HinduCalendar.in New Delhi

Maha Navami

Also called Durga Navami, Navami Homa

When

Tuesday, 20 October 2026 in 40 days

New Delhi ยท change location

Sunrise6:28 AM
Sunset5:42 PM
Navami until 12:50 PM
at sunrise. This observance is governed by udaya, not by the sunrise tithi โ€” which is why the tithi named here is often not the one the festival is named for.
Shravana until 6:02 PM
2:54 PM โ€“ 4:18 PM

See the complete panchang for that day โ†’

Governed by udaya

Why this date?

Ashwin Shukla Navami, taken at sunrise. Because Vijayadashami is taken at APARAHNA โ€” the afternoon โ€” Navami at sunrise and Dashami by the afternoon can fall on the SAME civil day, and in such years this site shows Maha Navami and Vijayadashami together while the eastern Bijoya Dashami, taken at sunrise, sits on the following day. That is three observances resolving from two consecutive tithis by three different rules, and it is not an error.

  • Computed by the panchanga engine for your location
  • Follows a written selection rule, not a copied list
  • The governing period is stated, and the rule is applied to it
  • The written guide has not yet been reviewed by a named scholar

Dates come from the calculation engine and are independent of the written guide. How we calculate โ†’

Dates in the coming years

Published to 2030. Later years appear as the dataset is extended and validated.

What In short

The ninth day and the last of the puja proper. The Navami homa is offered, and in the south this is commonly the day of the Ayudha and Saraswati worship of tools, instruments and books.

Why The reason behind it

Navami is when the battle ends โ€” Mahishasura falls, and the Goddess is Mahishasuramardini. The homa on this day is the offering that closes the nine nights, and everything on the tenth is aftermath: the victory procession, the immersion, the return.

Traditional basis

Devi Mahatmya, Mahishasura-vadha โ€” The killing of Mahishasura, which Navami commemorates.

Durga Puja paddhati on the Navami homa โ€” Prescribes the concluding fire offering of the nine nights.

How At home, step by step

  1. The Navami homa is offered where the household or pandal performs it.
  2. In the south, tools, instruments, vehicles and books are arranged and worshipped.
  3. Where the nine-day fast has been kept to the end, it is broken after the Navami puja.
What you'll need
  • Homa materials where the fire offering is made
  • Red hibiscus and flowers
  • Tools, instruments and books for the Ayudha arrangement
  • A ghee lamp
Fasting and breaking the fast

The second of the two most-kept fasting days; commonly broken after the Navami puja or the kanya pujan.

Fasting guidance here describes traditional practice. It is not medical advice โ€” if you are pregnant, diabetic, on medication or unwell, ask a doctor about your own circumstances.

Personal In your region

For children

The ninth day, when Durga finally defeats the buffalo demon. In the south this is when tools, instruments and school books are all put out and honoured.

Common questions

Why does the site sometimes show Maha Navami and Dussehra on the same day?
Because they are selected by different parts of the day. Maha Navami takes the day whose SUNRISE is in Navami; Vijayadashami takes the day whose AFTERNOON is in Dashami. When Navami ends around midday both land together, and the eastern Bijoya Dashami โ€” taken at sunrise โ€” then falls the day after.

Not the same day

These fall nearby or share the tithi, and are often confused with this observance. They are separate, and this site dates them separately.

This guide has not yet been reviewed by a named scholar or practising priest. The dates and times on this page come from the calculation engine and are independent of it; the explanatory text is editorial and may not reflect your family's practice. Tell us if something is wrong.