Sharad Navratri in Ayodhya

Date and timing in this city

For Ayodhya (अयोध्या), India, Sharad Navratri is observed as Ashwin Shukla Pratipada through Navami — the nine nights of Durga. The dates computed for Ayodhya's own sunrise are:

• 2026: Sunday 11 October 2026
• 2027: Thursday 30 September 2027

Ayodhya follows the Asia/Kolkata time zone. Because the tithi is reckoned from the local sunrise, the day on which the nine nights begin is tied to Ayodhya's own solar day rather than to a single national clock.

Why the date can differ from India

A panchang is a local instrument. The tithi is measured from the moment of sunrise at a given place, and sunrise arrives at different minutes across the country. A panchang computed for Ayodhya may therefore place the start of Pratipada on a slightly different civil date than a panchang computed for another city, especially where the tithi begins or ends close to sunrise.

This is why a devotee in Ayodhya does well to follow a panchang calculated for Ayodhya, and a devotee elsewhere to follow one calculated for their own location. The differences are usually small, but they are real, and tradition treats them as such rather than as errors.

Regional conventions also matter. North Indian and purnimanta reckonings, South Indian and amanta reckonings, and Smarta and Vaishnava practice can each frame the same nine nights slightly differently. Where traditions differ, the household's own lineage and the guidance of a qualified jyotishi are the usual authorities.

Where and how the community celebrates

Sharad Navratri is observed across Pan-India, and Ayodhya takes part in that wider pattern. The nine nights are given to Durga: recitation and listening, fasting according to capacity and custom, and the daily remembrance of the Devi through her nine forms.

Observance is largely a household and community matter. What is read, what is fasted, and how the ninth day is marked vary from family to family and from region to region. No single schedule describes every home in the city.

Practical tips

• Check a panchang computed for Ayodhya's sunrise, not a generic national listing, before fixing the first day.
• Confirm the tithi boundaries for your own city if you are observing outside Ayodhya.
• Let your family's tradition settle questions of fasting and recitation rather than a general rule.
• For anything tied to your personal chart, consult a qualified jyotishi.