Maha Ashtami 2026: October 18 or 19? Check the correct date and puja timings

Devotees across India and in Bengal’s pandals are gearing up for the most sacred day of Durga Puja, as Maha Ashtami falls on Monday, October 19, 2026. The eighth day of Sharad Navratri is marked by fasting, Pushpanjali and Kumari Puja, and by the intense Sandhi Puja at the junction of Ashtami and Navami.

Maha Ashtami 2026 Puja timings and rituals

The Ashtami tithi begins at 8:27 AM on Sunday, October 18, and ends at 10:51 AM on Monday, October 19. Here are the key timings for the day:

• Mahashtami puja muhurat: 6:24 AM to 10:51 AM on October 19

• Sandhi Puja muhurat: 10:27 AM to 11:15 AM, the critical 48-minute window between Ashtami and Navami

• Kumari Puja: typically held in the morning, before the tithi changes

• Rahu Kaal (avoid for auspicious work): 7:49 AM to 9:15 AM

Sandhi Puja is considered the most powerful moment of Durga Puja. It covers the last 24 minutes of Ashtami and the first 24 minutes of Navami, and in Bengal it is a major public event, with 108 lamps lit. Ashtami is also the day when the 64 Yoginis and Matrikas, the forms of Durga, are worshipped, along with the Ashta Shakti. Many devotees offer Pushpanjali, observe Kumari Puja by worshipping a young girl as the goddess, and keep a fast.

There is some confusion over the date this year. Because the Ashtami tithi starts on one day and ends on the next, some calendars place Maha Ashtami on October 18. In West Bengal, however, Maha Ashtami is observed on October 19, followed by Maha Navami on October 20 and Bijoya Dashami on October 21. According to the all-India reckoning, Ashtami and Navami are dated together on October 19, with Vijayadashami on October 20.

Timings can differ by city, since sunrise and tithi calculations shift with location. Reports from different calendars give slightly different end times for Ashtami and different Rahu Kaal windows for the same day, so devotees should check their local panchang before planning the puja. If Kumari Puja or Kanya Pujan cannot be done in the morning, some guides say it can be held later in the day, in the early afternoon or at Abhijit Muhurat.

With Sharad Navratri having begun on October 11, the festival is now in its final stretch. Maha Ashtami marks its emotional and spiritual peak before Navami and Dashami bring the celebrations to a close.

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