3 min read Navratri 2026 Preparation Checklist - Everything You Need for 9 Days of Puja, Fasting and Garba
Navratri is nine days - nine mornings of fasting, nine evenings of puja, nine nights of garba, one Kanya Puja, and one Dussehra.
Navratri is nine days - nine mornings of fasting, nine evenings of puja, nine nights of garba, one Kanya Puja, and one Dussehra. The preparation needs to work across all of it. This checklist organises everything week by week so nothing is missing and nobody is scrambling.
Navratri 2026 - Day-by-Day at a Glance
|
Date |
Day |
Focus |
Devi |
Colour |
|
11 Oct |
Day 1 - Ghatasthapana |
Puja begins, Kalash installed |
Shailaputri |
Yellow |
|
12 Oct |
Day 2 |
Daily puja + Akhand Jyoti |
Brahmacharini |
Green |
|
13 Oct |
Day 3 |
Puja + garba |
Chandraghanta |
Grey |
|
14 Oct |
Day 4 |
Puja + garba |
Kushmanda |
Orange |
|
15 Oct |
Day 5 |
Puja + garba |
Skandamata |
White |
|
16 Oct |
Day 6 |
Puja + garba |
Katyayani |
Red |
|
17 Oct |
Ashtami - Kanya Puja |
Worship of 9 girls |
Kalaratri |
Blue |
|
18 Oct |
Navami - Havan |
Final major puja and havan |
Mahagauri |
Pink |
|
19 Oct |
Day 9 - Celebration |
Navami Utsav, farewell |
Siddhidatri |
Purple |
|
20 Oct |
Dussehra |
Ravan Dahan, new beginnings |
Vijay! |
Red/Saffron |
3 WEEKS BEFORE - Week of 20 September 2026
Ghatasthapana Setup - The Most Important Purchase
- Copper or clay kalash (pot)
- Mango leaves to place around the mouth of the kalash
- Coconut for the top
- Barley seeds (jau) or wheat - planted in the kalash and sprouted over 9 days
- Red cloth for the platform
- Image or idol of Maa Durga for the altar
Garba Outfits - Order This Week
- Custom-stitched chaniya choli: order now - tailors fully booked by late September
- Ready-to-wear: order online by 27 September for delivery before 11 October
- Children's garba outfits: comfortable, not tight - they will be dancing 2-3 hours
- Dandiya sticks: available at festival markets or online from October
2 WEEKS BEFORE - Week of 27 September 2026
Puja Samagri List
|
Fresh flowers daily - arrange weekly delivery or daily market purchase Diyas - 9 minimum for nine days plus extras for the akhand jyoti (continuous flame) Agarbatti: sandalwood, jasmine, rose Kumkum, haldi, chandan Coconut - 1 for Ghatasthapana + daily offerings Mauli / sacred red thread Barley seeds (jau) to sow in the Ghatasthapana pot on Day 1 Durga Saptashati or Durga Chalisa book for daily recitation Halwa, puri, kala chana for Kanya Puja - plan for 9 girls Small gifts for Kanya Puja: bangles, hair clips, dupattas, stationery - buy this week |
Fasting Food Grocery List
|
Sabudana (tapioca pearls) - for khichdi and kheer Kuttu atta (buckwheat flour) - for puri and pancakes Singhada atta (water chestnut flour) - for halwa and rotis Rock salt (sendha namak) - the only salt used during Navratri vrat Potatoes and sweet potatoes - the most versatile fasting vegetables Curd - for raita and as a meal component Milk, cream - for kheer, lassi, shrikhand Dry fruits and nuts - for sustained energy on fasting days Fruits: banana, apple, pear, pomegranate - for daily fruit meal Makhana (fox nuts) - roast with ghee for a quick satvik snack |
1 WEEK BEFORE - Week of 4 October 2026
- Deep clean the home - particularly puja area, entrance, and main gathering space
- Set up the altar and decoration - rangoli, diyas, flowers, idol setup
- Confirm Kanya Puja logistics - invite 9 girls ages 2-10 from your building or family
- Decide which evenings are community garba vs. home garba nights
- Confirm family logistics: who is coming for which days, meal planning
DAY BEFORE - 10 October 2026
- Soak barley seeds overnight - to be sown in the Ghatasthapana pot on Day 1 morning
- Arrange Ghatasthapana items on a tray - ready to use at first light
- Set out Day 1 outfit
- Prepare Day 1 fasting meals in advance - sabudana can be soaked overnight
- Charge any LED dandiya sticks
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Tip: Grow the barley (jau) in a clay pot on Day 1 and let your child water it every morning. By Day 9, they will have watched something come alive. That is Navratri.
What's your family's most-loved Navratri tradition? Tell us!
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