Somewhere around late September, a very specific kind of chaos takes over half the country. The plan for hopping pandals and their routes gets sorted out almost three weeks in advance. In various cities and towns in West Bengal, the traffic police start rehearsing diversions they will need in October. Dandiya nights get pencilled into calendars in Gujarat and Mumbai. And every year, without fail, the same question somehow goes the rounds in every family WhatsApp group: “What date does it actually start this year?”
Fair question, Durga Puja and Navratri run on the lunisolar calendar, so the dates shift every year and never quite match your memory of “around Dusshera time”. This guide will sort out exactly when Durga Puja 2026 and Navratri 2026 fall, day by day, plus the bits everyone tends to forget to check until the last minute: Mahalaya, Ghatasthapana, Sandhi Puja, and when Vijayadashami actually lands this year.
Durga Puja 2026 Dates: The Full Calendar
In 2026, Durga Puja takes place from mid to late October, with Maha Navami and Vijayadashami falling on the same calendar, a quirk of the tithi calendar that happens more often than people expect.
Day | Date | Day of the Week |
Mahalaya | October 10, 2026 | Saturday |
Maha Panchami | October 16, 2026 | Friday |
Maha Shashthi | October 17, 2026 | Saturday |
Maha Saptami | October 18, 2026 | Sunday |
Maha Ashtami | October 19, 2026 | Monday |
Maha Navami | October 19, 2026 | Monday |
Vijayadashami (Dusshera) | October 20, 2026 | Tuesday |
Just a note before you take a screenshot of this and send it to your family group: as Navami and Dashami overlap this year, Sandhi Puja, consisting of the 48-minute window bridging Ashtami and Navami, becomes the moment to actually track, and some panchangs shift these dates by a day depending on local tithi calculations. If your neighborhood pandal or your family priest quotes a date one day off this table, that’s quite normal rather than being a mistake, so check with your local panchang for the final word.
What Each Day of Durga Puja Actually Means
- Mahalaya kicks things off almost two weeks before the main event; it is the day Devi Paksha begins, marked by early morning Chandi path recitations, and the ceremonial “eye-painting,” also called Chokkhu Daan, of the Durga idol, which gives the goddess her sight for the first time.
- Maha Shashthi is when Durga Puja begins; the goddess is welcomed with Bodhon and Amantran rituals, and the pandal hopping season officially opens.
- Saptami, Ashtami, and Navami are the three big days. Saptami brings the Kola Bou (banana plant) ritual. Ashtami is the most significant day of worship, packed with Kumari Puja (worship of young girls as living goddesses) and the dramatic Sandhi Puja at the Ashtami-Navami junction. Navami closes out the worship with Maha Homa before farewells begin.
- Vijayadashami, also known as Dussehra, is the goodbye; idols are immersed (visarjan), married women perform Sindoor Khela, and across North India, it is also the day when Ravana effigies go up in flames.
Navaratri 2026 Dates: When Ghatasthapana Falls
This is where it can get a little confusing for first-timers. Navratri and Durga Puja are the same nine-day window, celebrated differently depending on the region. Gujarat dances through Garba and Dandiya nights, North India observes nine days of fasting, and Bengal starts pandal building for Durga Puja, specifically around days six through ten.
Navratri 2026 begins on Sunday, October 11, 2026, with Ghatasthapana (also Kalash Sthapana), a ritual installation of the sacred Kalash that marks Day 1 of the nine-day festival. This year’s Pratipada tithi runs from late morning on October 10 through late morning on October 11, so most panchangs recommend performing Ghatasthapana before around 11 AM on October 11 for an auspicious muhurta, which is worth double-checking against your local panchang, since timings vary slightly by city.
From there, the nine days build towards Maha Ashtami and Maha Navami (October 19–20, 2026), the same dates as Durga Puja’s big worship days above, before wrapping up with Vijayadashami on October 20.
The Nine Days, One Goddess at a Time
Navratri traditionally honors nine forms of Durga (Navadurga), one per day, which is worth knowing if you are following the fasting and color traditions:
- Day 1 (Oct 11): Shailaputri
- Day 2 (Oct 12): Brahmacharini
- Day 3 (Oct 13): Chandraghanta
- Day 4 (Oct 14): Kushmanda
- Day 5 (Oct 15): Skandamata
- Day 6 (Oct 16): Katyayani
- Day 7 (Oct 17): Kalaratri
- Day 8 (Oct 18): Mahagauri
- Day 9 (Oct 19–20): Siddhidatri
The color of the day floats around every year and varies by source, so treat it as a fun add-on rather than gospel; the tithi calendar above is the part worth getting exactly right.
Planning Around the Festival Calendar
If you are traveling during this stretch, a few practical notes: Kolkata’s pandal hopping crowds peak on Ashtami and Navami evenings (October 19–20), so early mornings or late Saptami are your best bet for actually seeing the artwork without hours of queueing. Flights and trains into Kolkata, Delhi, and Mumbai get booked out weeks ahead of Durga Puja and Navratri. If a Northeast India leg is part of your festival season travel plans, October also happens to be one of the best months to be in Sikkim and Darjeeling, with clear skies right after the monsoon clears out.
A short list worth bookmarking alongside these dates:
- Mahalaya, October 10 – Devi Paksha begins
- Ghatasthapana / Navratri Day 1, October 11
- Maha Panchami, October 16
- Maha Shashthi, October 17 – Durga Puja begins
- Maha Saptami, October 18
- Maha Ashtami and Navami, October 19
- Vijayadashami, October 20
FAQs
What are the exact Durga Puja 2026 dates?
Maha Shashthi falls on October 17, 2026, with Saptami on the 18th, Ashtami on the 19th, and Navami merging with Vijayadashami on October 20, 2026. Mahalaya, which opens the festive fortnight, falls on October 10.
When does Navratri 2026 start?
Navratri 2026 begins with Ghatasthapana on Sunday, October 11, 2026, and runs through Vijayadashami on October 20, 2026.
Why do Maha Navami and Vijayadashami fall on the same day in 2026?
Because the lunisolar calendar tracks tithis (lunar days) rather than fixed solar dates, two tithis can occasionally fall within the same sunrise-to-sunrise window; this year, Navami and Dashami overlap, which is why Sandhi Puja becomes the key ritual marker rather than a date change.
Is Durga Puja the same as Navratri?
They fall in the same nine-to-ten-day window and follow the same lunar calendar, but the observance differs by region: Bengal’s Durga Puja centers on elaborate pandals and idol worship from Shashthi to Dashami, while Navratri in North and West India emphasizes fasting, Garba, and Dandiya across all nine nights.
When is Vijayadashami / Dussehra in 2026?
Vijayadashami falls on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, the same day as Maha Navami this year.
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