Chaitra Navratri begins (Ghatasthapana)
First day of the nine nights of Devi worship in Chaitra; Hindu lunar New Year.
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- CategoryFestival Major
- DeityMaa Durga
- Defining tithi / momentShukla Paksha Pratipada: to
- Lunar monthChaitra Shukla Paksha (same name in Amanta and Purnimanta)
Ghatasthapana Muhurat · Wednesday, 7 April 2027
Vaidhriti Yoga: to — traditionally avoided for Ghatasthapana, but not prohibited.
For Chaitra Navratri, Ghatasthapana is done on Pratipada in the first third of the day (from sunrise). Pratipada must prevail; it is not done at night. If the morning window is not available, Abhijit Muhurat is used. Family and regional practices vary.
Timings on Wednesday, 7 April 2027
Rule applied: Smarta — The tithi covers the required time on this day only.
About Chaitra Navratri begins (Ghatasthapana)
Significance
Chaitra Navratri, also called Vasanta Navratri, is the spring festival of nine nights of worship of the goddess Durga. It begins on the first day of the bright half of Chaitra with Ghatasthapana, the installation of a sacred pot (kalasha) that holds the goddess’s presence for the nine days, and it ends with Ram Navami. In much of North India it is a quieter, more household-centred observance than the autumn Navratri.
The same day opens the lunisolar year. A verse attributed to the Brahma Purana and quoted in the digests says that Brahma created the world on the first day of Chaitra’s bright half, at sunrise, and the Vikram Samvat year of North India begins on it. Maharashtra celebrates the day as Gudi Padwa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as Ugadi, and Kashmiri Pandits as Navreh.
How and where it is observed
The festival is kept across North India, in Gujarat, Maharashtra and the Himalayan states, with large gatherings at the shrine of Vaishno Devi in Jammu, at Jwalamukhi and Chintpurni in Himachal Pradesh, and at the Shakti Peethas. In Bengal the spring worship of the goddess takes the form of Basanti Puja, held on the last days of this Navratri.
Rituals
On the first morning a bed of earth is prepared and barley (jau) sown in it, and a water-filled kalasha topped with mango leaves and a coconut is installed and worshipped; the sprouts (jaware or khetri) grow through the nine days. Many households keep an unbroken lamp (akhanda jyoti) burning, recite the Durga Saptashati, and worship the nine forms of Durga in turn, beginning with Shailaputri. Fasting customs range from one meal a day to fruit and milk alone, and the fast is concluded with Kanya Puja on Ashtami or Navami.
How the date is fixed
Chaitra Navratri begins on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, the same month in Amanta and Purnimanta reckoning. The date is the day on which Pratipada prevails at sunrise (udaya tithi); if Pratipada is present at two sunrises, the first day is taken, and if it touches no sunrise, the day that contains it. The best time for Ghatasthapana within the day, which the digests’ Navratri rules place in the morning while Pratipada lasts, avoiding Chitra nakshatra and Vaidhriti yoga where possible, is a separate question and does not change the date.
Sources
- Nirnaya Sindhu, Chaitra Shukla Pratipada (Samvatsararambha)
- Devi Mahatmya (Markandeya Purana), recited as the Durga Saptashati
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: Navratri
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: Ugadi
Customs differ between regions, communities and families; this description is background, not a prescription. The date above is calculated by the rule shown on this page.
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Mantra & Bhakti
How the date is determined
- The date is Chaitra Shukla Paksha Pratipada; the month name is the same in the Amanta and Purnimanta systems.
- It falls on the day when this tithi prevails at local sunrise (udaya tithi).
- If the tithi is present at two sunrises (a vriddhi tithi), the first day is taken.
- If the tithi does not touch that period on any day (a kshaya tithi), the Hindu day on which the tithi prevails longest is used.
- In a year with an Adhik month of the same name, it is observed in the regular (Nija) month.
Traditional variation
This is the date given by the rule shown above for the selected place. It is not the only valid date: regional Panchangs, family customs and sampradayas may observe it on a different day.
Rule source: Tithi–kaal rule of the Dharmashastra digests (Nirnaya Sindhu / Dharma Sindhu), as applied by modern drik-ganita (computed) Panchangs
Traditions may vary by region and Panchang convention. Times are shown for the selected place, time zone and calculation profile.
Calculated with engine 1.4.2 · rules rules-2026-10-21-2ab12b5d · profile north-lahiri-calibrated v1 · ayanamsa lahiri_drik_compat · astronomy-engine@2.1.19 · Europe/London
Dates in 2026
| Date | Defining tithi / moment | Time windows | Decision notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19/03/2026 (Thu)
Chaitra Shukla Paksha (same name in Amanta and Purnimanta) |
Shukla Paksha Pratipada: to | — | Standard rule applied |
Dates in 2027
| Date | Defining tithi / moment | Time windows | Decision notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07/04/2027 (Wed)
Next
Chaitra Shukla Paksha (same name in Amanta and Purnimanta) |
Shukla Paksha Pratipada: to | — | Standard rule applied |