Navratri Colours & the Nav Durga, Day by Day

The nine forms of Navdurga honoured across Navratri, and the colours many associate with each day — with a note that day-of-week colour lists shift each year and vary by source.

1. The Nine Forms of Navdurga

Each night of Navratri honours one of the nine forms of the Devi, together called the Navdurga. In the commonly followed order they are: Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyayani, Kalaratri, Mahagauri and Siddhidatri.

2. Colours Associated with the Days

Many devotees wear a different colour on each of the nine days, and some families dress the Devi's altar to match. The colours are drawn from a traditional palette — commonly including red, royal blue, yellow, green, grey, orange, white, pink and purple, in varying order.

An important note: the specific colour-for-each-day lists that circulate are usually tied to the weekday on which each Navratri day falls, so they shift every year and differ from one source to another. Rather than treat any one list as fixed, use the palette above and follow the sequence your family or a Panchang you trust follows for the year.

3. How People Use the Colours

The colours are a devotional and community custom — wearing them, decorating the altar, and matching flowers or cloth. They are a form of participation and celebration; no specific outcome is promised by any particular colour.

4. Reading and Worship Across the Nine Days

Whichever colours you follow, the heart of the nine days is the worship. See the Navratri 2026 guide for the full observance, read the Navdurga Stuti and Durga Chalisa, and browse all Navratri prayers.