⚡ Quick Summary
The Ashtami tithi begins at about 8:29 AM IST on Sunday, October 18, 2026 and ends at about 10:52 AM on Monday, October 19. Because the tithi is not in force at sunrise on the 18th, most calendars we checked place Maha Ashtami on Monday, October 19, with Sandhi Puja at the Ashtami–Navami junction that morning. One source still lists October 18. Confirm with your local panchang. Research cutoff: October 11, 2026.
If you are planning a puja, a Kanya Pujan or a visit to a pandal, the date question is simple to ask and slightly tricky to answer: is Durga Ashtami on Sunday, October 18 or Monday, October 19, 2026? Both dates appear online. This guide explains why and what to check, and it relies on published panchang timings, not on our own astronomical calculation.
Nothing below has happened yet. Timings are for Kolkata in Indian Standard Time unless stated, and they differ from city to city.
Durga Ashtami 2026 Date at a Glance
| Detail | Timing (Kolkata, IST) |
|---|---|
| Saptami tithi ends | Sun, Oct 18, 8:29 AM |
| Ashtami tithi begins | Sun, Oct 18, 8:29 AM |
| Ashtami tithi ends | Mon, Oct 19, 10:52 AM |
| Navami tithi runs | Mon, Oct 19, 10:52 AM to Tue, Oct 20, 12:51 PM |
| Dashami tithi runs | Tue, Oct 20, 12:51 PM to Wed, Oct 21, 2:12 PM |
A Delhi-based table lists the same pattern with a one or two minute difference: Saptami ends at 8:27 AM on October 18 and Ashtami ends at 10:51 AM on October 19. Small gaps like this come from different calculation settings.
Why Calendars Disagree: October 18 or 19?
A tithi is a lunar day. It does not start at midnight or sunrise. It starts and ends whenever the Moon has moved a set angle from the Sun, so it can begin in the middle of a civil day and end the next morning.
Many Indian calendars apply the udaya tithi rule for fasts and festivals: the festival goes to the day on which the tithi is in force at sunrise. Here, the Saptami tithi is still running at sunrise on October 18 and ends at 8:29 AM. At sunrise on October 19, Ashtami is in force, and it lasts until 10:52 AM. By that rule, Ashtami belongs to October 19.
That is what the sources we checked say. A Kolkata table lists Maha Ashtami on Monday, October 19, with Maha Saptami on Sunday, October 18. A panjika page for the same city gives Monday, October 19. Two Delhi-oriented pages, DekhoPanchang and HinduTone, also give October 19. One page, VedicFeed, lists October 18 and notes that some calendars show October 19 because the tithi extends into that day.
A correction to our earlier guidance
Our Navratri 2026 guide was published before we compared tithi tables and listed Ashtami on October 18. On the evidence above, the October 19 listing is not a mis-resolved table, as that guide suggested, but the sunrise-tithi reading. We have corrected the guide.
Sandhi Puja: The 48-Minute Junction
Sandhi Puja is held at the moment Ashtami ends and Navami begins. It covers the last 24 minutes of Ashtami and the first 24 minutes of Navami, a 48-minute window. Tradition links it to the goddess's battle with the demons Chanda and Munda.
Because it hangs on the exact tithi change, its clock time depends on the panchang. For Kolkata, one source publishes two windows for Monday, October 19:
- Traditional Panjika: 7:26 AM to 8:14 AM IST.
- Bisuddha Siddhanta: about 10:28 AM to 11:16 AM IST.
A Delhi-based page lists 10:27 AM to 11:15 AM for October 19. Another Bengali panjika page says the Sandhi Puja is held in the evening, with 108 lamps. These do not agree, so we do not pick one for you. Follow the time announced by your temple or puja committee, which has usually chosen a panjika for the year.
Kanya Pujan on Ashtami or Navami
Kanya Pujan, also called Kanjak, honours young girls as forms of the goddess. Households usually perform it on Ashtami or Navami, and both are accepted in tradition. Since Ashtami is on October 19 in most calendars and Navami's tithi begins late that morning, families who keep to sunrise tithis often hold it on the 19th, while others choose the 20th. Ask your family priest.
Practical Details to Check
- Your city's panchang: the Ashtami end time and Sandhi window for your location.
- Your puja committee: many publish a printed schedule.
- Offices and banks: closures are set by states and organisations, not by this observance. See our October 2026 bank holidays guide.
- Dussehra: Vijayadashami falls on Tuesday, October 20 in most listings, and in Bengal the Dashami tithi runs into October 21.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Durga Ashtami on October 18 or 19, 2026?
Most sources we checked list Maha Ashtami on Monday, October 19. The Ashtami tithi starts on October 18 at about 8:29 AM IST.
When is Sandhi Puja in 2026?
On October 19 at the junction of Ashtami and Navami. Published windows for Kolkata include about 7:26 AM and about 10:28 AM. Your local committee decides.
Is Ashtami a public holiday?
We have not verified state holiday notifications. Check your state list.
Conclusion
The short answer is Monday, October 19, with the Ashtami tithi beginning on Sunday, October 18. Settle the exact timings with your family priest or puja committee. For the wider picture of that Sunday, see our October 18 preview.
