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Annual festival

Sharad Navratri 2036शरद नवरात्रि

Sharad Navratri is the nine-night autumn festival of the goddess Durga, culminating in Dussehra.

Date · New Delhi (28.6139° N, 77.2090° E)

Saturday, 20 September 2036

Tradition harmony

All regional traditions Chakra tracks agree on this date:

North (Purnimanta)
20 Sept 2036
South (Amanta)
20 Sept 2036
Tamil
20 Sept 2036
Bengali
20 Sept 2036
ISKCON
20 Sept 2036
Smarta
20 Sept 2036

Tithi window

Begins 20 Sept, 6:08 am

Ends 28 Sept, 6:10 pm

Observance duration

Observed across 9 days

2036-09-20 through 2036-09-28

Day by day

Nine days of Navratri 2036

The nine goddesses follow a fixed order. The colour named for each day is the sequence widely published for Sharad Navratri 2026 (Chakra hasn't separately republished a different sequence for 2036). Family and regional tradition varies, and another year is often assigned differently.

Each morning the barley is watered and the lamp is looked after. The note on a day is what that day adds. The offering named is the one most puja lists give for that form. A family may keep another.

Flat folk-style icon of Shailaputri, day 1 of Navratri

Day 1 · Saturday, 20 September 2036

Shailaputri

Orange — Warmth and the optimism of a new beginning.

Shailaputri is the daughter of the mountain. She rides the bull and holds a trident and a lotus, with a crescent on her brow. The nine days open with her.

ॐ देवी शैलपुत्र्यै नमः

Om Devi Shailaputryai Namah

वन्दे वाञ्छितलाभाय चन्द्रार्धकृतशेखराम्। वृषारूढां शूलधरां शैलपुत्रीं यशस्विनीम्॥

Vande vanchhita-labhaya chandrartha-krita-shekharam | Vrisharudham shuladharam Shailaputrim yashasvinim ||

All nine dhyan verses in the library

Flat folk-style icon of Brahmacharini, day 2 of Navratri

Day 2 · Sunday, 21 September 2036

Brahmacharini

White — A clear mind, and the quiet of a vow just begun.

Brahmacharini is the form who kept the long vow. She is shown on foot, a rosary in one hand and a water pot in the other.

ॐ देवी ब्रह्मचारिण्यै नमः

Om Devi Brahmacharinyai Namah

दधाना करपद्माभ्यामक्षमालाकमण्डलू। देवी प्रसीदतु मयि ब्रह्मचारिण्यनुत्तमा॥

Dadhana kara-padmabhyam akshamala-kamandalu | Devi prasidatu mayi Brahmachariny-anuttama ||

All nine dhyan verses in the library

Flat folk-style icon of Chandraghanta, day 3 of Navratri

Day 3 · Monday, 22 September 2036

Chandraghanta

Red — Courage for the days that ask something of you.

Chandraghanta rides a tiger. She is shown with ten arms, and a bell-shaped crescent on her brow. The day is kept for courage.

ॐ देवी चन्द्रघण्टायै नमः

Om Devi Chandraghantayai Namah

पिण्डजप्रवरारूढा चण्डकोपास्त्रकैर्युता। प्रसादं तनुते मह्यं चन्द्रघण्टेति विश्रुता॥

Pindaja-pravara-rudha chanda-kopastrakair-yuta | Prasadam tanute mahyam Chandraghanteti vishruta ||

All nine dhyan verses in the library

Flat folk-style icon of Kushmanda, day 4 of Navratri

Day 4 · Tuesday, 23 September 2036

Kushmanda

Royal Blue — Steadiness, and room to think.

Kushmanda rides a lion and is shown with eight arms, a pot among them. Her name is also the little pumpkin.

ॐ देवी कूष्माण्डायै नमः

Om Devi Kushmandayai Namah

सुरासम्पूर्णकलशं रुधिराप्लुतमेव च। दधाना हस्तपद्माभ्यां कूष्माण्डा शुभदास्तु मे॥

Sura-sampurna-kalasham rudhiraplutam eva cha | Dadhana hasta-padmabhyam Kushmanda shubhadastu me ||

All nine dhyan verses in the library

Flat folk-style icon of Skandamata, day 5 of Navratri

Day 5 · Wednesday, 24 September 2036

Skandamata

Yellow — Care, learning, and the warmth of a mother.

Skandamata sits on a lion with the child Skanda on her lap and lotuses in her hands. She is worshipped as a mother.

ॐ देवी स्कन्दमातायै नमः

Om Devi Skandamatayai Namah

सिंहासनगता नित्यं पद्माश्रितकरद्वया। शुभदास्तु सदा देवी स्कन्दमाता यशस्विनी॥

Simhasana-gata nityam padmashrita-karadvaya | Shubhadastu sada Devi Skandamata yashasvini ||

All nine dhyan verses in the library

Flat folk-style icon of Katyayani, day 6 of Navratri

Day 6 · Thursday, 25 September 2036

Katyayani

Green — Growth, and the strength to keep a promise.

Katyayani rides a lion, a sword in one hand and a lotus in another. She is the form who faces Mahishasura, and the one many young women keep a fast for.

ॐ देवी कात्यायन्यै नमः

Om Devi Katyayanyai Namah

चन्द्रहासोज्ज्वलकरा शार्दूलवरवाहना। कात्यायनी शुभं दद्याद्देवी दानवघातिनी॥

Chandrahasojjvala-kara shardula-vara-vahana | Katyayani shubham dadyad Devi danava-ghatini ||

All nine dhyan verses in the library

Flat folk-style icon of Kalaratri, day 7 of Navratri

Day 7 · Friday, 26 September 2036

Kalaratri

Grey — Stillness. Let the fierce night pass without adding to it.

Kalaratri is the fierce night form: dark, hair loose, riding a donkey, a sword in one hand and the other raised to still fear.

ॐ देवी कालरात्र्यै नमः

Om Devi Kalaratryai Namah

एकवेणी जपाकर्णपूरा नग्ना खरास्थिता। लम्बोष्ठी कर्णिकाकर्णी तैलाभ्यक्तशरीरिणी॥ वामपादोल्लसल्लोहलताकण्टकभूषणा। वर्धन्मूर्धध्वजा कृष्णा कालरात्रिर्भयङ्करी॥

Ekaveni japa-karnapura nagna kharasthita | Lamboshthi karnikakarni tailabhyakta-sharirini || Vamapadollasalloha-lata-kantaka-bhushana | Vardhan-murddha-dhvaja krishna Kalaratrir bhayankari ||

All nine dhyan verses in the library

Flat folk-style icon of Mahagauri, day 8 of Navratri

Day 8 · Saturday, 27 September 2036

Mahagauri

Purple — Grace after the harder days, and a gentle cleansing.

Mahagauri is the peaceful form after the hard night. She rides a white bull, dressed in white, with a trident and a damaru.

ॐ देवी महागौर्यै नमः

Om Devi Mahagauryai Namah

श्वेते वृषे समारूढा श्वेताम्बरधरा शुचिः। महागौरी शुभं दद्यान्महादेवप्रमोददा॥

Shvete vrishe samarudha shvetambara-dhara shuchih | Mahagauri shubham dadyan Mahadeva-pramodada ||

All nine dhyan verses in the library

Flat folk-style icon of Siddhidatri, day 9 of Navratri

Day 9 · Sunday, 28 September 2036

Siddhidatri

Peacock Green — The vow complete, and what the nine days were kept for.

Siddhidatri completes the nine forms. She is shown on a lotus, holding a conch, a discus, a mace, and a lotus. The vrat closes with her.

ॐ देवी सिद्धिदात्र्यै नमः

Om Devi Siddhidatryai Namah

सिद्धगन्धर्वयक्षाद्यैरसुरैरमरैरपि। सेव्यमाना सदा भूयात् सिद्धिदा सिद्धिदायिनी॥

Siddha-gandharva-yakshadyair asurair amarair api | Sevyamana sada bhuyat siddhida siddhidayini ||

All nine dhyan verses in the library

Month view

See the full calendar →

September 2036

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  • 4 ThuAnant Chaturdashi →Anant Chaturdashi marks the worship of Lord Vishnu in his cosmic infinite form and the grand immersion of Ganesha idols on Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturdashi.
  • 16 TueKanya Sankranti →Kanya Sankranti is the moment the Sun enters the sidereal sign of Virgo and is kept in parts of India as Vishwakarma Puja.
  • 20 SatSharad Navratri(this page)Sharad Navratri is the nine-night autumn festival of the goddess Durga, culminating in Dussehra.
  • 27 SatDurga Ashtami →Durga Ashtami is the eighth day of Sharad Navratri, held to be the most powerful for worship of the goddess.
  • 28 SunMaha Navami →Maha Navami marks the climactic ninth day of Navratri, venerating Goddess Durga as Mahishasuramardini and celebrating Ayudha Puja.
  • 29 MonDussehra →Dussehra, or Vijayadashami, marks the victory of Rama over Ravana and of Durga over Mahishasura.

Also this month: Ekadashi (2), Pradosh Vrat (2), Purnima (1), Satyanarayan Puja (1), Sankashti Chaturthi (1), Masik Shivratri (1), Amavasya (1), Vinayaka Chaturthi (1), Masik Durga Ashtami (1).

Local horizon calculations

City-wise timings

CityLocal dateTithi window (local)vs. New Delhi
New Delhi20 Sept 20366:08 am – 28 Sept, 6:10 pmSame day
Varanasi20 Sept 20365:46 am – 28 Sept, 5:47 pmSame day
Mumbai20 Sept 20366:27 am – 28 Sept, 6:29 pmSame day
Bengaluru20 Sept 20366:08 am – 28 Sept, 6:11 pmSame day
Kolkata20 Sept 20365:24 am – 28 Sept, 5:26 pmSame day
Chennai20 Sept 20365:58 am – 28 Sept, 6:00 pmSame day
London20 Sept 20366:44 am – 28 Sept, 6:43 pmSame day
San Francisco20 Sept 20366:56 am – 28 Sept, 6:56 pmSame day

Tithi window shown in each city’s own local time — the underlying instant is the same worldwide.

Sharad Navratri is the most widely kept of the year's four Navratris. Over nine nights the goddess is worshipped in her successive forms, a lamp or a pot of sprouting grain is maintained without interruption, and many households fast on grain and pulses. The eighth and ninth days carry special weight, and young girls are honoured as embodiments of the goddess in the Kanya Puja.

The festival begins on the first tithi (Pratipada) of the waxing fortnight of Ashwina and runs through the ninth. The opening rite, Ghatasthapana, is performed in a window during the first third of the day while Pratipada prevails, avoiding the Chitra nakshatra and Vaidhriti yoga, so the start time depends on the city.

Regional expression differs sharply: Bengal, Assam and Odisha keep the last days as Durga Puja with large public pandals, Gujarat is known for nightly garba, and much of the north closes the festival with Ram Lila plays and the burning of Ravana's effigy.

Read and recite

The katha and prayers for Sharad Navratri

Multi-year archive

Sharad Navratri in other years