Navratri 2026 Colours: Complete Day-Wise Outfit Guide

Shardiya Navratri 2026 begins on Sunday, October 11, and ends on Monday, October 19, with Vijayadashami (Dussehra) on Tuesday, October 20. The nine Navratri colours for 2026 are orange, white, red, royal blue, yellow, green, grey, purple and peacock green, one for each day, starting with orange because the festival opens on a Sunday.

Navratri 2026 Dates and Colours

Day	Date	Navratri Colour	Goddess
1	Sun, Oct 11	Orange	Maa Shailputri
2	Mon, Oct 12	White	Maa Brahmacharini
3	Tue, Oct 13	Red	Maa Chandraghanta
4	Wed, Oct 14	Royal Blue	Maa Kushmanda
5	Thu, Oct 15	Yellow	Maa Skandamata
6	Fri, Oct 16	Green	Maa Katyayani
7	Sat, Oct 17	Grey	Maa Kalaratri
8	Sun, Oct 18	Purple	Maa Mahagauri
9	Mon, Oct 19	Peacock Green	Maa Siddhidatri

What Are the Nine Navratri Colours in 2026?

The nine Navratri colours for 2026 are orange, white, red, royal blue, yellow, green, grey, purple and peacock green, corresponding to the nine days from October 11 to October 19.

Why Do Navratri Colours Change Every Year?

The commonly followed Navratri colour sequence is linked to the weekday on which each day of the festival falls: Sunday is orange, Monday is white, Tuesday is red, Wednesday is royal blue, Thursday is yellow, Friday is green and Saturday is grey. Because Navratri runs for nine nights and a week has only seven days, the final two days add purple and peacock green to complete the cycle. Since Navratri 2026 opens on a Sunday, the sequence starts with orange, and next year’s sequence will shift depending on where the festival falls on the calendar.

The day-wise colour tradition is a popular custom rather than a compulsory religious rule, and colour choices can vary by region, community and household.

Navratri 2026 Day-Wise Colours and Outfit Ideas

Day 1 Navratri Colour: Orange (October 11, 2026) Goddess: Maa Shailputri What to wear: Orange kurta, saree or mirror-work chaniya choli

The festival opens with Ghatasthapana and the worship of Maa Shailputri, who represents grounding at the start of the nine days. A block-printed cotton kurta works for the daytime puja, while an orange saree with gold zari or a mirror-work chaniya choli carries the colour into an evening Garba.

Day 2 Navratri Colour: White (October 12, 2026) Goddess: Maa Brahmacharini What to wear: White chikankari kurta set or a white saree with a coloured border

White is associated with Maa Brahmacharini’s discipline and restraint. A plain white saree with a coloured border keeps the look festive without competing with jewellery, which also makes it a practical choice for a day that involves a family puja.

Day 3 Navratri Colour: Red (October 13, 2026) Goddess: Maa Chandraghanta What to wear: Red Banarasi saree, red-and-gold lehenga or a red kurti with statement earrings

Red marks Maa Chandraghanta, the warrior form of the goddess. It’s commonly said that red and yellow are auspicious on any day of Navratri, so either is a dependable choice if you’re unsure which colour a particular day calls for.

Day 4 Navratri Colour: Royal Blue (October 14, 2026) Goddess: Maa Kushmanda What to wear: Royal blue lehenga or blue silk saree, paired with silver jewellery

Royal blue is linked to Maa Kushmanda. Pairing it with silver rather than gold jewellery gives the outfit a more contemporary edge for an evening Garba.

Day 5 Navratri Colour: Yellow (October 15, 2026) Goddess: Maa Skandamata What to wear: Mustard-yellow kurta or a yellow chaniya choli with oxidised jewellery

Yellow marks Maa Skandamata, the motherly form of the goddess, and is the second colour commonly considered auspicious on any day of the festival alongside red.

Day 6 Navratri Colour: Green (October 16, 2026) Goddess: Maa Katyayani What to wear: Emerald or bottle-green silk saree, or a lighter sea-green kurta set for daytime

Green represents growth for Maa Katyayani. Bottle-green silk sarees are the traditional festive choice, and green pairs well with kundan jewellery for an evening look.

Day 7 Navratri Colour: Grey (October 17, 2026) Goddess: Maa Kalaratri What to wear: Grey-and-silver saree, or a silver-toned outfit if grey isn’t in your wardrobe

Grey marks Maa Kalaratri. If you don’t have anything grey, a silver or metallic outfit gives a similar effect without needing a separate purchase.

Day 8 Navratri Colour: Purple (October 18, 2026) Goddess: Maa Mahagauri What to wear: Purple silk saree or a deep-violet lehenga with gold jewellery

Purple is associated with Maa Mahagauri. This day falls on Durga Ashtami, which brings additional puja and Kanya Pujan rituals in many households, so the outfit needs to work for both the ritual and an evening celebration.

Day 9 Navratri Colour: Peacock Green (October 19, 2026) Goddess: Maa Siddhidatri What to wear: Peacock-green dupatta over a plain kurta, or a teal saree for a closing Garba night

The festival closes with Maa Siddhidatri. Peacock green is a teal-leaning shade that’s less common in everyday wardrobes, so a dupatta or stole in the colour is an easy way to mark the day without buying a full outfit.

How to Follow the Navratri Colours Without Buying 9 Outfits

Style shortcut: You don’t need nine outfits for nine colours. Change the colour through a dupatta, blouse, jewellery or another accessory, and repeat two or three festive pieces across the week.

A practical nine-day approach:

• Repeat neutral base pieces. A white saree, a red lehenga and a green kurta set can carry you through most of the week with small changes.
• Change the dupatta. A single kurta or saree can be restyled with a dupatta in the day’s colour.
• Swap the blouse. For sarees, a different blouse colour is often enough to match the day without changing the saree itself.
• Use jewellery for colour. Stone-set jewellery in the day’s shade works over a neutral outfit.
• Add colour through footwear or a stole. Useful for the harder-to-source shades like grey and peacock green.

If you’re planning full Garba looks rather than a colour-of-the-day approach, our Navratri Outfit Ideas for Women guide covers sarees, lehengas and contemporary ethnic looks across the festival, and What to Wear for Garba Night has more on comfortable outfits built for dancing through the evening. The same restyle-don’t-rebuy logic is covered in more depth in our capsule wardrobe guide for Indian women, and if your festive dressing carries on into the next big occasion, our Ganesh Chaturthi outfit guide takes the same practical approach.

For accessories that work across multiple colours without a new outfit each day, see our Navratri Jewellery Ideas guide. For more from this pillar, browse Style Edit.

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FAQ

What are the nine colours of Navratri 2026? Orange, white, red, royal blue, yellow, green, grey, purple and peacock green, for the nine days from October 11 to October 19, 2026.

What is the first colour of Navratri 2026? Orange, worn on Day 1, October 11, 2026, for Maa Shailputri.

What is the last colour of Navratri 2026? Peacock green, worn on Day 9, October 19, 2026, for Maa Siddhidatri.

Why are Navratri colours different every year? The sequence is tied to the weekday each day of Navratri falls on, not to the date itself, so it shifts depending on which weekday the festival opens on each year.

Is it compulsory to wear the Navratri colour of the day? No. It’s a popular custom rather than a religious requirement, and practices vary by region, community and household.

What if I don’t own the colour of the day? Red and yellow are commonly considered auspicious on any day if you’re unsure, and a dupatta, jewellery or accessory in the day’s shade is enough if you’d rather not buy a full outfit.

Can I repeat a Navratri outfit across the nine days? Yes. Changing the colour through a dupatta, blouse or jewellery is a common way to follow the daily colours without a new outfit each day.

When is Durga Ashtami in 2026? October 18, 2026, which is also Day 8 of Navratri and the day for the colour purple.

When is Dussehra (Vijayadashami) in 2026? Tuesday, October 20, 2026, the day after Navratri ends.