Chaitra Navratri 2026 Date: When is Navratri starting? When is Ashtami, Ram Navami? Check full nine-day calendar

Navratri Start Date: Houses across the country are preparing for one of the most sacred spring festivals. The nine-day fetival, Chaitra Navratri 2026, will begin on March 19 and conclude on March 27 with the celebration of Ram Navami. As per Drik Panchang, the auspicious Ghatsthapana Muhurat falls early in the morning between 6:52 AM and 7:43 AM. For those who miss this window, the Abhijit Muhurat from 12:05 PM to 12:53 PM offers another opportunity to perform Kalash sthapana. If you are also preparing to celebrate the Navratri 2026 festival, here is all the important information you should know about the start date, the nine days, the Astami date and Ram Navami.

Chaitra Navratri 2026 Date March: When is Navratri starting?

Chaitra Navratri is not just about fasting and rituals. It also signals the beginning of the Hindu New Year, Vikram Samvat 2083, making it a spiritually significant reset for many families. Observed during the Shukla Paksha of the Chaitra month, the nine-day festival usually falls between late March and April.

While Sharad Navratri in autumn gets larger public celebrations, this spring version is often more personal—marked by puja, fasting, and a daily rhythm of devotion.

Why it is also called Ram Navratri

The festival is often referred to as Ram Navratri because it ends with the birth anniversary of Lord Rama. Ram Navami falls on the ninth day, tying the celebration of Goddess Durga with the life of Lord Rama in a single spiritual cycle.

Chaitra Navratri 2026: When is Ram Navami? Full Navratri Calender

Here is how the nine days line up in 2026:

• Day 1 – March 19 (Thursday) – Pratipada
• Day 2 – March 20 (Friday) – Dwitiya
• Day 3 – March 21 (Saturday) – Tritiya
• Day 4 – March 22 (Sunday) – Chaturthi
• Day 5 – March 23 (Monday) – Panchami
• Day 6 – March 24 (Tuesday) – Shashthi
• Day 7 – March 25 (Wednesday) – Saptami
• Day 8 – March 26 (Thursday) – Ashtami
• Day 9 – March 27 (Friday) – Navami

Chaitra Navratri is the first Navratri of the Hindu calendar year and is celebrated in the spring season. Devotees observe fasts from Pratipada to Navami and worship the nine forms of Goddess Durga, known as Navadurga.

Navratri Nine Godesses

The nine forms worshipped during the festival are:

• Shailputri
• Brahmacharini
• Chandraghanta
• Kushmanda
• Skandamata
• Katyayani
• Kalaratri
• Mahagauri
• Siddhidatri

Most rituals followed during Chaitra Navratri mirror those of the more widely celebrated Sharad Navratri. Devotees fast, perform daily prayers, and often wear colours associated with each day.

Yet, the tone of this Navratri remains distinct. It arrives with the onset of spring, when homes are quieter, and devotion takes a more inward turn, less spectacle, more stillness.

For many, it is nine days to pause, reset, and begin the year on a spiritual note.