Navratri Colours & the Nav Durga, Day by Day

Navratri colours 2026, day by day from 11 October: the date, the Devi worshipped and the colour for each day, from a cited New Delhi Panchang — plus why this year's Ashtami and Navami fall together.

Quick answer: Sharad Navratri 2026 begins on Sunday, 11 October. The table below gives each day's date, the Devi worshipped and the colour, from Drik Panchang's New Delhi calendar and its Navratri colours 2026 list, checked on 24 September 2026. Other Panchangs and regions may differ.

Navratri 2026 Colours, Day by Day

Why 2026 looks unusual: in the cited New Delhi calendar, Saptami tithi runs across two sunrises (17 and 18 October), and Ashtami and Navami both fall on Monday, 19 October — Ashtami ends at 10:51 AM, when Navami begins, with the Sandhi Puja window at 10:27–11:15 AM. Navami tithi then continues until 12:50 PM on Tuesday, 20 October, the day Drik Panchang lists Navami Homa, Navratri Parana and Vijayadashami (Dussehra). Siddhidatri, the ninth form, is traditionally worshipped on Navami. Because of this overlap, some families and regional calendars place Ashtami, Navami or Kanya Pujan a day apart — follow your own family practice or local Panchang. See the Kanya Pujan, Ashtami and Navami 2026 guide for those dates.

1. The Nine Forms of Navdurga

Each night of Navratri honours one of the nine forms of the Devi, together called the Navdurga. In the commonly followed order they are: Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyayani, Kalaratri, Mahagauri and Siddhidatri.

2. Colours Associated with the Days

Many devotees wear a different colour on each of the nine days, and some families dress the Devi's altar to match. The colours are drawn from a traditional palette — commonly including red, royal blue, yellow, green, grey, orange, white, pink and purple, in varying order.

How the 2026 list is set: Drik Panchang explains that the first colour is decided by the weekday on which Navratri begins, and the remaining eight days follow a fixed cycle. That is why the list changes every year, and why other sources can give a different order. The 2026 table above follows Drik Panchang; if your family or community follows another list, use theirs.

3. How People Use the Colours

The colours are a devotional and community custom — wearing them, decorating the altar, and matching flowers or cloth. They are a form of participation and celebration; no specific outcome is promised by any particular colour.

4. Reading and Worship Across the Nine Days

Whichever colours you follow, the heart of the nine days is the worship. See the Navratri 2026 guide for the full observance, read the curated Navdurga Stuti collection and complete Siddha Kunjika Stotram, and browse all Navratri prayers.