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Chaitra Navratri 2026 Begins: Temples Adorned, Security Heightened Nationwide

Preparations for Chaitra Navratri 2026 are in full swing across India, with temples like Delhi's Kalkaji and Jammu's Chichi Mata being decorated with flowers and chunris. Priests have provided specific muhurats for key rituals like Kalash Sthapana to guide devotees. Authorities have heightened security, especially in Uttar Pradesh's Maharajganj district, ahead of the festival coinciding with Eid. Municipal bodies like Varanasi's have also initiated preparations, including cleaning worship sites and ensuring meat shops remain closed.

Key Points: Chaitra Navratri 2026 Preparations: Temple Decor to Security

  • Festival begins March 19, 2026
  • Temples in Delhi & Jammu decorated
  • Priests detail Kalash Sthapana timings
  • Security tightened in UP districts
3 min read

Temple decoration to security: Preps underway for Chaitra Navratri 2026

Chaitra Navratri 2026 starts March 19. See temple decorations, key rituals timing from priests, and security arrangements for the festival.

"Devotees often get confused with the auspicious time... The rituals... can be performed after 6:40 AM. - Pandit Bansi Lal"

New Delhi, March 18

Preparations are on in full swing for Chaitra Navratri. Temples in several parts of the country are being decked up with flowers for the nine-day festival that is dedicated to the worship of the nine forms of Goddess Durga and marks the beginning of the Hindu lunar year.

In 2026, the festival will begin on March 19 and conclude with Ram Navami. Each day during this period, a different form of Goddess Durga is worshipped, and each day is associated with a specific colour and offering.

The Kalkaji Temple in Delhi has been decorated with bright flowers and colourful 'chunris' for the first Navratri of the year.

A crowd of devotees gathered to offer prayers at the temple, on Wednesday, with some posing for pictures at the temple premises.

The Chichi Mata Temple in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district has also been decked up for Chaitra Navratri festival with devotees queuing up to offer prayers. Workers decorated the premises of the temple with artificial flowers, as part of last minute preparations.

Extending his best wishes to all the devotees for the Chaitra Navratri festival, Pandit Bansi Lal of Chichi Mata Temple, told IANS, "Devotees often get confused with the auspicious time to carry out the rituals. The rituals associated with this first Navratri like 'Kalash Sthapana' and others can be performed after 6:40 AM."

He added, "Here, at Chichi Mata Temple, the management has made good arrangements for the festival. I urge all devotees to come here and seek blessings of the goddess. The environment here is really good."

Speaking about the first day of the festival, Pandit Shipra Sachdev told IANS, "The 'Kalash Sthapana Muhurat' is from 6:50 AM to 7:52 AM while 'Abhijit Muhurat' is from 12:05 PM to 12:50 PM. There are only these two mahurats this time for 'Kalash Sthapana' which is very significant to the festival."

Meanwhile, security has been tightened in Maharajganj district of Uttar Pradesh ahead of Chaitra Navratri and Eid. Identity cards of commuters were being checked before they were allowed to pass, amid heavy security deployment.

Varanasi Municipal Corporation (VMC) Public Relations Officer (PRO), Sandeep Srivastava, told IANS, "Preparations have begun for (Chaitra) Navratri across the municipal limits. Meat and fish shops will remain completely closed within the entire municipal area. Along with it, all places of worship will be cleaned multiple times during the day."

"Arrangement for street lights have also been made," he added.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

A
Aman W
Good to see the authorities taking security seriously, especially with festivals coinciding. Safety for all devotees is paramount. The clarification on muhurat timings by the pandits is also very helpful for those performing rituals at home.
R
Rohit P
While the decorations and arrangements are great, I hope the focus is also on managing the crowd and waste. Last year, the plastic flowers and waste after the festival were a problem. Hope the municipalities have a clean-up plan ready this time.
S
Sarah B
It's fascinating to learn about the significance of each day and color. As someone new to Indian culture, articles like this are very informative. The coordination for multiple festivals shows thoughtful planning.
V
Vikram M
Shubh Navratri to all! The mention of Chichi Mata Temple in J&K is wonderful. It's important that celebrations and preparations are highlighted from all regions of the country. It fosters a beautiful sense of unity.
K
Kavya N
The order to close meat shops in Varanasi during Navratri is a standard practice to respect sentiments, but I hope alternative arrangements or notices were given well in advance to the shopkeepers so they aren't caught off guard.

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