Sharad Navratri 2026 and 2027: date, muhurat and meaning

Ghatasthapana is done on Pratipada, preferably in the morning. The panchang is checked to make sure Chitra nakshatra or Vaidhriti yoga is not running at that time, since both are considered unsuitable for the installation. If they cover the morning, the kalash is installed during Abhijit muhurat around midday. These windows shift with local sunrise; this page gives Delhi's timing, so check a local panchang in other cities.

The order is Shailaputri on day one, Brahmacharini on day two, Chandraghanta on day three, Kushmanda on day four, Skandamata on day five, Katyayani on day six, Kalaratri on day seven, Mahagauri on day eight and Siddhidatri on day nine. Each form has its own story and favourite offering, and many people also follow a colour for each day when choosing what to wear.

Most people avoid wheat, rice, lentils, onion, garlic and ordinary salt. Instead they eat puris or pancakes made of kuttu (buckwheat) or singhara (water chestnut) flour, sabudana khichdi, samak rice (barnyard millet), potatoes, sweet potatoes, fruit, milk, curd and makhana, cooked with rock salt. Rules vary between families. Elderly, pregnant or unwell people often keep a lighter fast.

Both are correct, depending on family custom. Many households hold kanya pujan on Maha Ashtami, while others do it on Maha Navami. Typically nine young girls, and often one small boy who represents Bhairav, are invited home. Their feet are washed, a tilak is applied, and they are served halwa, puri and black chickpeas before being sent off with small gifts and the family's respect.

Both are Gujarati folk dances performed on Navratri nights. Garba is danced in circles with rhythmic clapping around a lamp or an image of the goddess, as an act of worship to Mother Amba. Dandiya raas is danced in pairs with decorated sticks and is linked to Krishna's dances with the gopis. Evenings usually begin with aarti and garba, with dandiya following later in the night.

A lunar day does not match a solar day exactly. Sometimes a tithi begins and ends between two sunrises and is skipped in the count, and sometimes one tithi spans two sunrises. When that happens, the festival can stretch to ten days or shrink to eight. Puja follows the tithi, so dates for Ashtami, Navami and Dussehra should be checked in a panchang set to your city.