Navratri is a nine-day Hindu festival that actually comes multiple times a year, but the most widely celebrated one is in early autumn (usually September–October).

For the upcoming major Navratri in 2026 , the key sets of dates are:

  • Chaitra Navratri 2026 (spring Navratri) : 19 March 2026 (Thursday) to 27 March 2026 (Friday).
  • Sharad / Maha Navratri 2026 (main autumn Navratri) : 11 October 2026 (Sunday) to 19 October 2026 (Monday) as the nine days, with Dussehra/Vijayadashami on 20 October 2026 (Tuesday).

Quick Scoop: What “Navratri” Means

  • The word Navratri literally means “nine nights” and is dedicated to Goddess Durga and her nine forms.
  • The best-known celebration is the Sharad/Maha Navratri in the lunar month of Ashwin (falls around September–October in the Gregorian calendar).
  • In 2026, Hindu calendars list multiple Navratris :
    • Chaitra Navratri: 19–27 March 2026.
* Sharad (Maha) Navratri: 11–19 October 2026 (with Dussehra on 20 October).

* There are also **Gupt Navratris** (more for specific spiritual observances) mentioned for 2026, such as Ashadha Gupt Navratri in July.

Here’s a simple HTML table summarizing the main 2026 Navratri dates (Indian calendar context):

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Navratri type</th>
      <th>Start date (2026)</th>
      <th>End date (2026)</th>
      <th>Notes</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Chaitra Navratri</td>
      <td>19 March 2026 (Thursday)</td>
      <td>27 March 2026 (Friday)</td>
      <td>Spring Navratri; includes Ram Navami on the last day. [web:1][web:3][web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Sharad / Maha Navratri</td>
      <td>11 October 2026 (Sunday)</td>
      <td>19 October 2026 (Monday)</td>
      <td>Main autumn Navratri; Dussehra/Vijayadashami on 20 October 2026. [web:1][web:3][web:5][web:7][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

A quick mental picture

Imagine the festive season in India as a long arc: Sharad Navratri kicks it off with nine nights of garba, dandiya, and Durga puja, then flows into Dussehra and finally Diwali.

If you’re asking in general, “when is Navratri?”, most people mean this Sharad/Maha Navratri in early autumn , which in 2026 runs from 11 to 19 October.

TL;DR :

  • General answer: Navratri is a nine-day Hindu festival, mainly in September–October each year.
  • In 2026:
    • Chaitra Navratri: 19–27 March.
* Sharad/Maha Navratri: 11–19 October (Dussehra on 20 October).

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.