Sharad Navratri
Nine nights honouring the Goddess
Significance
Sharad Navratri is the most widely observed of the year's four Navratris, spanning nine nights of worship dedicated to nine forms of Goddess Durga (the Navadurga), one per day. It begins on Pratipada, the first day of the bright half of the lunar month of Ashwin, with Ghatasthapana -- the ritual installation of a sacred kalash that anchors the following nine days of puja. The festival closes with Vijayadashami (Dussehra) on the tenth day.
Muhurat & Timing
Ghatasthapana should be performed during the Pratipada tithi, ideally in the morning, avoiding the period ruled by the constellation-based Chitra nakshatra's second half and Vaidhriti yoga where they overlap the morning. For 2026 in New Delhi, the main Ghatasthapana window falls between 6:19 AM and 10:12 AM on October 11, with the Abhijit muhurat (11:44 AM-12:31 PM) as a fallback since the ritual is not performed after midday.
Date verification: Verified against drikpanchang.com's Ashwin/Sharad Navratri start-date page for New Delhi: Pratipada tithi begins 9:19 PM Oct 10, 2026, with Navratri observed starting Oct 11.
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