Himachal October 8, 2026 8 min

Navratri Mela 2026 in Himachal: Chintpurni, Naina Devi, Jwala Ji

Sharad Navratri 2026 runs from 11 October, with Ashtami and Navami on 19 October. The Chintpurni mela runs 11–20 October. Here are the sectors, parking limits, langar and plastic rules, and VIP darshan announced for Himachal’s Devi temples.

Suzu Travels

Travel Expert at Suzu Travels

Sharad Navratri 2026 begins on Sunday, 11 October, and Himachal’s big Devi temples are getting ready for their busiest ten days of the autumn. The Navratri mela at Shri Chintpurni (Una) runs from 11 to 20 October 2026. Ashtami and Navami both fall on Monday, 19 October, and Dussehra is on Tuesday, 20 October (in Mysuru the Jumboo Savari falls a day later, on 21 October; see our Mysore Dasara 2026 schedule). Between 5 and 8 October 2026, the district administrations of Una, Bilaspur and Kangra set their mela arrangements. They have divided the temple towns into police sectors, put parking limits on vehicles, banned langars on Chintpurni’s main road and set fines for plastic and open tobacco sales. If you plan to visit Chintpurni, Naina Devi, Jwala Ji, Kangra (Brajeshwari) or Chamunda this Navratri, here is what has been announced and how to plan around it.

Navratri 2026 dates at a glance

What	Date (2026)
Navratri begins (Ghatasthapana)	Sunday, 11 October
Ashtami and Navami (Kanya Pujan)	Monday, 19 October (both on the same day)
Dussehra (Vijayadashami)	Tuesday, 20 October
Chintpurni Navratri mela	11 to 20 October
Kullu Dussehra (for those adding the hills)	21 to 27 October

The Navratri dates come from almanac reports published on 2 October 2026. They put the main Ghatasthapana muhurat on 11 October between 6:32 am and 10:26 am, with the Abhijit muhurat from 12:02 pm to 12:48 pm as the fallback. The Chintpurni mela dates come from the Una administration’s planning meeting on Monday, 5 October 2026.

Chintpurni (Una): 11 to 20 October, four sectors, 400 personnel

Chintpurni gets the heaviest Navratri crowds in Himachal, largely from Punjab. SDM Amb Paras Agarwal is the mela officer, and he chaired the planning meeting on 5 October 2026. Here is what was decided, as reported by Zee News, Amar Ujala and Dainik Tribune:

Four sectors: the Chintpurni area is divided into four sectors for crowd control and security, with a DSP as mela police officer.
About 400 police and Home Guard personnel will be deployed. Extra force will stand near Gate No. 1 and Gate No. 2, where the queues bunch up.
Barricades and checkpoints will manage the queues and stop people from jumping the line. Passages through shops will be closed.
Darshan slips will be issued at Maidas Sadan, Shambhu Barrier and MRC, according to Dainik Tribune.
Free medicine counters at the Old Bus Stand and Baba Shri Maidas Sadan, plus drinking water points around the town.
Plastic: anyone using polythene or plastic can be challaned.
Tobacco: selling cigarettes or tobacco in the open can be fined up to ₹10,000, and the goods can be seized.
Langars are banned on the main road. They are allowed only at designated sites, and organisers pay a ₹10,000 fee plus a ₹10,000 refundable deposit.

Naina Devi (Bilaspur): nine sectors and parking only at marked spots

On Thursday, 8 October 2026, Bilaspur Deputy Commissioner Rahul Kumar chaired a review of arrangements for the Ashwin Navratri mela at Shri Naina Devi Ji. The SDM of Shri Naina Devi Ji will be the fair officer, and the temple officer will be the assistant fair officer. The report (MBM News Network, 8 October) says:

The fair area will be split into nine sectors, with magistrates and police officers posted in six of them. The whole area will be under CCTV.
Traffic barriers near Toba, Ghanwadal and the ropeway. During the fair, vehicles may park only at marked locations. Separate guidelines for heavy vehicles will be issued.
Five temporary health check-up camps and three ambulances on duty around the clock.
Food vendors must display rate lists. Langar organisers need online permission.

The administration has not yet published Naina Devi’s daily darshan hours or the full traffic plan. Check with the temple trust or the Bilaspur district administration before you set out.

Jwala Ji, Kangra and Chamunda: what the Kangra temples have announced

Amar Ujala’s Kangra edition reported the Kangra district preparations on 8 October 2026.

Jwalamukhi (Jwala Ji)

On the first Navratri day the doors open at around 5 am, and the temple stays open from morning until night.
The town is split into six sectors, with about 85 police, 75 Home Guards and 60 sanitation workers on duty, and about 80 CCTV cameras.
Large vehicles will be stopped at designated parking sites outside the town. Plan to walk the last stretch.
Free langar and a medical camp, according to temple officer Ajay Mandyal.

Kangra temple (Brajeshwari)

25 Home Guards will work alongside the police, and security staff will be posted at Banganga Ghat.
Parking sites will get signboards, and shopkeepers have been told not to put goods out on the lane.
Langar three times a day. SDM Dr Anjali Garg said devotees aged 60 and above can take VIP darshan for ₹200.

Chamunda Nandikeshwar Dham

45 police and 30 Home Guards will be deployed.
The health centre at Badhoi and the Ayurvedic dispensary at Chamunda will stay open 24 hours.

What this means for your trip

We run Devi darshan trips from Chandigarh, Delhi and Punjab every Navratri. Here is how we would plan around this year’s arrangements:

Your car will not get close to the temples. At Jwalamukhi, large vehicles are being held outside town, and at Naina Devi parking is allowed only at marked spots. Expect to walk, take local transport or use the Naina Devi ropeway for the last stretch, and allow an extra hour for it at each shrine.
Avoid the peak days if you can. In our experience the opening day (Sunday, 11 October), the middle weekend (17 and 18 October) and Ashtami (19 October) draw the biggest crowds. Weekdays from 12 to 16 October are usually the easiest.
Start early. Jwala Ji opens at around 5 am on the first day. The queue at every shrine is shortest just after the doors open.
Elderly parents: at the Kangra temple, devotees aged 60 and above can take ₹200 VIP darshan. Chamunda and Jwalamukhi will have medical cover, and Naina Devi will have three ambulances on duty.
Carry no plastic, and don’t try to set up your own langar. Both are being enforced this year, at Chintpurni especially.
Weather: on 7 October 2026 the Meteorological Centre, Shimla, said unsettled weather would continue until 12 October, with rain in many places and snow on the higher reaches. The Devi temples are in the lower hills, so expect rain rather than snow there, but carry a jacket for early-morning queues. Our Himachal weather forecast for 6 to 10 October has the detail. Check the latest IMD Shimla bulletin before you drive.
Doing all five in one trip: Naina Devi, Chintpurni, Jwala Ji, Kangra and Chamunda make a natural loop. Our guide to the Shakti Peeths of Himachal has the route order and timings. During Navratri, plan one shrine per half-day rather than two.

If you would rather someone else handled the parking, the queues and the hotel near the temple, our 5 Shakti Peeth tour of Himachal (5 days / 4 nights) covers all five shrines with a driver who knows the mela traffic plans. Navratri hotel rooms near Chintpurni and Jwalamukhi go quickly, so book as early as you can. You can also stay on into the hills for Kullu Dussehra, 21 to 27 October. Call or WhatsApp 7087488961.

FAQ: Navratri 2026 at Himachal’s Devi temples

When is Navratri 2026?

Sharad Navratri 2026 runs from Sunday, 11 October, with Ashtami and Navami both on Monday, 19 October, and Dussehra on Tuesday, 20 October.

What are the Chintpurni mela dates in 2026?

The Chintpurni Navratri mela runs from 11 to 20 October 2026, according to the Una administration’s planning meeting on 5 October 2026.

Do I need to register online for Chintpurni darshan?

None of the reports from the 5 October planning meeting mention mandatory online registration. Dainik Tribune reports that darshan slips will be issued at Maidas Sadan, Shambhu Barrier and MRC. Rules can change during the mela, so follow the announcements on the ground.

Can I drive up to Naina Devi or Jwala Ji during Navratri?

Not all the way. At Naina Devi, vehicles may park only at marked locations, with traffic barriers near Toba, Ghanwadal and the ropeway. At Jwalamukhi, large vehicles will be stopped at parking sites outside the town.

Is there VIP darshan for senior citizens?

At the Kangra (Brajeshwari) temple, devotees aged 60 and above can take VIP darshan for ₹200, according to SDM Kangra as reported on 8 October 2026. We have not seen a similar announcement for the other temples.

Which is the least crowded day to visit?

In our experience, the weekdays between the first day and the final weekend (12 to 16 October this year) are easier than 11 October, 17 and 18 October, or Ashtami on 19 October.

Will it rain or snow during Navratri?

As of 7 October 2026, the Meteorological Centre, Shimla, expected unsettled weather until 12 October, with snow on the higher reaches. The Devi temples are in the lower hills, so rain is more likely there than snow. Check the latest IMD bulletin before you travel.

Sources

Last updated 9 October 2026. Mela rules are set by the district administrations and can change at short notice. Follow the instructions of the police and temple staff on the ground.