Chaitra Navratri Calendar 2018
The Chaitra (spring) Navratri festival calendar - the nine nights from Gudi Padwa / Ugadi to Rama Navami, with the tithi for each day.
The Chaitra Navratri Calendar lists 7 dates in 2018, from Navreh on 18 March through Rama Navami on 25 March. March holds the most with 7 dates. The year runs through Vikram Samvat 2074 – 2075. 2018 carries an Adhik Maas (Jyeshtha (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several dates later than usual.
March 2018
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Ugadi / Gudi Padwa / Chaitra Navratri
Tithi 6:45 PM, Mar 17 – 6:35 PM, Mar 18
The lunar new year of the Deccan and Maharashtra; the nine nights of Chaitra Navratri begin.
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Navreh
Tithi 6:45 PM, Mar 17 – 6:35 PM, Mar 18
The Kashmiri Pandit new year on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, when the Nechapatra almanac is viewed at dawn.
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Cheti Chand (Sindhi New Year)
Tithi 6:35 PM, Mar 18 – 5:56 PM, Mar 19
On Chaitra Shukla Dwitiya, the day after Gudi Padwa, Sindhis welcome the new year and the birth (Avataran) of their patron saint Jhulelal — Uderolal, the incarnation of Varun the water god — with Behrana Sahib processions to a river or lake.
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Gangaur
Tithi 5:56 PM, Mar 19 – 4:52 PM, Mar 20
The climax of an eighteen-day Rajasthani festival to Gauri (Parvati) on Chaitra Shukla Tritiya; married women pray for their husbands and unmarried girls for a good groom, with grand processions of Gauri and Isar (Shiva) idols in Jaipur and Udaipur.
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Ashokashtami
Tithi 10:08 AM, Mar 24 – 8:02 AM, Mar 25
On Chaitra Shukla Ashtami, Goddess Durga is worshipped and ashoka flower buds are taken to ward off grief.
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Rama Navami
Tithi 10:08 AM, Mar 24 – 8:02 AM, Mar 25
The birth of Lord Rama, celebrated with recitation of the Ramayana and temple processions.
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Basanti Puja
Tithi 10:08 AM, Mar 24 – 8:02 AM, Mar 25
The springtime Durga Puja of Chaitra — the original worship of Durga — culminating on Maha Navami.
Tithi start and end times are shown in your local time. Festival dates follow the standard Indian (sunrise) calendar and may vary by a day in other regions, and may differ slightly from regional almanacs (especially around an Adhik Maas).
What happened in the sky in 2018
Beyond the dates the Chaitra Navratri Calendar lists, 2018 brought 5 eclipses - 3 solar and 2 lunar - of which 2 were above the horizon somewhere in India. The year also carried an Adhik Maas, the extra lunar month of Jyeshtha, running from 16 May 2018 to 13 June 2018. Ugadi / Gudi Padwa / Chaitra Navratri fell on 18 March, 10 days earlier in the year than in 2017 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 2018
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Hindu date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Jan 6:59 PM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Magha Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 16 Feb 2:21 AM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Phalguna Shukla Pratipada | Not visible |
| 13 Jul 8:31 AM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Ashadha Amavasya | Not visible |
| 28 Jul 1:51 AM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Shravana Krishna Pratipada | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 11 Aug 3:16 PM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Shravana Amavasya | Not visible |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these.
Guru and Shani in 2018
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Oct 7:30 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Tula → Vrishchika |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half.
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Frequently asked questions about the Chaitra Navratri Calendar 2018
How many festivals and vrats does the Chaitra Navratri Calendar list in 2018?
The Chaitra Navratri Calendar lists 7 dates in 2018. The first is Navreh on Sunday, 18 March 2018, and the last is Rama Navami on Sunday, 25 March 2018.
What are the main festival dates in the Chaitra Navratri Calendar for 2018?
The first major observances of 2018 are:
- Navreh - Sunday, 18 March 2018
- Ugadi / Gudi Padwa / Chaitra Navratri - Sunday, 18 March 2018
- Cheti Chand (Sindhi New Year) - Monday, 19 March 2018
- Gangaur - Tuesday, 20 March 2018
- Ashokashtami - Sunday, 25 March 2018
- Basanti Puja - Sunday, 25 March 2018
Which month of 2018 has the most observances in the Chaitra Navratri Calendar?
March 2018 is the fullest month with 7 dates, including Navreh, Ugadi / Gudi Padwa / Chaitra Navratri, Cheti Chand (Sindhi New Year), Gangaur, Ashokashtami, Basanti Puja, Rama Navami.
Which traditional year does 2018 correspond to in the Chaitra Navratri Calendar?
The Gregorian year 2018 spans Vikram Samvat 2074 – 2075. The traditional year does not begin on 1 January, so one Gregorian year usually covers the end of one era year and the start of the next.
Did 2018 have an Adhik Maas?
Yes. 2018 carried an Adhik Maas (Jyeshtha (Adhik)), the extra lunar month inserted roughly every third year to keep the lunar calendar in step with the solar one. Festivals falling after it shift later in the Gregorian year, which is why 2018 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.
Were there any eclipses in 2018?
2018 had 5 eclipses:
- 31 January 2018 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 16 February 2018 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 13 July 2018 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 28 July 2018 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 11 August 2018 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
Sutak Kaal is observed only for an eclipse actually visible where you are, so 2 of these were kept in India.
Did Guru or Shani change sign in 2018?
Yes - 1 sign change among the slow grahas in 2018:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Vrishchika on 11 October 2018
Jupiter takes about a year to cross one sign and Saturn about two and a half, so these transits colour the whole year rather than a single week.
Are these 2018 dates the same everywhere?
The dates follow the standard Indian sunrise-based calendar. Because a tithi begins and ends at a fixed moment rather than at midnight, an observance can fall a day earlier or later where sunrise differs - most noticeably outside India. Set your city in the box at the top to see the start and end times in your own local time, and check the daily Panchang for the exact window on the day.
About the Chaitra Navratri Calendar
The Chaitra (spring) Navratri festival calendar - the nine nights from Gudi Padwa / Ugadi to Rama Navami, with the tithi for each day.
Each entry lists the festival or vrat with its date, the prevailing tithi, and a short note on the observance. Use the year links to plan ahead into the coming years or to look up a date from the archive.
This list is the festival dates, not the daily five limbs. For sunrise, Rahu Kalam and the day's yoga, open the Panchang. Other calendars are on the Calendars index. The story of a fast is under Vrat Katha.
