Navratri Day 2 2026: Maa Brahmacharini — Date, Colour, Mantra, Bhog and Puja Vidhi
Navratri Day 2 in 2026 is Monday, 12 October, the day of Maa Brahmacharini — Parvati in the years of her tapas.
- Date: Monday, 12 October 2026
- Tithi: Dwitiya — 9:32 PM on 11 October to 10:14 PM on 12 October
- Goddess: Maa Brahmacharini
- Sunrise (Delhi): 6:20 AM
- Colour (popular custom): White
- Traditional bhog: Sugar or mishri
Maa Brahmacharini: the goddess of tapas
Brahmacharini is "she who walks in brahma" — in austerity and devotion. She is shown walking barefoot, dressed in white, a rosary of rudraksha in her right hand and a kamandalu, the ascetic's water-pot, in her left. There is no mount and no weapon: her power is the steadiness of a mind that has set itself a goal and will not turn aside.
The story of Maa Brahmacharini
Born as Parvati, the Goddess resolved to win Shiva, who was lost in meditation after Sati's death. Guided by the sage Narada, she undertook a tapas so severe that for years she lived on fruits, then on fallen leaves, and finally gave up even those — which earned her the name Aparna, "without a leaf". Her perseverance moved the gods and Shiva himself, and it is that perseverance her devotees ask for on this day.
Mantra and dhyana
ॐ देवी ब्रह्मचारिण्यै नमः॥
दधाना करपद्माभ्यामक्षमालाकमण्डलू। देवी प्रसीदतु मयि ब्रह्मचारिण्यनुत्तमा॥
The dhyana verse asks the supreme Brahmacharini, who holds the rosary and the kamandalu in her lotus hands, to be gracious. Students and those facing a long, hard effort often chant her mantra through the day.
Colour and bhog for Day 2
In the popular colour list the colour for Monday, 12 October is white, which suits a goddess who wears white. The traditional bhog is sugar or mishri, and many families share it with the household afterwards.
How to worship Maa Brahmacharini on Day 2
- After the morning puja at the kalash, invoke Maa Brahmacharini with the dhyana verse.
- Offer white flowers — jasmine is favoured — sandal paste, akshat and the sugar bhog.
- Chant her mantra 108 times; many observe a lighter fast in her honour.
- Close with the aarti and keep the akhand jyoti burning.
The daily kalash, akhand jyoti and the general Navratri vidhi are in the Navratri 2026 guide; the Brahmacharini aarti.
The test at the end of her tapas
The best-known episode of her tapas, told in Kalidasa's Kumarasambhava, comes at its very end. A young ascetic arrives at her hermitage and, after praising her devotion, tries to talk her out of it: why waste such a life on Shiva, who haunts cremation grounds, wears snakes and owns nothing? Parvati answers him with such conviction that the ascetic drops his disguise — he is Shiva himself, and the test was his. Her day is kept for exactly that quality: a resolve that holds even when the voice arguing against it sounds reasonable.
← Day 1 · Maa Shailaputri · → Day 3 · Maa Chandraghanta · All nine days of Navratri 2026
Frequently asked questions
When is Navratri Day 2 in 2026?
On Monday, 12 October 2026. Dwitiya runs from 9:32 PM on 11 October to 10:14 PM on 12 October.
Who is Maa Brahmacharini?
She is the second form of Durga — Parvati during her long tapas to win Shiva, shown barefoot with a rosary and a kamandalu.
What is the colour of Navratri Day 2 in 2026?
White, in the popular list that assigns colours by weekday.
What bhog is offered to Maa Brahmacharini?
Sugar or mishri is the traditional offering on the second day.
