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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