On the seventh day of Navratri the Goddess is worshipped as Kalaratri, a name that means “the dark night” (or “the night of time”). She is the form that looks fiercest, with a dark complexion, wild hair and a fiery glance, and yet the devotional tradition treats her as the one who removes fear. The second name given to her, Shubhankari, means “the one who makes auspicious”.
This page belongs to the Navadurga guide. The order of the forms is the widely followed one in north and west India and other regions arrange the days differently.
The day of Navratri
Kalaratri is worshipped on Saptami, the seventh tithi of the bright half. In 2026 Saptami is in force at sunrise on Saturday 17 October 2026 in New Delhi and Pune, and it is still in force at sunrise on Sunday 18 October 2026, ending at 8:28 am that morning. A tithi that lasts through two sunrises is common, and it is the reason this Navratri has ten civil days for nine tithis. Calendars handle it in different ways, so ask your family or temple which day they follow for Kalaratri; the Navratri day by day page shows the two choices. In Chaitra Navratri 2027 the seventh day is Tuesday 13 April 2027. Dates for other cities are on the Sharad Navratri page and the Chaitra Navratri page. Before her is Katyayani and after her comes Mahagauri.
In Bengal, Saptami is the day of Maha Saptami in Durga Puja, with the Nabapatrika snan; see the Durga Puja page.
Form and iconography
Kalaratri is the one form of the nine whose looks are meant to alarm. Her skin is as dark as the night, her hair is loose and flying, and she has three round eyes that are said to shine like the universe. A necklace that gleams like lightning is around her neck, and flame is said to come from her breath. Her vehicle is a donkey (gardabha), the humblest of animals, and she is shown with four arms. The right hands are raised in the gestures of fearlessness and of giving boons. In the left hands she holds an iron hook (or a thorn-like weapon) and a sword.
The tradition says plainly that the face frightens only those who are wrong, and that to her devotees she is entirely kind. The hands are the sign: one gives courage and one grants a boon.
The story as tradition tells it
Kalaratri is associated with the part of the Devi Mahatmya that tells of Raktabija, a demon who had a boon that every drop of his blood that fell to the ground would produce another demon like him. The gods could not win, since each wound only made more of his army. In chapter 8 the Goddess and the mothers, the Matrikas, who arise from the gods’ own powers, fight him. Chamunda (Kali) opens her mouth wide, drinks the blood before it reaches the ground and eats the demons that form, and the demon is brought to an end.
The name Kalaratri is used in the Devi Mahatmya for the Goddess as a cosmic power: in the hymn of the gods in the first chapter the Goddess is called Kalaratri, Maharatri and Moharatri, the three kinds of night. In the Navadurga tradition the name was given to the seventh form. We do not claim that the story of Raktabija is told of Kalaratri by name in that text; it is the tradition’s association.
Read quietly, the form says that what looks frightening may be a protector, and that the darkest point of the night comes before the morning. Many people also take it as a reminder that not everything protective is gentle in appearance.
Shubhankari
The second name makes the point of the form. Shubhankari means the one who brings good. In the tradition she is said to drive away fear of ghosts, darkness, disease and enemies, and the devotee who remembers her is said to be freed of such fear. These are the claims of devotion. If a fear is real, such as a health or safety worry, it deserves a practical answer as well as a prayer.
In the yoga-influenced reading that is popular today, she is linked to the crown centre, sahasrara. That link is a later layer and not from the older texts.
The dhyana shloka
The short meditation verses for the nine forms are printed in many modern booklets. We have not matched the one for Kalaratri to an old printed edition that we can check, so we do not quote it. If your family recites a verse, use it as it is. It will describe the picture above: the dark body, the loose hair, the donkey and the two raised hands.
Offerings and customs
The offering commonly given to Kalaratri is jaggery, which is given to Brahmins, shared at home, or used in sweets. The tradition links jaggery to freedom from sorrow. The seventh night is often marked with a larger puja after dark, which suits her name, and many people keep a lamp lit through the evening.
In Maharashtra the popular colour for the day depends on the weekday and is not tied to her; the day by day page lays it out as a regional custom. Dark blue and black are not worn by many people for her puja in the north, where red or orange are preferred; practice differs, so follow your family. Many families recite the Durga Chalisa in the evening, and the daily puja guide gives a short order.
Frequently asked questions
↳ Which day of Navratri is Kalaratri worshipped?
Kalaratri is worshipped on the seventh day, Saptami. In 2026 that is Saturday 17 October 2026 in New Delhi and Pune, and Saptami also holds at sunrise on the following day, so calendars differ on which day to keep.
↳ Is Kalaratri a frightening goddess?
Her image is fierce, but the tradition calls her Shubhankari, the one who does good, and says she removes fear from her devotees. One of her hands gives fearlessness and the other a boon.
↳ Why does Kalaratri ride a donkey?
The donkey is the humblest of animals, and the tradition uses it to show that the Goddess is not tied to splendour. It is the usual vehicle given to her in images.
↳ What is offered to Kalaratri?
Jaggery is the commonly given offering. It is a custom and families follow their own habit.
↳ What is Kalaratri's link to Raktabija?
The Devi Mahatmya tells how the Goddess and the Matrikas defeat Raktabija, whose blood made new demons. Tradition connects the dark and fierce form with that story, though the text uses other names in the battle itself.