Maha Navami 2026 in the USA: Monday 19 October, Navami Tithi, Havan and Parana Time by City

Quick answer: Maha Navami 2026 is on Monday 19 October 2026 in the USA. In New York the Navami tithi runs from 1:21 AM on Monday 19 October to 3:20 AM on Tuesday 20 October (EDT). Drik Panchang lists the Navratri parana, the formal end of the fast, on Tuesday 20 October, which is also Dussehra.

Last updated: 18 October 2026. Temples and Bengali puja committees set their own programmes, so confirm community timings with them.

This guide for Hindu Americans covers the local Navami times, Maa Siddhidatri, the Navami havan, Kanya Pujan on a working Monday, the parana and Bengal Maha Navami. For the day before, see Durga Ashtami 2026 in the USA.

Maha Navami 2026 date in the USA: Monday 19 October

Navami is the ninth lunar day (tithi) of the bright fortnight of Ashwin. A festival day is decided by the tithi that prevails at local sunrise, so the same tithi can land on different calendar days in different countries.

In India the Navami tithi runs from 10:51 AM IST on Monday 19 October to 12:50 PM IST on Tuesday 20 October (Drik Panchang). Because Navami is still running at sunrise on Tuesday, Indian calendars differ: Drik Panchang lists Maha Navami with Durga Ashtami on Monday, while West Bengal, Mysuru Dasara and South Indian Ayudha Puja keep it on Tuesday. Our Maha Navami 2026 India guide explains that split.

In the USA the same instant arrives in the early hours of Monday on the East Coast and late on Sunday evening on the West Coast. In New York the Navami tithi begins at 1:21 AM on Monday 19 October and ends at 3:20 AM on Tuesday 20 October (EDT), so it covers Monday's sunrise and is over before Tuesday's. In Los Angeles and Seattle it begins at 10:21 PM on Sunday and ends at 12:20 AM on Tuesday, which gives the same result.

So every US city in our table has exactly one Navami sunrise, on Monday. Drik Panchang's Maha Navami page lists "Maha Navami on Monday, October 19, 2026" for all of them, and its Bengal Maha Navami page gives the same Monday. There is no 19-or-20 question in the USA this year.

Navami tithi, Navami Homa and Visarjan times by city (USA)

Times are from Drik Panchang's Maha Navami, Navami Homa and Durga Visarjan pages for each city, fetched on 18 October 2026. Every US city is on daylight saving time until 1 November. Cities in one time zone share the same tithi times, because a tithi is a single worldwide instant; the Homa and Visarjan windows differ slightly because they follow local sunrise and sunset.

Because Dashami begins before sunrise on Tuesday in every US time zone, Drik places Durga Visarjan on Tuesday morning, right after sunrise, and Dussehra on the same day. On the West Coast Navami ends just after midnight on Monday night; on the East Coast it ends at 3:20 AM. Drik's Navami Homa window runs from about sunrise to sunset on Monday. Drik also notes that many people break the nine-day fast after Durga Visarjan, so the last column doubles as a parana window.

Maa Siddhidatri: the goddess of Navami

On the ninth day the Goddess is worshipped as Maa Siddhidatri, whose name means the giver of siddhis, the spiritual perfections. She is usually shown seated on a lotus, sometimes on a lion, with four hands holding a discus, a conch, a mace and a lotus. Her day closes the nine forms that began with Shailaputri on Ghatasthapana. Our Navratri Day 9 Maa Siddhidatri guide has her story, colour and bhog.

Name mantra of Maa Siddhidatri:

ॐ देवी सिद्धिदात्र्यै नमः॥

Om Devi Siddhidatryai Namah

Dhyana shloka (meditation verse):

सिद्धगन्धर्वयक्षाद्यैरसुरैरमरैरपि। सेव्यमाना सदा भूयात् सिद्धिदा सिद्धिदायिनी॥

Siddha-gandharva-yakshadyair asurair amarair api, sevyamana sada bhuyat siddhida siddhidayini.

Texts are copied from our verified Navratri mantra sources. Chanting is an act of devotion and does not promise any particular result.

Navami havan (Navami Homa) at home or at the temple

Drik Panchang describes Navami Homa as the Chandi homa performed on Navami during Durga Puja, and for many families it is the closing ritual of the nine days. Temples usually hold it in the morning, and families can often register to take part.

A short home havan, if your home allows it:

1. Check your lease, hostel or building rules first. Use a small metal havan kund on a heat-proof tray, in a ventilated room, away from curtains. Keep water or a fire blanket at hand and never disable a smoke alarm.
2. After a sankalp and a prayer to Lord Ganesha, light the fire with camphor and dry wood, then offer ghee and samagri in small spoonfuls while chanting a Durga mantra such as the Navarna mantra below, as many times as your priest advises.
3. Close with a final offering (purnahuti), aarti and prasad, and let the fire burn out completely before you leave the room.

Navarna mantra of Devi (Durga Saptashati tradition):

ॐ ऐं ह्रीं क्लीं चामुण्डायै विच्चे॥

Om Aim Hreem Kleem Chamundayai Vichche

If open flames are not allowed, light a ghee lamp or an LED diya and chant the same mantra, or join a temple havan in person or online. The devotion matters more than the size of the fire.

Kanya Pujan on Navami in the USA

Families who keep Kanya Pujan on Navami rather than Ashtami, common in many North Indian homes that keep the full nine-day fast, can hold it on Monday 19 October. Because Navami lasts the whole of Monday, an evening Kanya Pujan after school is fine.

• Invite girls of about two to ten, often with one boy as Langur or Bhairav; two or three girls are enough if you cannot find nine.
• Confirm the time with parents and ask about allergies before cooking.
• Serve the traditional halwa, puri and kala chana (see our Kanya Pujan prasad recipe) and give a small gift such as stationery or bangles.

The full vidhi is in our Kanya Pujan 2026 guide.

When to break the Navratri fast in the USA

Drik Panchang lists the Ashwina Navratri parana on Tuesday 20 October for every city in this guide. In New York the Tuesday Visarjan muhurat is 7:13 AM to 9:24 AM, in Chicago 7:09 AM to 9:19 AM and in Los Angeles 7:02 AM to 9:16 AM. Some families end the fast on Navami itself, after the havan and Kanya Pujan on Monday evening. Follow your family custom; our Navratri parana 2026 guide has the times for India and abroad and what to eat first.

Health note: pregnant or breastfeeding women, people with diabetes, low blood pressure or other conditions, older relatives and children should talk to your doctor before fasting. Break a long fast gently with water, fruit or a light sattvic meal rather than a heavy feast. See our Navratri fasting rules.

Bengal Maha Navami in the USA

In Bengali Durga Puja, Navami is the last full day of worship before the farewell. Pujas usually hold the Navami puja and havan in the morning, a Navami bhog for everyone and, in the evening, aarti with dhunuchi naach to the beat of the dhak. In Kolkata the West Bengal holiday list has Maha Nabami on Tuesday 20 October and Bijoya Dashami on Wednesday 21 October; see our Kolkata Durga Puja 2026 calendar.

Drik Panchang's Bengal pages for US cities give Bengal Maha Navami on Monday 19 October and Bengal Durga Visarjan and Bengal Vijayadashami on Tuesday 20 October. Many US committees instead follow the Kolkata panjika, which has Maha Nabami on Tuesday 20 and Bijoya Dashami on Wednesday 21 October, or they move Navami bhog and the cultural evening to the next weekend. Check your own puja committee's schedule.

Community and temple programmes

Most US Bengali committees rent school or community halls only for the weekend, so Navami on a Monday often means a shorter evening programme or a puja held at a temple hall. Many Hindu temples hold a Navami havan or Chandi homa and Kanya Puja on Navami for families who register in advance. Timings appear only on each temple's own calendar, so check your local mandir's website before you go. For more, see Navratri 2026 in the USA, city by city and our Navaratri and Dussehra temples guide.

Planning Monday to Wednesday

• Monday 19 October, Maha Navami: Siddhidatri puja, Navami havan and Kanya Pujan for Navami observers.
• Tuesday 20 October, Dussehra: Navratri parana, Aparajita and Shami puja (see Vijayadashami 2026 mantras) and Dussehra celebrations. Close your home kalash as your family does; our Durga Visarjan guide explains how.
• Wednesday 21 October: Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela for committees that follow the Kolkata panjika. See our Bijoya Dashami 2026 abroad guide.

Monday 19 and Tuesday 20 October are ordinary working and school days in the USA. For the local Vijay Muhurat, see Dussehra 2026 in the USA, state by state and Dussehra 2026 celebrations in the USA.

Frequently asked questions

When is Maha Navami 2026 in the USA?

Maha Navami is on Monday 19 October 2026 in the USA, per Drik Panchang's city pages. Durga Ashtami was on Sunday 18 October and Dussehra (Vijayadashami) is on Tuesday 20 October.

What are the Navami tithi times in the USA?

Per Drik Panchang, Navami runs from 1:21 AM Monday 19 October to 3:20 AM Tuesday 20 October in Eastern time, 12:21 AM Monday to 2:20 AM Tuesday in Central time, and 10:21 PM Sunday 18 October to 12:20 AM Tuesday in Pacific time.

Which goddess is worshipped on Maha Navami?

Maa Siddhidatri, the ninth form of the Navadurga, the giver of siddhis or spiritual accomplishments. Her name mantra is Om Devi Siddhidatryai Namah.

Can I do a Navami havan at home?

Yes, if your home allows it. Use a small metal havan kund on a heat-proof tray in a ventilated room, keep water nearby and never disable a smoke alarm. Drik Panchang's Navami Homa window for New York is 7:12 AM to 6:10 PM on Monday 19 October. If open flames are not allowed, light a lamp and chant instead, or join a temple havan.

When do I break the Navratri fast in the USA?

Drik Panchang lists the Navratri parana on Tuesday 20 October in every US city. Drik notes that many people break the nine-day fast after Durga Visarjan, whose muhurat on Tuesday is 7:13 AM to 9:24 AM in New York and 7:02 AM to 9:16 AM in Los Angeles. Some families end the fast after the Navami puja on Monday evening; follow your family custom.

Can Kanya Pujan be done on Navami evening after school?

Yes. Navami prevails through the whole of Monday 19 October, so families who keep Kanya Pujan on Navami can hold it in the morning before school or in the evening. Confirm the time with the girls' parents.

When is Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela in the USA?

Drik Panchang gives Bengal Vijayadashami on Tuesday 20 October for US cities, but many committees follow the Kolkata panjika date of Wednesday 21 October or hold Sindoor Khela on the following weekend. Check your puja committee's schedule.

Related guides

• Maha Navami 2026 in India
• Durga Ashtami 2026 in the USA
• Navratri Day 9: Maa Siddhidatri
• Navratri parana 2026: when to break the fast
• Bijoya Dashami 2026 abroad
• Kanya Pujan 2026
• Navratri 2026 in the USA, city by city
• Dussehra 2026 in the USA, state by state
• Dussehra 2026 celebrations in the USA
• Navaratri 2026 dates and nine Devi forms
• Panchangam for Monday 19 October 2026 (India)

Editor's note (18 October 2026)

Dates and times for the USA are from Drik Panchang's Maha Navami, Bengal Maha Navami, Navami Homa, Durga Visarjan and Vijayadashami pages for each listed city, checked on 18 October 2026, and agree with our own panchang data for the tithi at local sunrise. India times are from Drik Panchang. No temple or committee is named for a Navami programme because we could not confirm a 2026 schedule; always check with your temple or puja committee.