Sharad Navratri 2026 colours: 11 October Orange, 12 October White, 13 October Red, 14 October Royal Blue, 15 October Yellow, 16 October Green, 17 October Grey, 18 October Purple, 19 October Peacock Green. The list is Drik Panchang’s. Wearing the colour of the day is not a scriptural rule but a modern custom, kept especially in Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Colour by day
| Date | Colour | Devi | Tithi (at sunrise) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday, 11 October | Orange | ShailputriGhatasthapana | Pratipada |
| Monday, 12 October | White | Brahmacharini | Dwitiya |
| Tuesday, 13 October | Red | Chandraghanta | Tritiya |
| Wednesday, 14 October | Royal Blue | Kushmanda | Chaturthi |
| Thursday, 15 October | Yellow | Skandamata | Panchami |
| Friday, 16 October | Green | Katyayani | Shashthi |
| Saturday, 17 October | Grey | Kalaratri | Saptami |
| Sunday, 18 October | Purple | —This year Saptami holds at two sunrises | Saptami (a second day), Ashtami from the morning |
| Monday, 19 October | Peacock Green | Mahagauri, SiddhidatriDurga Ashtami, Kanya Puja, Sandhi Puja and Maha Navami | Ashtami, Navami from late morning |
| Tuesday, 20 October | — | —Navratri Parana, Vijayadashami (Dussehra) | Navami |
Tithis are at New Delhi sunrise. In other cities the times move by a few minutes; the days stay the same.
A picture for each day, for your WhatsApp status
Save the day’s picture each morning for your status: the colour, the devi and the date.
How the colours are chosen
According to Drik Panchang, the colour of the first day depends on the weekday Navratri begins on; this year the first day is a Sunday, so orange. The following days go in a fixed order. The colours of the eighth and ninth days (purple and peacock green) do not follow the weekday, so each year’s list has to be checked on its own.
Where the custom comes from
No scripture lays down a colour for each day of Navratri. According to a 2016 article in The Quint, the custom began in 2003 as a campaign of the Marathi newspaper Maharashtra Times, which linked each day’s colour to that day’s devi. Today it is kept especially in Maharashtra and Gujarat, and several newspapers print the list every year. No colour is required for the puja.
Frequently asked questions
What is the colour of the first day of Navratri 2026?
Orange. The first day is Sunday, 11 October, the day of Ghatasthapana and the worship of Maa Shailputri.
How are the Navratri colours chosen?
According to Drik Panchang, the first colour depends on the weekday on which Navratri begins, and the other days follow a fixed cycle. The colours of the eighth and ninth days do not follow the weekday, so check each year’s list.
Are the Navratri colours given in the scriptures?
No, it is a modern custom. According to a 2016 article in The Quint, it began in 2003 as a campaign of the Marathi newspaper Maharashtra Times.
Which devi is worshipped on 18 October?
This year Saptami holds at sunrise on both 17 and 18 October, so Drik Panchang names no separate devi for 18 October. Ashtami begins that morning at about 8:27; Mahagauri is worshipped on 19 October.
When is Maa Siddhidatri worshipped?
Drik Panchang puts the Maha Navami puja of 2026 on 19 October, because Ashtami ends at about 10:51 AM that day and Navami begins. Navami holds at sunrise on 20 October. Follow your family’s custom.
Sources
- Drik Panchang: Sharad Navratri 2026 calendar and the nine Navratri colours (New Delhi)
- The Quint, 9 October 2016: article on how the Navratri colours began (Maharashtra Times, 2003)
- Tithi: SanatanBodh panchang calculation, at New Delhi sunrise
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