimely awakening), because Rama awakened the Goddess in the autumn season.

Nine days of fasting food and bhog

In the Navratri fast, grains, onion-garlic and ordinary salt are not taken — rock salt, buckwheat (kuttu), water-chestnut flour (singhara), sabudana, amaranth (rajgira), potato, fruit and milk-curd are allowed. One fruit meal during the day and a proper meal after the evening puja is the most common pattern.

• Morning: fruit, milk, makhana, dry fruits; afternoon: sabudana khichdi or kuttu poori + potato sabzi (rock salt) + curd
• After the evening puja: singhara-flour halwa, sama (vrat) rice kheer, potato-makhana sabzi, fruit chaat
• Bhog for the nine days: 1 cow's ghee · 2 sugar · 3 milk/kheer · 4 malpua · 5 banana · 6 honey · 7 jaggery · 8 coconut · 9 sesame/black chana-halwa-poori
• Kanya Pujan prasad: semolina halwa, black chana (dry, lightly spiced), poori — these three are the accepted set across North India
• Pregnant, diabetic or weak women should keep the fast with fruit, milk and curd, never a waterless one

Regional customs

Navratri belongs to the whole country, but every state keeps it differently — what your family has always done is the right way.

Do's and don'ts

Frequently asked questions

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Also read: Vijayadashami (Dussehra) · Sharad Purnima · Durga Chalisa & aarti · Hindu calendar

⚠️ This description follows traditional vidhi and folk belief; your own family custom comes first. The middle days (Dwitiya-Saptami) may shift by a day due to tithi kshaya/vriddhi — verify with your local panchang.

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