2026 Sharad Navratri Dates: 11–19 October, Dussehra on 20 October

The dates to put on a general calendar

For a general India calendar, use these separate entries:

What you are marking	Date	What the source establishes
Sharad Navratri begins	Sunday, 11 October 2026	Incredible India starts its festival listing on this date; Sringeri identifies it as Ashwayuja Shukla Pratipat
General Navratri festival range	11–19 October 2026	The Ministry of Tourism’s Incredible India page publishes this nine-night range
Dussehra/Vijay Dashmi holiday	Tuesday, 20 October 2026	India Post lists it under All India Holidays for 2026

The practical rule is to keep the Navratri range and the Dussehra holiday as two calendar entries. The India Post list does not label 20 October as a tenth Navratri night; it labels the date Dussehra (Vijay Dashmi).

Why an official temple calendar can end later

The dates above answer a general festival and holiday question. They do not replace a temple’s own programme.

Sringeri Sharada Peetham announces its Sharannavaratri Mahotsava from Ashwayuja Shukla Pratipat on 11 October through Ekadashi on 22 October. This does not turn the Incredible India range into an error. It shows that an institution’s programme can include observances beyond the nine-night range used by a national tourism listing.

The Shri Omkareshwar Mandir Trust’s 2026 festival calendar provides another locality-specific detail: it labels 19 October as Durga Ashtami / Navami and 20 October as Dussehra. That is useful when a reader needs the observance name attached to 19 October, but it remains the calendar of a temple in Madhya Pradesh rather than a universal tithi or puja timetable for every location.

Use the source that matches the task:

• For a general festival overview, use 11–19 October.
• For the all-India India Post holiday entry, use 20 October.
• For attendance at a temple or organised celebration, follow that organiser’s dated programme.

Why this page does not give one universal puja time

The national sources used for the date summary do not publish one clock time for Ghatasthapana or puja across India. A locality-specific schedule should identify both its place and its calculation basis before a time is reused.

The official Mysuru Dasara page demonstrates that requirement. It labels its times as IST and says its schedule is based on the Mysuru Palace, Ontikoppal and Melukote panchangas. Its 11 October opening puja and later Vijayadashami programme are Mysuru-specific. Those clock times should not be copied into a nationwide calendar or converted for another city without a corresponding local authority.

If you need a local ritual time, check the 2026 notice from the temple or festival authority you will actually follow. Record the city, time zone and named panchanga or institutional calendar with the time.

Which related guide should you use?

This page answers the general October date question. For both major 2026 Navratri seasons, use the separate Chaitra and Sharad Navratri calendar. For the Karnataka procession and palace programme, use the Mysuru Dasara schedule guide.

The concise answer remains: 11 October is the opening date, 11–19 October is the general Sharad Navratri range, and 20 October is the all-India Dussehra holiday listed by India Post. Local programmes can span different dates, so use their own schedules for attendance and ritual timing.