Festival muhurat
Chaitra Navratri 2026 Ghatasthapana
Chaitra Navratri 2026 begins on Thursday, 19 March 2026 with Ghatasthapana. The muhurat in New Delhi is 6:54 am – 10:28 am, and the Abhijit muhurat 12:05 pm – 12:53 pm. Pratipada times and timings for 15 cities.
Chaitra Navratri · in New Delhi
Thursday, 19 March 2026
Ghatasthapana muhurat
6:54 am – 10:28 am
3 hr 34 min
Abhijit muhurat
12:05 pm – 12:53 pm
48 min
- Pratipada begins
- 6:54 am
- Pratipada ends
- 4:53 am, 20 Mar
Timings in other cities
| City | Date | Ghatasthapana muhurat | Abhijit muhurat |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Delhi | Thu, 19 Mar | 6:54 am – 10:28 am | 12:05 pm – 12:53 pm |
| Mumbai | Thu, 19 Mar | 6:54 am – 10:45 am | 12:22 pm – 1:11 pm |
| Kolkata | Thu, 19 Mar | 6:54 am – 9:44 am | 11:20 am – 12:09 pm |
| Chennai | Thu, 19 Mar | 6:54 am – 10:16 am | 11:53 am – 12:41 pm |
| Bengaluru | Thu, 19 Mar | 6:54 am – 10:27 am | 12:03 pm – 12:52 pm |
| Hyderabad | Thu, 19 Mar | 6:54 am – 10:23 am | 12:00 pm – 12:48 pm |
| Pune | Thu, 19 Mar | 6:54 am – 10:42 am | 12:18 pm – 1:07 pm |
| Ahmedabad | Thu, 19 Mar | 6:54 am – 10:47 am | 12:23 pm – 1:12 pm |
| Jaipur | Thu, 19 Mar | 6:54 am – 10:34 am | 12:11 pm – 12:59 pm |
| Lucknow | Thu, 19 Mar | 6:54 am – 10:13 am | 11:50 am – 12:38 pm |
| Chandigarh | Thu, 19 Mar | 6:54 am – 10:30 am | 12:07 pm – 12:55 pm |
| Patna | Thu, 19 Mar | 6:54 am – 9:57 am | 11:33 am – 12:22 pm |
| Varanasi | Thu, 19 Mar | 6:54 am – 10:05 am | 11:42 am – 12:30 pm |
| Ranchi | Thu, 19 Mar | 6:54 am – 9:56 am | 11:33 am – 12:21 pm |
| Bhopal | Thu, 19 Mar | 6:54 am – 10:27 am | 12:04 pm – 12:53 pm |
Each city's timings come from its own sunrise, sunset, moonrise and lagna, in Indian Standard Time.
Timings outside India (local time)
| City | Date | Ghatasthapana muhurat | Abhijit muhurat |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | Thu, 19 Mar | 7:01 am – 11:03 am | 12:40 pm – 1:28 pm |
| Edison, New Jersey | Thu, 19 Mar | 7:03 am – 11:05 am | 12:41 pm – 1:30 pm |
| Chicago | Thu, 19 Mar | 6:55 am – 10:58 am | 12:34 pm – 1:23 pm |
| Houston | Thu, 19 Mar | 7:26 am – 11:28 am | 1:05 pm – 1:54 pm |
| San Francisco | Thu, 19 Mar | 7:14 am – 11:17 am | 12:53 pm – 1:42 pm |
| Toronto | Thu, 19 Mar | 7:22 am – 11:25 am | 1:01 pm – 1:50 pm |
| London | Thu, 19 Mar | 6:06 am – 10:08 am | 11:45 am – 12:33 pm |
| Dubai | Thu, 19 Mar | 6:24 am – 10:26 am | 12:03 pm – 12:51 pm |
| Singapore | Fri, 20 Mar | 7:09 am – 7:23 am | 12:48 pm – 1:36 pm |
| Sydney | Fri, 20 Mar | 6:58 am – 10:23 am | 12:38 pm – 1:27 pm |
Each city's timings use its own sunrise, sunset, moonrise and lagna, in local time with daylight saving where it applies. The tithi is judged by local sunrise and sunset, so the festival can fall on a different date abroad than in India.
Chaitra Navratri begins on Shukla Pratipada of Chaitra, in spring. It is also the first day of the Hindu new year (Vikram Samvat), Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra and Ugadi in the south. Durga is worshipped in her nine forms over the nine days, and the ninth is Ram Navami.
Ghatasthapana is done in the first third of the day while Pratipada lasts, avoiding Vaidhriti yoga and Chitra nakshatra. If that is not possible, the Abhijit muhurat at midday is used, except on a Wednesday.
Times for Indian cities are Indian Standard Time; times abroad are local time. They match established panchangs to within a minute or two. For a city not listed, the nearest city is usually within a few minutes.
Festival and vrat calendars
Read in the puja
- Durga Chalisa
The forty-verse prayer to Maa Durga, read in Navratri and on Fridays and Ashtami for strength and protection.
Durga Aarti - Ram Chalisa
The prayer to Shri Ram, read on Ram Navami, in Chaitra Navratri and on Thursdays, praising the power of his name.
Shri Ramchandra Kripalu
FAQ
Chaitra Navratri FAQs
When is Ghatasthapana in Chaitra Navratri 2026?
On Thursday, 19 March 2026. The Ghatasthapana muhurat in New Delhi is 6:54 am – 10:28 am, and Pratipada runs from 6:54 am to 4:53 am, 20 Mar.
What is the difference between Chaitra and Shardiya Navratri?
Both worship the nine forms of Durga. Chaitra Navratri comes in spring with the new year and ends on Ram Navami; Shardiya Navratri comes in autumn and ends with Dussehra.
Is the muhurat the same in every city?
No. It depends on local sunrise. The timings for 15 cities are given above.
When is Chaitra Navratri 2026 in the USA, UK and other countries?
New York: Thursday, 19 March 2026, Ghatasthapana muhurat 7:01 am – 11:03 am. London: Thursday, 19 March 2026, Ghatasthapana muhurat 6:06 am – 10:08 am. Times are local. The table above lists Edison, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, Toronto, Dubai, Singapore and Sydney.