Festivals · 2026

Sharad Navratri 2026: The Computed Date, Tithi and Muhurat

By Dr. R.P. Sharma, Vedic astrologer since 1979 · timings computed on real sidereal positions

Why 11 October: Ghatasthapana requires the pratipada at sunrise. The pratipada begins only at 21:22 IST on 10 October (the 10th is Amavasya all day) and prevails at sunrise on the 11th — so Sharad Navratri 2026 begins Sunday, 11 October, and Ghatasthapana is done that morning.

Sharad Navratri 2026 falls on Sunday, 11 October 2026. The governing tithi — the nine nights of the Devi beginning on Ashwina Shukla Pratipada — runs from 10-10-2026 21:20 IST to 11-10-2026 21:32 IST, computed from the ephemeris with the Lahiri ayanamsa, the way a Panchang actually derives it. The observance follows the sunrise-prevailing (udaya) tithi.

The nine nights run to 18 October, with Vijayadashami following — see Dussehra 2026.

How the day is kept

Ghatasthapana is done while the Pratipada holds the morning — the kalash is established, and the nine nights unfold to Vijayadashami.

Why the tithi window matters more than the date

A Hindu festival is not a civil date; it is a tithi caught at a particular quality of time — the sunrise-prevailing (udaya) tithi here. When the tithi straddles two days, the rule decides the day, which is why two neighbouring calendars sometimes disagree while both cite the same sky. The window printed above is the actual astronomy; the rule applied to it is the tradition. Together they give you the answer the forwards never explain. For the method itself, see our muhurat & festivals guide.

See also: Navratri 2026 worldwide — Ghatasthapana time in your city.

See also: 28 August 2026 Grahan Time In India.

See also: August 28, 2026 Lunar Eclipse In India.