Navratri 2026: All Dates, Chaitra, Shardiya, Gupt Navratri & Durga Puja
There are four Navratris every year. Two are public, widely celebrated festivals; two are Gupt (hidden) Navratris. Here are all the dates, day-by-day schedules and Durga Puja 2026 timing.
Navratri 2026 guides
What is Navratri?
Navratri (literally "nine nights") is a Hindu festival dedicated to the nine forms of Maa Durga. The most celebrated is Shardiya Navratri in autumn, marked by fasting, garba and dandiya dances, and large pandal celebrations in Bengal and beyond. Chaitra Navratri in spring coincides with the Hindu new year and ends on Ram Navami.
The two Gupt (hidden) Navratris, in Magha and Ashadha months, are less widely observed but are considered especially powerful for Tantric sadhana and worship of the Dasha Mahavidyas.
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How many Navratris are there in a year?
There are four Navratris per year: Chaitra Navratri (March-April, most celebrated), Ashadha Gupta Navratri (June-July, observed by tantric practitioners), Shardiya Navratri (September-October, most celebrated), and Paush Gupta Navratri (December-January). The two 'main' Navratris are Chaitra and Shardiya; the two 'Gupta' Navratris are observed more privately by tantric and shakta devotees.
What is Shardiya Navratri 2026?
Shardiya Navratri 2026 runs from September 20 to September 29, 2026. Vijayadashami (Dussehra) is on September 30, 2026. These 9 nights honor the nine forms of Goddess Durga (Navadurga) with fasting, puja, Garba, and Kanjak rituals.
What is Chaitra Navratri 2026?
Chaitra Navratri 2026 started on March 30, 2026 (Hindu New Year/Gudi Padwa) and ended on April 7, 2026. Ram Navami (celebrated on the 9th day) was April 7, 2026. Chaitra Navratri marks the spring Navratri and celebrates Durga's maternal energy during the new year.
What are the nine Durga forms (Navadurga)?
The nine Navadurga: 1. Shailputri (daughter of mountains), 2. Brahmacharini (ascetic devotee), 3. Chandraghanta (moon-bellied warrior), 4. Kushmanda (creator of the cosmic egg), 5. Skandamata (mother of Kartikeya), 6. Katyayani (warrior form slaying Mahishasura), 7. Kalaratri (fierce dark form), 8. Mahagauri (pure and peaceful form), 9. Siddhidatri (bestower of all powers).
What is the Navratri fasting tradition?
Navratri fasting rules: Many fast all 9 days; others fast on the 1st and 8th/9th days only. Permitted foods: Sabudana, kuttu atta (buckwheat), singhara atta, fruits, milk, curd, potatoes, sendha namak (rock salt). Avoided: grains, legumes, regular salt, onion, garlic, non-vegetarian food. The fast is broken on Navami after Kanjak puja.
What is Garba and how is it done?
Garba is the traditional folk dance of Gujarat performed during Navratri. Dancers move in circles around a lamp or image of Durga, starting with slow devotional songs and gradually increasing speed. The circular movement represents the cycle of time and the universe revolving around the divine. Garba nights are celebrated in every Gujarat city and worldwide, recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.
What is Kanjak Puja on Navratri?
Kanjak puja (Kanya puja) is performed on Ashtami or Navami. Nine young girls below puberty are invited, their feet washed, they are worshipped as forms of the nine Durgas, offered halwa-puri-chana, and given gifts. This worship of 'Kanjak' (little girls as Devi) is one of Navratri's most touching traditions and is especially popular in North India.
What is the connection between Navratri and Durga Puja?
Navratri and Durga Puja overlap during Shardiya Navratri. The pan-Indian Navratri celebration with fasting and Garba runs for all 9 days. Durga Puja (primarily the Bengali celebration) begins intensively from Saptami (7th day) through Dashami (10th day), featuring elaborate clay idols, pandals, cultural programs, and the grand idol immersion. Both honor Durga's victory but have distinct cultural expressions.