Durga Ashtami: dates, muhurat and meaning.
The next Durga Ashtami is on Sunday, 18 October 2026. The date is computed from the classical panchang for Delhi (rule: shukla ashtami tithi prevailing at sunset). Below are the Durga Ashtami dates for 2026 and 2027, the day's shubh muhurat windows, and what the festival celebrates.
Durga Ashtami dates
What is Durga Ashtami?
On Maha Ashtami, Durga's battle with Mahishasura reaches its height. In Bengal the day's pushpanjali and the evening Sandhi Puja — offered in the exact 48-minute junction of Ashtami and Navami — are the most watched rites of the year.
Across North India, families observe kanjak: nine girls, the nine goddesses embodied, are fed halwa, puri and chana and given gifts.
Muhurat on Durga Ashtami
The signature timing is the Sandhi Puja at the Ashtami–Navami junction (the last 24 minutes of Ashtami and first 24 of Navami). The day's Abhijit Muhurat above serves daytime puja; the junction window is computed in the app.
| Window — 18 October 2026 | Time (IST) |
|---|---|
| Abhijit Muhurat (shubh for all works) | 11:43 AM – 12:29 PM |