Navratri 2026 in Canada, City by City: Ghatasthapana Times, Garba, Dandiya and Durga Puja

Quick answer: Navratri 2026 in Canada runs from Sunday 11 October to Monday 19 October. Ghatasthapana is on Sunday 11 October — 7:26 AM – 11:11 AM in Toronto, 7:28 AM – 11:13 AM in Brampton and 7:27 AM – 11:08 AM in Vancouver. Durga Ashtami is Sunday 18 October, Maha Navami Monday 19 October and Dussehra Tuesday 20 October. Bengali Durga Puja begins with Maha Shashthi on Saturday 17 October. The Garba weekends are 10–11 October (the Thanksgiving long weekend) and 16–18 October.

This is a city guide for anyone searching "Navratri 2026 near me", "Garba 2026 Brampton" or "Durga Puja 2026 Toronto": your local Ghatasthapana time, what Navratri usually looks like in your city, and how to find this year's events. For step-by-step puja vidhi, mantras and aarti, use our Navratri 2026 Canada day-wise puja guide.

Navratri 2026 dates in Canada

These dates come from Drik Panchang for Canada and hold from Newfoundland to British Columbia. Bengali puja days follow the Kolkata calendar (Shashthi 17, Saptami 18, Ashtami 19, Navami 19–20, Dashami 21 October); Canadian committees often keep the rituals on those days and move cultural evenings to the weekend.

The Garba weekends: 10–11 and 16–18 October

• Opening weekend, Sat 10 – Mon 12 October: Ghatasthapana on Sunday falls inside the Thanksgiving long weekend, so many groups open their season on Saturday or Sunday night, with the Monday holiday for recovery.
• Second weekend, Fri 16 – Sun 18 October: usually the biggest nights, overlapping with Maha Shashthi and Durga Ashtami. Expect Garba halls and Durga Puja venues busy on the same evenings.
• Weekday nights: in the GTA especially, many mandirs hold Garba or aarti every evening of the nine nights.

We have no confirmed Canadian Navratri events for 2026 yet. Organisers usually announce dates, venues and tickets in early October — your local mandir, Gujarati samaj, Bengali association or Telugu and Tamil associations are the best sources.

Navratri 2026, city by city

Each entry gives the Ghatasthapana window (the first third of the daytime from local sunrise on Sunday 11 October) and the Abhijit Muhurat around local midday, the accepted alternative if you miss the morning window. Windows are calculated from local sunrise and sunset (within about a minute of Drik Panchang). Scene notes are general, because no 2026 Canadian events had been confirmed when we last checked.

Toronto and the GTA

Ghatasthapana (Sun 11 Oct): 7:26 AM – 11:11 AM. Abhijit alternative: 12:41 PM – 1:26 PM.

The Greater Toronto Area has Canada's largest Navratri. Gujarati Garba and Dandiya run through the nine nights in mandir halls and community centres, with large ticketed events on the weekends; Bengali Durga Pujas are held across the city and suburbs; and Tamil families, including the large Sri Lankan Tamil community in Scarborough and Markham, keep Navarathri with Golu and temple programmes.

Many families also visit the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Toronto during the festival — check the mandir's own announcements for 2026 timings. Mississauga, Markham and Richmond Hill each have their own Garba circles, so look locally before driving across the city.

Brampton and Mississauga

Ghatasthapana (Sun 11 Oct): 7:28 AM – 11:13 AM. Abhijit alternative: 12:42 PM – 1:27 PM.

Brampton and Mississauga, with some of the country's densest South Asian neighbourhoods, hold Garba nights, Navratri jagrans and temple programmes throughout the festival. Brampton's large Punjabi Hindu community also marks Navratri with Mata ki chowki and kirtan, and its 2026 Dussehra date had not been announced when we last checked.

Parking at popular mandirs on the second weekend is limited; car-pooling or arriving early helps.

Ottawa–Gatineau

Ghatasthapana (Sun 11 Oct): 7:13 AM – 10:57 AM. Abhijit alternative: 12:26 PM – 1:11 PM.

Ottawa's community is smaller than the GTA's but well organised: weekend Garba nights, a Bengali Durga Puja, and Navratri programmes at the city's mandirs. Government and university families make up much of the crowd, so weekend events are the main draw.

Montreal

Ghatasthapana (Sun 11 Oct): 7:04 AM – 10:48 AM. Abhijit alternative: 12:18 PM – 1:03 PM.

Montreal has the earliest Ghatasthapana window on this list. Its Gujarati, Bengali, Tamil and Punjabi communities hold weekend Garba, Durga Puja, Golu and temple programmes; flyers and announcements are often bilingual, so look for "Navratri" and "Garba" in French-language community listings too.

Winnipeg and Manitoba

Ghatasthapana (Sun 11 Oct): 7:43 AM – 11:24 AM. Abhijit alternative: 12:52 PM – 1:36 PM.

Winnipeg's Hindu community marks Navratri with weekend Garba nights, Durga Puja and mandir programmes. Late October evenings can already be cold, so plan warm layers for travelling to and from events.

Calgary

Ghatasthapana (Sun 11 Oct): 7:52 AM – 11:32 AM. Abhijit alternative: 1:00 PM – 1:44 PM.

Calgary has a growing Gujarati and Telugu community and holds weekend Garba and Dandiya nights, a Bengali Durga Puja and temple programmes; Telangana families also celebrate Bathukamma through the same fortnight. Ghatasthapana starts late here (7:52 AM) because of Calgary's late autumn sunrise.

Edmonton

Ghatasthapana (Sun 11 Oct): 7:53 AM – 11:31 AM. Abhijit alternative: 12:58 PM – 1:41 PM.

Edmonton's community runs weekend Garba nights, Durga Puja and mandir programmes, with families from across northern Alberta joining the main weekend. Its Ghatasthapana window, from 7:53 AM, is the latest on this list.

Vancouver, Surrey and the Lower Mainland

Ghatasthapana (Sun 11 Oct): 7:27 AM – 11:08 AM. Abhijit alternative: 12:36 PM – 1:20 PM.

Metro Vancouver's Navratri is spread across Vancouver, Surrey, Burnaby and Richmond: Garba and Dandiya nights at community halls, Bengali Durga Pujas, Golu in South Indian homes, and Navratri programmes at mandirs, including Punjabi Hindu jagrans in Surrey. Families in Surrey can use the Vancouver window; the difference is a minute or two.

Not on the list? Use the nearest city in the same time zone, or follow your mandir's time. Halifax, Regina, Saskatoon and other cities are covered for Dussehra in our province-by-province guide.

What to wear: the nine colours

Many Garba groups follow a colour for each day. In Canada, with Ashtami and Navami on separate days, the sequence runs straight through:

For Garba, chaniya choli and kediyu or kurta are traditional; for Durga Puja, saris and kurtas. Canadian October nights are cold, so bring a coat you can leave at the door and a bag for shoes — many halls ask dancers to dance barefoot or in socks.

Practical tips for NRI families

• Garba etiquette: join the circle in its direction of travel, stay on an outer ring while you learn, and keep phones away while dancing. In Dandiya, hold the sticks low and keep to your partner's rhythm.
• Kids: many nights begin with a family session. Weeknight Garba can run late on a school night, so plan an early exit; ear defenders help small children near big speakers.
• Tickets: buy directly from the organiser, check refund and age policies, and be careful with resold tickets for the second weekend.
• Fasting, only if your health allows: many keep a fruit-and-milk or grain-free fast, or fast only on Ashtami. Pregnant women, people with diabetes or other conditions, older relatives and children should check with a doctor first. With Thanksgiving dinners on the opening weekend, decide in advance how you will handle the menu.
• Do not use India's timings: muhurats depend on local sunrise. Use your city's window above or your mandir's time, never a forwarded IST time converted to Canadian time.
• Winter driving starts early: on the Prairies, a cold snap in late October is possible; check road conditions before a late-night drive home.

After Navratri: Dussehra and Diwali

Dussehra falls on Tuesday 20 October. The Vijay Muhurat is a local afternoon window: 2:50–3:33 PM in Toronto (Drik Panchang), 2:51–3:34 PM in Brampton, 2:26–3:08 PM in Montreal, 3:04–3:46 PM in Calgary and 2:42–3:24 PM in Vancouver. India's window converted to Canadian time is not the right window here. Every province and territory is covered in Dussehra 2026 Canada, province by province.

Diwali is on Sunday 8 November 2026. Plans and Lakshmi Puja timings are in our Diwali 2026 Canada guide.

Frequently asked questions

When is Navratri 2026 in Canada?

Sharad Navratri 2026 runs from Sunday 11 October to Monday 19 October in Canada (Drik Panchang). Durga Ashtami is on Sunday 18 October, Maha Navami on Monday 19 October and Dussehra (Vijayadashami) on Tuesday 20 October. The dates are the same in every province.

What is the Ghatasthapana time in Toronto on 11 October 2026?

In Toronto the Ghatasthapana window is 7:26 AM – 11:11 AM on Sunday 11 October, the first third of the daytime from local sunrise. The Abhijit Muhurat, 12:41 PM – 1:26 PM, is the usual midday alternative. Brampton, Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Winnipeg are listed in this guide.

When are Garba nights in the GTA in 2026?

Most Garba and Dandiya nights fall on weekends: Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October (the Thanksgiving long weekend) and Friday 16 to Sunday 18 October. Organisers usually announce exact dates and venues in early October, so check with your local mandir or community association.

When is Durga Puja 2026 in Canada?

On the Bengali (Kolkata) calendar Maha Shashthi is Saturday 17 October, with Saptami on the 18th, Ashtami on the 19th, Navami on the 19th–20th and Vijaya Dashami with Sindoor Khela on the 21st. Many Canadian puja committees hold their main days on the weekend of 17–18 October; check your local Bengali association.

Does Navratri clash with Thanksgiving in 2026?

Partly. Canadian Thanksgiving is Monday 12 October 2026, so Ghatasthapana on Sunday 11 October falls in the middle of the long weekend. That makes the opening Garba weekend easier for many families, but it also means family dinners and travel compete for the same days.

When is Diwali 2026 in Canada?

Diwali falls on Sunday 8 November 2026 in Canada.

Editor's note (5 October 2026): Dates follow Drik Panchang for Canada; Bengali Durga Puja days follow the Kolkata calendar. Ghatasthapana and Abhijit windows were calculated from local sunrise and sunset and agree with Drik Panchang to within about a minute; please confirm for your city. No Canadian Navratri, Garba or Durga Puja events for 2026 had been confirmed when we last checked — organisers are still publishing 2026 flyers; we will update this guide.

Related guides

• Navratri 2026 Canada — day-wise puja guide
• Dussehra 2026 Canada, province by province
• Navratri 2026 in the USA, city by city
• Navratri 2026 in the UK, city by city
• Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026 (main guide)
• Sharad Navratri to Dussehra 2026
• October 2026 Hindu festivals calendar
• Diwali 2026 Canada