Navratri 2026 Garba and Dandiya Dress Guide

Navratri 2026 runs from Sunday 11 October to Monday 19 October, and Dussehra follows on Tuesday 20 October. That is nine nights of garba and dandiya: society events, college nights, school Navratri days and the big ticketed dandiya nights across Delhi NCR. This guide covers what to wear on each night, what women, men, couples and kids usually wear, how to get the fit right, and when renting makes more sense than buying.

We run Mod Fancy Dress in Krishna Nagar, East Delhi, and the advice below is what we tell customers at the counter every October.

Navratri 2026 dates at a glance

• Sun 11 Oct: Ghatasthapana, the first day of Navratri
• Mon 19 Oct: Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami fall on the same day in Delhi this year
• Tue 20 Oct: Dussehra (Vijayadashami)

Navratri 2026 has two weekends: the opening Sunday (11 Oct) and Saturday–Sunday 17–18 Oct. Ashtami falls on a Monday. Society and ticketed dandiya nights often fall on weekends, so check the exact date of your event before you book an outfit.

Navratri 2026 colours, day by day

Each day of Navratri has a colour, fixed by the weekday the festival starts on. For 2026 the list is:

• Day 1, Sun 11 Oct: Orange
• Day 2, Mon 12 Oct: White
• Day 3, Tue 13 Oct: Red
• Day 4, Wed 14 Oct: Royal Blue
• Day 5, Thu 15 Oct: Yellow
• Day 6, Fri 16 Oct: Green
• Day 7, Sat 17 Oct: Grey
• Day 8, Sun 18 Oct: Purple
• Day 9, Mon 19 Oct: Peacock Green

Source: Drik Panchang, Sharad Navratri 2026 colours for New Delhi.

You do not need nine outfits to follow the colours. Pick one or two chaniya cholis with a lot of colour in them and change the dupatta, bangles and bindi to match the day. If you want the base outfit itself in the day's colour, these match well:

• White (12 Oct): the white Kutchi mirror-work chaniya choli or the white dandiya dress with silver embroidery
• Red (13 Oct): the red and black mirror-work garba lehenga
• Royal Blue (14 Oct): the navy blue lehenga dandiya dress
• Yellow (15 Oct): the yellow peacock panel chaniya choli
• Green (16 Oct): the green printed Gujarati chaniya choli

Garba dress vs dandiya dress: is there a difference?

People use the two terms together, and in practice the same outfit works for both. A garba dress for women is the chaniya choli: a flared, embroidered skirt (chaniya), a fitted blouse (choli) and a dupatta. Garba is a circular dance, so the flare matters most. Dandiya raas is danced in pairs with sticks, so some people prefer sleeves that don't get in the way and a skirt that doesn't catch a partner's feet. The mirror work, bandhani prints and bright colours are the same. Browse both on our dandiya dress and garba dress pages.

Dandiya dress for women

Most of our dandiya and garba stock for women is three-piece sets: a flared chaniya, a matching choli and a dupatta, in adult free size. How to choose:

• Traditional Kutchi look: the Gujarati dandiya dress has a mirror-work patchwork choli and a skirt covered in mirror discs. It is the outfit most people picture when they think of Navratri.
• Late-night dandiya: dark grounds hold their colour under stage lights, and pale ones can look flat. The maroon Kutchi embroidered lehenga is the pick for a night event.
• Something less expected: the white peacock and palace print ghoomar lehenga reads as Rajasthani as much as Gujarati, so it also works for a folk-dance item after Navratri.
• Easiest to move in: the navy blue lehenga dandiya dress is a single piece, so there's no choli to tug down between rounds.
• Dressier: the pink and gold lehenga with a zari border suits a sangeet as well as a dandiya night.

Most of our September chaniya cholis are ₹2,300 to buy or ₹800 to rent for the event.

Fit tips. You'll lift your arms all night in dandiya, so try the choli with your arms raised; it shouldn't pull at the shoulders. Free-size chaniyas tie at the waist, so wear them at the height you'll dance in, not higher. Pin the dupatta at the shoulder and at the waist, then do a few practice turns. Flat juttis or mojris last a whole night; heels don't.

Garba dress for men and boys (kediyu)

The men's garba outfit is the kediyu (also spelt kedia or kediya): a short top gathered at the chest that flares into frills at the waist. It is worn with a dhoti or churidar and usually a pagdi (turban). The flare does for men what the chaniya does for women and opens up on every spin.

For boys we stock the kediya garba dance costume, the kedia dress, and a Gujarati boy costume that comes with dhoti, pagdi and dupatto. Our kediyu sets are cut for boys. For adult men, WhatsApp us your size and we'll check what is in the shop. If there isn't a kediyu in your size, a plain kurta with a bandhani dupatta over one shoulder and a pagdi still reads as garba on the floor.

Couple dandiya outfits

Matching exactly usually looks like a uniform. What works better:

• Choose her chaniya choli first, because it has the most colour.
• Pick one colour from its border, such as the maroon or the mirror-work green, and use it for his kediyu, pagdi or dupatta.
• Keep the metal the same: gold zari with gold, silver mirror work with silver.

Book both outfits at the same time so you can try them together at the shop.

Garba dress for kids and school Navratri days

Many of our October enquiries are for school: a Navratri day, a garba competition, or a "traditional dress of Gujarat" round in a fancy dress competition. A good garba costume for a child has three parts: a lehenga that flares when they spin, a choli with mirror work or embroidery, and a dupatta. The mirror work (shisha embroidery) is what makes a group of children sparkle under hall lights.

What to avoid:

• Heavy, many-layered lehengas. They look good in photos but tire a child out before the performance ends.
• Stone work on the hem. Stones come loose during fast garba footwork.
• Big sizes to "grow into". A skirt that is too long gets stepped on in the first round.

For children under six, a simple half-lehenga with a comfortable blouse is plenty. Freedom to move matters more than detail.

Ready options for girls include the traditional Navratri chaniya choli, the Gujarati garba dance costume and the blue garba dance costume (5–7 years). Boys can wear the kediya sets above.

Dandiya sticks. Get sticks the right length for your child's height. Sticks that are too long clash with the next child, and sticks that are too short make the choreography look wrong.

For a competition, add a small bindi, bangles and a dupatta pinned at the shoulder. Practise a one-line introduction such as "I am wearing the traditional dress of Gujarat, worn for garba during Navratri."

Garba dress on rent in Delhi

For one garba night or one school event, renting usually makes more sense. You get a richer outfit for less, and you aren't storing a child's costume they will outgrow by next year. How it works with us:

• Rent is per event, which usually means one to two days. If you have a rehearsal on another day, tell us and we'll work it out.
• A refundable deposit is taken with the rent and returned in full when the outfit comes back. The deposit for each piece is shown on its product page.
• Try before you take it at our shop at S64, South Anarkali, Som Bazar, Krishna Nagar, Delhi 110051. It's a five-minute walk from Krishna Nagar Metro on the Pink Line, and we're open 10 AM to 9:30 PM every day.
• Can't come in? WhatsApp us on +91 99537 64137 with the outfit and your event date. We can send it by Porter or Rapido, and you pay the delivery partner directly.
• Returning it: no need to wash it. Just bring it back after the event.

Rent or buy? For our September chaniya cholis, 3 rentals cost about the same as buying the outfit. If you'll wear the same outfit on several nights of Navratri, or dance every year, buying is the better deal. For one night or one school event, rent. See all the terms on our rent page.

Book early. October is one of our busiest months. Book at least a week ahead, and earlier if your event is on one of the two Navratri weekends. Schools and societies booking ten or more outfits get group rates. Send us the list on WhatsApp.

A quick checklist before the event

• Outfit tried on with arms raised, and the choli and waist fit confirmed
• Dupatta pinned and tested with a few practice turns
• Bangles, bindi and flat juttis ready
• Dandiya sticks packed, if your event uses them
• For kids: the one-line introduction practised, if it is a competition

Get the outfit sorted a week early and the rest of Navratri is just dancing. Start with the dandiya dress and garba dress collections. If you prefer to read in Hindi, see our Hindi guide to choosing a garba dress.

Dandiya ki dress rent pe chahiye? Krishna Nagar store aaiye ya WhatsApp karein.