Walk into any market in the second half of March and you will feel it. New clothes being bought. Mithai shops doing brisk business. Flower vendors running low by afternoon. Something is going on — and it is not just one thing.
This year the Hindu new year, nine nights of Navratri and Eid ul-Fitr have all landed in the same short stretch. For a country that runs on multiple calendars at once, even this level of overlap is unusual.
March 19 — The Week Kicks Off With Three Celebrations Together
- Gudi Padwa marks the Marathi New Year across Maharashtra and Goa. The Gudi goes up outside the front door before sunrise — a bright cloth, a garland of flowers, a neem branch and an upturned pot on a stick. It stays up all day. Homes smell of puran poli and there is a particular energy to the morning that regular Thursdays simply do not have.
- Ugadi is the Telugu and Kannada New Year celebrated the same day across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka. Every household prepares Ugadi Pachadi — a small bowl that carries six different tastes together. Bitter neem, sweet jaggery, sour tamarind, tangy raw mango, spicy green chilli and salt. The point of eating all six at once is to say — yes, the year will bring everything and we are ready for it.
- Chaitra Navratri begins on March 19 with the ghatsthapana ritual in the morning. This is the start of nine days of fasting and prayer dedicated to Goddess Durga. Day one belongs to Maa Shailputri and yellow is the colour of the day.
- Ram Navami on March 27 marks the birth of Lord Ram and brings Chaitra Navratri to a close — a day observed with prayers, bhajans and temple visits across the country.
Navratri Runs from March 19 to March 27 — Day by Day
- March 19 — Maa Shailputri — Yellow
- March 20 — Maa Brahmacharini — Green
- March 21 — Maa Chandraghanta — Grey
- March 22 — Maa Kushmanda — Orange
- March 23 — Maa Skandamata — White
- March 24 — Maa Katyayani — Red
- March 25 — Maa Kalaratri — Royal Blue
- March 26 — Maa Mahagauri — Pink — Ashtami
- March 27 — Maa Siddhidatri — Purple — Rama Navami
Wearing the colour of the day is something many people follow through the week. It is not a rule but it has become a quiet way of marking each day as the festival moves forward.
March 21 — Eid ul-Fitr
Ramadan ends around March 20 this year. If the moon is spotted that evening then Eid falls on March 21 — a Saturday.
The date is never fully fixed until the moon is actually sighted which is why it carries a certain anticipation right up until the last moment. This time the date has fallen almost exactly in the middle of Navratri week — something that does not happen every year.
Eid morning begins with namaz, moves into home visits and runs on sewaiyan and hugs through the rest of the day. In cities like Hyderabad, Lucknow and Mumbai the week will feel layered in a way that is hard to describe unless you live it — temple bells and azaan sometimes coming from the same street within the same hour.
Public Holidays to Mark in Your Calendar
- March 19 — Thursday — Gudi Padwa and Ugadi — regional holiday
- March 21 — Saturday — Eid ul-Fitr — national gazetted holiday
- March 26 — Thursday — Rama Navami — national gazetted holiday
- March 31 — Tuesday — Mahavir Jayanti — national gazetted holiday
Four holidays between March 19 and March 31. If a short break or a family trip has been on your mind this is the window to use.
The Week in Simple Terms
Different people will move through this week very differently. Some will be fasting through Navratri. Some will be ending their Ramadan fast with Eid. Some will be cooking special food for a new year they measure by the moon rather than January 1st.
What ties it together is not religion or ritual. It is just the fact that this particular week in March 2026 gives almost every Indian household a reason to do something a little more than usual. Cook something special. Call someone. Put something up at the front door.
That does not happen every March. This year it does.
