नवरात्रिnavarātri · nine nights
Navarātri, the nine nights of the Goddess
3 min read · Updated October 18, 2026 · sources checked October 18, 2026
In short
Navarātri means nine nights. Held twice a year, in spring (Caitra, March-April) and above all in autumn (Śārada Navarātri, in Āśvina, September-October), it honours the Goddess, Durgā, in nine forms, one per day. It ends with Vijayādaśamī or Dussehra, the tenth day of victory. In 2026 the spring festival began on 19 March and the autumn one on 11 October.
Two Navarātris a year
Navarātri (नवरात्रि) joins nava, nine, and rātri, night. The festival runs from the first to the ninth day of the bright fortnight (śukla pakṣa), twice a year:
| Festival | Lunar month | Usually falls | Closes with | First day in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caitra Navarātri, the spring nine nights | Caitra | March-April | Rāma Navamī, the birth of Rāma, on the ninth day | 19 March 2026 |
| Śārada Navarātri, the autumn nine nights | Āśvina | September-October | Vijayādaśamī (Dussehra), on the tenth day | 11 October 2026 |
The first day of Caitra is also counted as the start of the Indian new year: on 30 March 2025, the Prime Minister noted in his radio address that Chaitra Navratri was beginning that day, together with the Indian New Year and the year 2082 of the Vikram Samvat era. The dates move every year with the moon: check a pañcāṅga for your city.
The text of the nine nights: the Devī Māhātmya
The text recited above all during Navarātri is the Devī Māhātmya, "the glorification of the Goddess", also called Durgā Saptaśatī, "the seven hundred verses on Durgā". It forms chapters 81 to 93 of the Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa. It tells how the Goddess, born from the radiance (tejas) that streams from the bodies of all the gods (82.9-82.12), defeats the forces of chaos they could not overcome, among them Mahiṣa, the buffalo demon (chapters 82-83). Its most famous hymn salutes her presence in every being:
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु शक्तिरूपेण संस्थिता । नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥
yā devī sarvabhūteṣu śaktirūpeṇa saṃsthitā / namas tasyai namas tasyai namas tasyai namo namaḥ ||
To the Goddess who dwells in all beings in the form of power: homage to her, homage to her, homage to her, homage, homage.
The same hymn repeats the formula for the Goddess present as consciousness, intelligence, sleep, hunger, patience and many other forms. Another verse, from the hymn of chapter 11, is sung in countless homes:
सर्वमङ्गलमाङ्गल्ये शिवे सर्वार्थसाधिके । शरण्ये त्र्यम्बके गौरि नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
sarvamaṅgalamāṅgalye śive sarvārthasādhike / śaraṇye tryambake gauri nārāyaṇi namo 'stu te ||
Auspiciousness of all that is auspicious, gracious one, who brings every aim to fulfilment, refuge, three-eyed one, radiant Gaurī, Nārāyaṇī: homage to you.
Nine days, nine forms of Durgā
Each day is dedicated to one form of the Goddess. In October 2026, the Government of India's daily messages followed this order from 11 to 17 October (days 1 to 7); the eighth and ninth forms are those named on the eighth and ninth days of earlier festivals.
| Day | Form | Devanāgarī |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Śailaputrī, daughter of the mountain | शैलपुत्री |
| 2 | Brahmacāriṇī, the one who practises austerity | ब्रह्मचारिणी |
| 3 | Candraghaṇṭā, with the moon as a bell | चन्द्रघण्टा |
| 4 | Kūṣmāṇḍā | कूष्माण्डा |
| 5 | Skandamātā, mother of Skanda | स्कन्दमाता |
| 6 | Kātyāyanī | कात्यायनी |
| 7 | Kālarātri, the night of time | कालरात्रि |
| 8 | Mahāgaurī, the great radiant one | महागौरी |
| 9 | Siddhidātrī, giver of accomplishment | सिद्धिदात्री |
How it is celebrated
Customs vary greatly from one region to another. A few of them, documented by official sources:
- Ghaṭasthāpanā, the installation of the vessel, opens the festival in Maharashtra: barley seeds are sown in soil in a clay pot, where they sprout over the nine days, and a water vessel (kalaśa) is set on top as the seat of the Goddess.
- Durgā Pūjā in Kolkata, inscribed by UNESCO in 2021 on the list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity, "marks the ten-day worship of the Hindu mother-goddess Durga" and ends on the tenth day, "when the images are immersed in the river".
- Garba in Gujarat, inscribed by UNESCO in 2023, is "a ritualistic and devotional dance that is performed on the occasion of the Hindu festival of Navaratri", around an earthenware pot lit with an oil lamp or an image of the mother goddess Amba.
- Vijayādaśamī or Dussehra closes the autumn festival. In Maharashtra, it is the day on which, by tradition, Rāma defeated Rāvaṇa and the Goddess triumphed over evil.
At home: nine evenings (20 to 30 minutes each)
You do not need to be Hindu to keep these nights with respect. Each evening: light a lamp, chant one of the two verses above three times, practise, then sit in silence. One quality per night, to carry into the next day:
- Beginning: write your intention for the nine nights; ten minutes of sitting.
- Purity: tidy one room of the house; nine rounds of nāḍī śodhana.
- Courage: warrior postures, eight breaths on each side.
- Abundance: list what you have received this year; give something away.
- Knowledge: read a chapter of a sacred text, for example the Bhagavad Gita.
- Strength: twelve sun salutations at an easy pace.
- Protection: one act of help for someone vulnerable.
- Devotion: one round of 108 repetitions of a mantra you love.
- Completion: reread your intention of the first night; write what has changed.
On the tenth day, Vijayādaśamī, the day of victory, choose a study or a practice to begin.
Our book The Yogi's Sacred Year gives a chapter to each Navarātri, spring and autumn, with their verses, these nine evenings, a deeper practice for the autumn festival and a journal page.
Questions people ask
What is Navratri?
A Hindu festival of nine nights dedicated to the Goddess (Devī) in her form of Durgā and her other forms. Devotees worship a different form each day, recite the Devī Māhātmya, fast or eat simply, and in some regions dance the garba. The tenth day, Vijayādaśamī, celebrates victory.
When is Navratri?
Twice a year, from the first to the ninth day of the bright fortnight: in Caitra (March-April) and in Āśvina (September-October). The dates change every year with the moon: in 2026, Caitra Navarātri began on 19 March and Śārada Navarātri on 11 October. Check an almanac for your city.
What are the nine forms of Durga?
Day by day: Śailaputrī, Brahmacāriṇī, Candraghaṇṭā, Kūṣmāṇḍā, Skandamātā, Kātyāyanī, Kālarātri, Mahāgaurī and Siddhidātrī. They are the forms to which the Government of India's daily Navarātri messages of October 2026 and earlier years were addressed.
What is the difference between Navratri and Dussehra?
Navarātri is the nine nights; Dussehra, or Vijayādaśamī, is the tenth day that follows the autumn festival. It celebrates both Rāma's victory over Rāvaṇa and the Goddess's victory over the forces of evil.
Where can I find the Navratri texts?
The main text recited is the Devī Māhātmya (or Durgā Saptaśatī), chapters 81 to 93 of the Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa. Its Sanskrit text is freely available on GRETIL, the Göttingen library of Sanskrit texts.
Sources
- Prime Minister offers prayers to Maa Shailputri on the first day of Navratri, Press Information Bureau, 11 October 2026 checked October 18, 2026
- Prime Minister's content, Press Information Bureau: daily Navratri releases, 11-17 October 2026 checked October 18, 2026
- PM greets everyone on occasion of Navratri, Prime Minister's Office (India), 19 March 2026 checked October 18, 2026
- PM's address in the 120th episode of Mann ki Baat, Prime Minister's Office (India), 30 March 2025 checked October 18, 2026
- PM prays to Goddess Mahagouri on eighth day of Navratri, Prime Minister's Office (India), 10 October 2024 checked October 18, 2026
- PM bows to Maa Siddhidatri on Mahanavami of Navratri, Prime Minister's Office (India), 23 October 2023 checked October 18, 2026
- Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa 1-93 (Devī Māhātmya = chapters 81-93), Sanskrit text (GRETIL) checked October 18, 2026
- Ghatasthapana, Directorate of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra checked October 18, 2026
- Dussehra, Directorate of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra checked October 18, 2026
- Durga Puja in Kolkata, UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (2021) checked October 18, 2026
- Garba of Gujarat, UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (2023) checked October 18, 2026