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Sharad Navratri across India

Sharad Navratri — the nine nights of the goddess in the bright half of Ashwin — and the tenth day, Vijayadashami, are kept all over India, but with very different forms.

Nagpur, Maharashtra, India 21.1463°, 79.0849° Asia/Kolkata (UTC+05:30) North Indian · Lahiri (calibrated)

How the date is fixed

Ashwin Shukla has the same name in Amanta and Purnimanta calendars, so the month name does not differ here. Navratri begins with Ghatasthapana on Pratipada; the Ashtami, Navami and Dashami dates each have their own rule below, which can make the festival eight or ten days long in some years.

These rules are the ones this site's engine uses; the dates are for the selected place.

Sharad Navratri begins (Ghatasthapana) — 30/09/2027 (Thu)
  1. The date is Ashwin Shukla Paksha Pratipada; the month name is the same in the Amanta and Purnimanta systems.
  2. It falls on the day when this tithi prevails at local sunrise (udaya tithi).
  3. If the tithi is present at two sunrises (a vriddhi tithi), the first day is taken.
  4. 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.
  5. In a year with an Adhik month of the same name, it is observed in the regular (Nija) month.

Sharad Navratri begins (Ghatasthapana)

Durga Ashtami — 07/10/2027 (Thu)
  1. The date is Ashwin Shukla Paksha Ashtami; the month name is the same in the Amanta and Purnimanta systems.
  2. It falls on the day when this tithi prevails at local sunrise (udaya tithi).
  3. If the tithi is present at two sunrises (a vriddhi tithi), the first day is taken.
  4. 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.
  5. In a year with an Adhik month of the same name, it is observed in the regular (Nija) month.

Observed on the day the tithi prevails at sunrise (udaya tithi). Regional Panchangs may differ when the tithi is kshaya or spans two sunrises.

Durga Ashtami

Maha Navami — 08/10/2027 (Fri)
  1. The date is Ashwin Shukla Paksha Navami; the month name is the same in the Amanta and Purnimanta systems.
  2. It falls on the day when this tithi prevails at local sunrise (udaya tithi).
  3. The sunrise counts only if the tithi then lasts at least 3 muhurtas (each a fifteenth of the daytime); if it is shorter, the previous day, on which the tithi begins, is taken.
  4. If the tithi is present at two sunrises (a vriddhi tithi), the first day is taken.
  5. When the tithi prevails for at least three muhurtas (a fifth) of the daylight on two days, the earlier day, joined with the preceding tithi, is taken (the tithi-pair (yugma) rule of Nirnaya Sindhu).
  6. 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.
  7. When the day chosen is not the day on which the tithi prevails at sunrise (udaya tithi), that day is also shown as the alternative.
  8. In a year with an Adhik month of the same name, it is observed in the regular (Nija) month.

Maha Navami follows the tithi-yugma rule of Nirnaya Sindhu: Navami is taken joined with Ashtami, so when Navami touches two days the earlier day is shown (often the same day as Durga Ashtami). Many households keep the Navami fast and Kanya Puja on the day Navami prevails at sunrise (udaya tithi); that day is shown as the alternative when it differs. Official holiday lists are divided in such years: the Government of India list gave the Ashtami-joined day in 2024 (11 October) and 2027 (8 October) but the udaya day in 2026 (20 October); Tamil Nadu (Ayudha Puja) and Bihar gave the Ashtami-joined day in 2024 and 2026 (11 October, 19 October); West Bengal gave it in 2024 (11 October) and the udaya day in 2026 (20 October); Kerala gave the udaya day in both years (12 October 2024, 20 October 2026).

Maha Navami

Vijayadashami (Dussehra) — 09/10/2027 (Sat)
  1. The date is Ashwin Shukla Paksha Dashami; the month name is the same in the Amanta and Purnimanta systems.
  2. It falls on the day when this tithi prevails during Aparahna — the fourth fifth of the daytime, in the afternoon.
  3. If the tithi covers the whole of that period on both days, the first day is taken.
  4. If it covers parts of that period on both days that differ by less than 24 minutes, they count as equal and the first day is taken; the whole period on one day is preferred to a part on the other.
  5. If the tithi prevails at that time on two consecutive days, the day on which it covers more of that period is taken.
  6. If the tithi touches that period on neither day, the first of the two days it touches is taken.
  7. In the doubtful case, when Dashami is taken on the first day because it covers more of that day's Aparahna (or the Aparahna of neither day) and still lasts at least three muhurtas after the next sunrise, Shravana nakshatra at the next day's Aparahna (and not at the first day's) moves Vijayadashami to the next day.
  8. In a year with an Adhik month of the same name, it is observed in the regular (Nija) month.

When Dashami covers the first day's Aparahna and lasts into the next morning, Shravana nakshatra at the next day's Aparahna moves Vijayadashami to the next day (e.g. 8 Oct 2019, 5 Oct 2022); without it the first day stays. Regional Panchangs may differ in such years.

Vijayadashami (Dussehra)

Region by region

Customs differ between families, communities and places; this guide describes what the cited sources report, not a single correct practice.

Sources

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