Posted by Soultheory Editorial Team
on August 02, 2026
The Navratri 2026 colours run orange, white, red, royal blue, yellow, green, grey, purple and peacock green - one shade for each of the nine days from 11 to 19 October 2026. Sharad Navratri 2026 begins on Sunday, 11 October and ends on Maha Navami, Monday, 19 October, with Vijayadashami on Tuesday, 20 October. Nine nights, nine forms of the Goddess, and nine colours that lakhs of Indian families dress in, day by day.
Most colour guides stop at the outfit. This one goes one step further: for each of the nine days, we map the traditional colour to a stone in that same shade, so your bracelet quietly matches your saree, your kurta, or your garba outfit without you thinking about it every morning.
When is Navratri 2026?
Sharad Navratri 2026 starts with Ghatasthapana on Sunday, 11 October 2026 and ends on Maha Navami, Monday, 19 October 2026. Dussehra (Vijayadashami) follows on Tuesday, 20 October 2026.
| Day | Date (2026) | Weekday | Navdurga form | Key observance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 October | Sunday | Shailputri | Ghatasthapana |
| 2 | 12 October | Monday | Brahmacharini | - |
| 3 | 13 October | Tuesday | Chandraghanta | - |
| 4 | 14 October | Wednesday | Kushmanda | - |
| 5 | 15 October | Thursday | Skandamata | Lalita Panchami |
| 6 | 16 October | Friday | Katyayani | Saraswati Avahan |
| 7 | 17 October | Saturday | Kalaratri | Saraswati Puja |
| 8 | 18 October | Sunday | Mahagauri | Ashtami tithi begins (8:28 AM) |
| 9 | 19 October | Monday | Siddhidatri | Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami |
Every Navratri 2026 guide in one place
Every Navratri ritual guide, in date order.
| Date (2026) | Observance and guide |
|---|---|
| 10 - 11 Oct | Golu padi set-up |
| Sun 11 Oct | Ghatasthapana and kalash sthapana |
| 11 - 19 Oct | Nine-day vrat (fast) |
| 11 - 20 Oct | Golu visits and return gifts |
| 17 - 21 Oct | Durga Puja and sindoor khela (Bengal) |
| Mon 19 Oct | Durga Ashtami and kanya pujan |
| Mon 19 Oct | Ayudha Puja (South India) |
| Tue 20 Oct | Dussehra (Vijayadashami) and shami puja |
For one bead across all nine days, the 9 mukhi rudraksha is traditionally linked to Goddess Durga.
Why colours matter during Navratri
The nine Navratri colours are a modern devotional custom, not a Vedic injunction. The sequence is set by the weekday each day falls on: Sunday is orange, Monday white, Tuesday red, Wednesday royal blue, Thursday yellow, Friday green, Saturday grey. Because Navratri 2026 opens on a Sunday, the nine-day palette runs orange first and closes on peacock green.
The colours are read as moods of the Goddess: red for shakti, white for stillness, yellow for brightness, grey for the fierce form that clears obstacles.
This is where stones fit in naturally. If you already wear a crystal bracelet, matching its colour to the day is an easy way to keep the observance going even at your desk, where a full outfit change is not practical. Colour association is the same logic that sits behind crystal bracelet colour meanings generally.
Navratri 2026 colours and the stone for each day
Here is the full nine-day map. Each stone is picked purely on colour match plus the intention that Indian tradition attaches to that day.
| Day | Date | Colour | Goddess | Stone to wear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 Oct | Orange | Shailputri | Carnelian |
| 2 | 12 Oct | White | Brahmacharini | Clear quartz (sphatik) |
| 3 | 13 Oct | Red | Chandraghanta | Red jasper |
| 4 | 14 Oct | Royal blue | Kushmanda | Lapis lazuli |
| 5 | 15 Oct | Yellow | Skandamata | Citrine |
| 6 | 16 Oct | Green | Katyayani | Green aventurine |
| 7 | 17 Oct | Grey | Kalaratri | Hematite |
| 8 | 18 Oct | Purple | Mahagauri | Amethyst |
| 9 | 19 Oct | Peacock green | Siddhidatri | Malachite |
Day 1 - Orange, Shailputri, carnelian
Shailputri is the daughter of the mountain, the Goddess in her first and steadiest form. Orange is the colour of beginnings and warmth. Carnelian is the closest stone match: a warm burnt-orange chalcedony that Indian sellers often call the courage stone. Wear it on Ghatasthapana morning, when the kalash goes up and the fast begins.
Day 2 - White, Brahmacharini, clear quartz
Brahmacharini is the Goddess as the ascetic, deep in tapasya. White stands for purity and mental quiet. Clear quartz, known across India as sphatik, is the natural pick. Temples have used sphatik malas for japa for centuries, and its clarity is traditionally associated with a settled mind - useful on day two, when a nine-day fast starts to feel real.
Day 3 - Red, Chandraghanta, red jasper
Chandraghanta wears the crescent moon and rides into battle. Red is her colour, and it is the strongest colour in the whole Navratri palette. Red jasper gives you a deep brick-red opaque stone that is traditionally linked to stamina and grounding. If you are doing garba every night, this is the day to wear it.
Day 4 - Royal blue, Kushmanda, lapis lazuli
Kushmanda is said to have created the cosmos with her smile. Royal blue is vast, calm and expansive. Lapis lazuli is the classic royal-blue stone, flecked with pyrite gold, and has been traded through India since the Indus Valley period. Tradition associates it with clear speech and honest expression.
Day 5 - Yellow, Skandamata, citrine
Skandamata is the Goddess as mother of Kartikeya, and Lalita Panchami falls on this day. Yellow is brightness, learning and abundance. Citrine is the obvious match - a warm honey-yellow quartz that Indian buyers know as the merchant's stone and that sits in most prosperity combos.
Day 6 - Green, Katyayani, green aventurine
Katyayani is the warrior form, and green is the colour of growth and fresh energy. Green aventurine is a soft, mottled green quartzite traditionally tied to opportunity and heart-chakra balance. Saraswati Avahan also falls on this day in many parts of India, so it is a good day for students to wear it.
Day 7 - Grey, Kalaratri, hematite
Kalaratri is the fiercest of the nine forms, the one who clears what is blocking you. Grey is her colour: sober, heavy, protective. Hematite is a metallic steel-grey iron oxide and is the single most grounding stone we stock. It pairs well with black onyx if you want a heavier protection stack for Saturday.
Day 8 - Purple, Mahagauri, amethyst
Durga Ashtami is the emotional peak of Navratri, with kanya pujan in most households. In 2026 most families keep Ashtami and kanya pujan on Monday, 19 October, by the sunrise tithi. Mahagauri is the Goddess restored to radiant white after penance, and purple is the day's colour. Amethyst is the purple quartz that Indian families associate with calm and devotion, and it is the easiest stone on this list to wear all day.
Day 9 - Peacock green, Siddhidatri, malachite
Siddhidatri grants the siddhis, and Maha Navami closes the nine nights. Peacock green is the last and most striking shade. Malachite is a banded blue-green copper carbonate that reads exactly like a peacock feather. Keep it away from water and salt, since malachite is soft and reacts to moisture.
Recommended Soultheory bracelets for Navratri 2026
You do not need nine bracelets. Most people pick three or four and rotate.
- Carnelian bracelet - covers day 1 and doubles as a courage piece the rest of the year. Browse carnelian.
- Clear quartz (sphatik) bracelet - the most versatile stone here. White on day 2, and neutral enough to wear on any day you have nothing matching. See clear quartz.
- Citrine bracelet - yellow on day 5, and the stone most requested for Diwali and Dhanteras a few weeks later. See citrine.
- Amethyst bracelet - purple for Durga Ashtami, the single busiest day of the nine. See amethyst.
- Multi-stone chakra wrap - if you want one piece that carries several of the nine shades at once, a rainbow chakra wrap is the practical shortcut. See combos.
How to wear your Navratri stones
- Start on Ghatasthapana morning. Bathe, wear fresh clothes, and put the bracelet on after your kalash sthapana, not before.
- Left wrist for receiving, right for projecting. Most Indian practitioners wear calming stones like amethyst and clear quartz on the left, and grounding stones like hematite on the right.
- Set one intention for the nine days. One sankalpa, held for all nine nights, works better than a new wish each morning. Our guide on setting an intention with a crystal bracelet walks through the ritual.
- Do not overload the wrist. Two or three bracelets is plenty. See how many crystal bracelets you can wear at once.
- Cleanse on Vijayadashami. After the nine nights, rinse or smoke-cleanse and rest the stones for a day before the Diwali season starts.
Should you get Pran Pratishta before Navratri?
Pran Pratishta is the Vedic energization ritual traditionally performed to invoke prana into an object before it is used in worship. Many customers order it in the week before Navratri so the bracelet is ready by Ghatasthapana. If you want it done before 11 October, place the order by the first week of October so there is time for the ritual and dispatch. Details are on our Pran Pratishta page.
The exact bracelets for four of the nine days
The list above points at collections. If you would rather not choose inside one, these are the four specific bracelets people take most often for these days.
Red carnelian for day 1
The red carnelian Buddha bracelet covers the orange of Ghatasthapana. Carnelian is the warm chalcedony Indian sellers call the courage stone, and it is an easy piece to keep wearing after the nine nights are over.
Clear quartz for day 2
The clear quartz sphatik Buddha bracelet is the white of Brahmacharini and the most versatile stone on the whole list. If you are only buying one bracelet for the nine days, this is the one that will not clash with any of the other eight colours.
Lapis lazuli for day 4
The lapis lazuli bracelet with golden hematite is the royal blue of Kushmanda. The natural pyrite flecks in lapis are what give it the gold speckle the day's colour is usually described with, so it reads correctly in photographs too.
Amethyst for day 8
Durga Ashtami is the busiest day of the nine, and the amethyst bracelet with golden hematite is the purple for it. Amethyst is traditionally associated with calm and devotion, and it is light enough to wear right through kanya pujan and the evening.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 9 colours of Navratri 2026? The Navratri 2026 colours in order are orange (11 Oct), white (12 Oct), red (13 Oct), royal blue (14 Oct), yellow (15 Oct), green (16 Oct), grey (17 Oct), purple (18 Oct) and peacock green (19 Oct). The order is fixed by the weekday each day falls on, which is why it changes every year.
When does Navratri 2026 start and end? Sharad Navratri 2026 starts on Sunday, 11 October with Ghatasthapana and ends on Maha Navami, Monday, 19 October. Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami are both kept on 19 October by the sunrise tithi, and Vijayadashami (Dussehra) is on 20 October.
When is kanya pujan in Navratri 2026? On Monday, 19 October 2026, on Ashtami or Navami. Ashtami households finish before the tithi ends at 10:52 AM.
Do I have to wear the exact colour every day? No. The colour custom is devotional and voluntary, not a scriptural rule. Many people wear a small accent of the day's shade - a bracelet, a dupatta, a bindi - instead of a full outfit. That is why colour-matched stones work so well for people who are at work through the nine days.
Can I wear crystal bracelets while fasting during Navratri? Yes. A bracelet has no bearing on vrat food rules, and many people keep one on as a reminder of their sankalpa. Individual experiences vary, and stones are a devotional practice, not a substitute for medical advice.
Which stone should I pick if I only want one for all nine days? Clear quartz (sphatik). It is colour-neutral, it is the stone most used in Indian temple malas, and tradition treats it as an amplifier that works alongside whatever intention you set. Amethyst is the next best single pick if you want something with more colour.
Updated 2026-10-04.
Sources and further reading
- Navaratri - Wikipedia for the festival's history and regional variations
- Navadurga - Wikipedia for the nine forms of the Goddess and their iconography
- GIA Gem Encyclopedia for the gemmological properties of quartz, jasper and lapis lazuli
- Sahapedia for Indian arts and cultural context around Durga Puja and Navratri traditions
Important note: Information shared here reflects traditional Vedic beliefs and cultural practices. Individual experiences vary. This content is for educational and cultural purposes only - it is not medical, financial, or psychological advice. Consult qualified professionals for health, financial, or other personal decisions.
