Navratri 2026 Day 1: Ghatasthapana Muhurat, Puja Vidhi and Today’s Colour

Navratri 2026 Day 1 at a Glance

Date: Sunday, October 11, 2026

Festival: Shardiya Navratri Day 1

Tithi: Shukla Pratipada

Day 1 deity: Maa Shailputri

Main ritual: Ghatasthapana or Kalash Sthapana

Today’s Navratri colour: Orange

New Delhi Ghatasthapana Muhurat: 6:19 AM to 10:12 AM

New Delhi Abhijit Muhurat: 11:44 AM to 12:31 PM

Hyderabad Ghatasthapana Muhurat: 6:08 AM to 10:05 AM

Hyderabad Abhijit Muhurat: 11:39 AM to 12:26 PM

Panchang reference: Drik Panchang

Shardiya Navratri continues through the festival period leading to Vijayadashami, or Dussehra, on October 20.

Why Does Navratri Begin on October 11 in 2026?

The calendar can occasionally create confusion because a Hindu tithi does not necessarily begin at midnight.

For Shardiya Navratri 2026, Drik Panchang records the Ashwina Shukla Pratipada Tithi as beginning at 9:19 PM on October 10 and ending at 9:30 PM on October 11.

Navratri observance begins on October 11, with Ghatasthapana performed on Pratipada according to the applicable muhurat.

That is why references to October 10 as the start of Pratipada should not be confused with the principal Navratri Day 1 observance, which falls on Sunday, October 11.

What Is Ghatasthapana?

Ghatasthapana is one of the principal opening rituals of Shardiya Navratri.

It is commonly known as Kalash Sthapana because the worship involves establishing a sacred kalash or pot at the puja place as part of the invocation of the Goddess.

Practices differ between families, traditions and regions, but Ghatasthapana traditionally marks the formal beginning of the Navratri worship period.

Timing is important in customary panchang practice. Drik Panchang recommends performing Ghatasthapana during the appropriate period of Pratipada, generally during the earlier part of the day, while also identifying an Abhijit Muhurat where applicable.

Anyone following a particular family sampradaya, temple tradition or regional panchang should continue to follow that tradition rather than treating a national online timetable as overriding local practice.

Ghatasthapana Muhurat 2026: Why Your City Matters

A common mistake in festival coverage is to describe a single muhurat as the exact timing for all of India.

Panchang timings can vary with location because sunrise and other calculations are city-specific.

For Navratri Day 1 in 2026, Drik Panchang gives:

Readers outside these cities should use a recognised panchang set to their own location for the precise local timing.

This is particularly useful for households planning the ritual around sunrise, work schedules or a visit to a temple.

Navratri Day 1 Puja Vidhi: A Simple Household Guide

The exact ritual can differ by community and family tradition. The following is a general sequence commonly followed for household Navratri worship rather than a replacement for a family priest or local religious tradition.

1. Prepare the puja area

Clean the place where the Navratri puja will be performed and arrange the required items before the muhurat begins.

A clean cloth or suitable puja platform can be used to establish the worship space.

1. Prepare the Kalash

The kalash is traditionally prepared according to family custom. Water and other customary sacred items may be placed in it, and leaves and a coconut are commonly used in many traditions.

The precise materials vary regionally, so families should follow the method they normally observe.

1. Perform Ghatasthapana during the appropriate muhurat

The Kalash is installed at the puja place during the applicable Ghatasthapana period.

Those who cannot perform the ritual during the principal period may check whether an appropriate Abhijit Muhurat is available for their location.

1. Worship Maa Shailputri

The first day of Navratri is dedicated to Maa Shailputri, regarded in the Navdurga tradition as the first of the nine forms worshipped during the festival.

Devotees may offer flowers, fruit, incense, a lamp and other customary puja offerings.

1. Offer prayers according to family tradition

Some households recite Durga prayers or other devotional texts, while others perform a simpler puja and aarti.

There is no need for readers to copy an unfamiliar elaborate ritual from the internet if their family or temple tradition follows a different established practice.

1. Observe fasting according to personal practice

Many devotees observe a Navratri fast, but the type and strictness of fasting differ widely.

Health, age, pregnancy, medication and other personal circumstances should take priority over unnecessarily strict fasting. Anyone with dietary or medical restrictions should follow appropriate professional advice.

Which Goddess Is Worshipped on Navratri Day 1?

Day 1 is associated with Maa Shailputri.

Her name is commonly understood as “daughter of the mountain,” and she is worshipped as the first form in the Navdurga sequence.

For many devotees, the first day represents the ceremonial beginning of nine days of worship, discipline and devotion.

The religious meaning attached to individual forms of Durga can vary in wording across regional and devotional traditions, so broad symbolic descriptions should not be mistaken for a single compulsory interpretation.

What Is Today’s Navratri Colour?

The widely followed Navratri colour for Sunday, October 11, 2026 is orange.

The nine-colour custom is particularly popular in places such as Maharashtra and Gujarat and has spread widely through community celebrations and social media.

Drik Panchang explains that the colour allocation follows the weekday sequence.

Wearing the colour is a popular festival custom rather than a requirement for participating in Navratri worship. Devotees can observe the festival irrespective of whether they wear the suggested colour.

Navratri 2026 Nine-Day Colour Calendar

Here is the 2026 sequence listed by Drik Panchang:

One important calendar detail is worth noting: the convenient “Day 1 to Day 9” colour sequence does not mean that every lunar tithi changes neatly once each calendar morning.

In Drik Panchang's 2026 calendar, Saptami extends across the October 17–18 period, while Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami observances converge on October 19. This is why readers may encounter apparently different festival-day descriptions even when the colour calendar itself remains the same.

Day 2 Tomorrow: White Is the Navratri Colour for October 12

Day 2 tomorrow falls on Monday, October 12, and the colour assigned in the 2026 Navratri colour sequence is white.

Day 2 is associated with Maa Brahmacharini in the Navdurga tradition.

A dedicated Day 2 Rajatheertha guide can cover the local puja timings, Maa Brahmacharini worship, white colour significance and the next stage of the Navratri calendar.

Once that article is published, this Day 2 reference should be linked directly to the dedicated Rajatheertha page so readers following the festival day by day can move naturally through the series.

Important Dates After Navratri Begins

The opening of Navratri is only the start of a festival period that continues through several major observances.

According to the 2026 Drik Panchang calendar, Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami fall on October 19, while Vijayadashami or Dussehra falls on October 20.

That calendar pattern is slightly different from years in which Ashtami and Navami are more clearly separated across different sunrise dates.

Regional Durga Puja practices can also follow specific rules, particularly in West Bengal and other eastern states. Readers planning temple visits, Sandhi Puja or Durga Visarjan should therefore confirm the schedule followed by the temple or organising committee they intend to visit.

Is Navratri 2026 Nine Days or Ten Calendar Dates?

This is another point that can confuse readers.

The familiar expression “nine nights” refers to Navratri itself and the Navdurga worship tradition. But a lunar tithi and a civil calendar date do not always align in a simple one-day-to-one-tithi pattern.

Drik Panchang's 2026 Navratri calendar begins with Ghatasthapana on October 11 and continues through October 20, when Navratri Parana, Durga Visarjan and Vijayadashami are listed.

The popular nine-colour sequence, meanwhile, runs from October 11 to October 19.

Therefore, readers should distinguish between:

• The nine Navratri colour days
• The underlying lunar tithis
• Regional Durga Puja observances
• Vijayadashami or Dussehra

They are closely connected but are not always interchangeable calendar labels.

What Should Devotees Avoid While Checking Online Muhurat Information?

The most important precaution is to check the location attached to the timing.

A webpage may rank highly in search results while showing a muhurat calculated for Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad or another city.

Readers should not assume that every published minute applies identically nationwide.

It is also sensible to distinguish established panchang information from viral claims about “rare yogas,” guaranteed prosperity, financial rewards or other predictions. Religious observance can be reported accurately without presenting astrological predictions as established facts.

For practical puja planning, the most useful details are the date, tithi, location-specific muhurat and the tradition followed by the household or temple.

Navratri 2026: What Comes Next?

With Ghatasthapana on October 11, devotees now move into the day-by-day Navdurga worship period.

Monday, October 12 is Day 2, associated with Maa Brahmacharini, and white is the colour in the widely followed 2026 sequence.

The colour calendar then moves through red, royal blue, yellow, green, grey, purple and peacock green before the festival reaches its major closing observances.

For readers planning ahead, the most important dates to remember are:

• October 11: Navratri begins and Ghatasthapana
• October 12: Day 2 and Maa Brahmacharini worship
• October 19: Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami in the 2026 Drik Panchang calendar
• October 20: Vijayadashami or Dussehra

Because individual ritual timings depend on location, devotees should check a recognised panchang configured for their city before beginning a time-sensitive puja.

For Day 1, however, the essential details are straightforward: Shardiya Navratri begins today, October 11, Maa Shailputri is worshipped, orange is the colour of the day, and Ghatasthapana marks the ceremonial opening of the festival.

Key Takeaway

Shardiya Navratri begins October 11 with Ghatasthapana.

Day 1: Maa Shailputri | Colour: Orange.

Check city-specific muhurat (Delhi & Hyderabad timings given).

Nine-day colour calendar and key dates through Dussehra included.