Navratri & Garba 2026 in Kollam: Events, Puja & Where to Celebrate

TL;DR

• 🪔 Navratri 2026 runs October 11–20, culminating with Durga Ashtami on October 19 and Vijayadashami on October 20
• 🙏 Ancient shrines including Puttingal Devi Temple and Thamarakkulam Ganapathy Temple run extended puja sequences across all nine nights
• 🎭 The Kerala tradition of kolu displays and Saraswati Puja adds a layer of celebration entirely unique to this coast
• 📅 The festive season opens as early as Ganesh Chaturthi on September 14 — plan your calendar from there
• ✨ Vijayadashami doubles as Vidyarambham, the auspicious day for initiating children into learning — a custom that makes October 20 profoundly personal for Kollam families

A Festive Season That Begins Before October

Kollam's devotional calendar does not simply arrive in October. The run-up is its own event. Sankashti Chaturthi on September 1 signals the first major fasting day of the season, dedicated to Ganesha, and is followed by Ekadashi observances on September 7 and 22, Pradosh Vrat on September 9 and 24, and the full moon of Purnima on September 26. These milestones — woven through a month of quiet devotion — build the spiritual momentum that makes Navratri feel less like an isolated festival and more like the apex of an extended sacred season.

The real crowd-pleaser before Navratri arrives is Ganesh Chaturthi on September 14. Clay Ganesha idols appear in homes, apartment courtyards, and neighbourhood pandals. The sound of dhol and nadaswaram drifts across the city, and the evenings fill with devotional singing that continues for days. By the time Amavasya falls on October 10 and Navratri begins the very next day on October 11, Kollam is already deep inside the devotional spirit of the season.

Kollam's Temples: Ancient Shrines at the Heart of Navratri

The temple landscape of Kollam is the city's greatest spiritual asset during Navratri. Puttingal Devi Temple — one of the most revered Devi shrines in all of Kollam district — draws pilgrims from across the region who come specifically for the nine nights of special puja. The late-evening deeparadhana here, with its concentric rings of burning oil lamps and the resonant chanting of Sanskrit shlokas, has a quality of devotion that words do not quite capture. Crowds build rapidly after sundown; the inner sanctum fills fast.

Thamarakkulam Ganapathy Temple on Thamarakkulam Road brings a Ganesha-centred dimension to the Navratri circuit. In the Kerala tradition, Ganesha is honoured as the gateway deity — the remover of obstacles — before the goddess herself is fully invoked during the nine nights. The temple's Navratri sevas draw families who have maintained the pilgrimage across generations, and the atmosphere during Ashtami is particularly charged.

Sree Saravana Temple (Murugan Temple) on Eravipuram-Pallimukku Road adds a Shaivite thread to the festive fabric. Lord Murugan, son of Shiva and Parvati, is closely connected to the divine feminine tradition that Navratri celebrates, and the temple's special abhishekam on Saptami and Ashtami draws devotees seeking blessings at the mid-point and climax of the nine nights. Siva Parvathi Temple on Kappil HS Road and Yogeswara Temple on Kanjiram Ninathil-Poika Road also run extended morning and evening puja schedules for the duration of the festival.

Beyond these well-known shrines, the network of neighbourhood temples — Koduvila Mahadeva Temple, Sree Mahavishnu Temple, Madattil Bhadra Devi Temple, and Panamood Devi Temple among them — ensures that nearly every part of the city has a local focal point for the nine nights. For residents without easy transport to the larger mandirs, these local shrines become the centre of their Navratri experience.

What Makes Kollam's Navratri Different: Kolu, Saraswati Puja, and Vidyarambham

If you arrive expecting only garba circles, Kollam will give you something richer. Kerala's Navratri is anchored in three overlapping traditions: the kolu display, Saraswati Puja, and Vijayadashami as Vidyarambham.

The kolu is an arrangement of dolls and figurines on stepped shelves — typically seven, nine, or eleven tiers — that families set up in their homes at the start of Navratri. Neighbours visit one another's homes to admire the arrangements and receive vetrilai-pakku (betel leaf and areca nut), a custom that turns the festival into a neighbourly ritual of hospitality. The thematic creativity on display in Kollam homes — kolu arrangements depicting scenes from epics, mythological episodes, or contemporary life — makes the tradition a form of domestic art.

Saraswati Puja, observed on Navami (October 19, coinciding with Durga Ashtami this year), is the day when books, musical instruments, tools, and vehicles are placed before the goddess. Nothing is to be read or played — the instruments belong to Saraswati for the day. Students and professionals alike participate; it is perhaps the one day in the year when purposeful idleness is an act of devotion.

Vijayadashami on October 20 brings Vidyarambham — the formal initiation of children into learning. Toddlers as young as two or three are guided by teachers or senior family members to trace their first letters through rice or sand in what is known as ezhuthiniruthu in Malayalam. Schools, temples, and homes across Kollam participate, and the image of a tiny finger tracing the first akshar under a parent's patient guidance is one of the most moving scenes the city produces all year.

Garba and Dandiya in Kollam: The Festive Dance Nights

Garba and dandiya raas are a significant part of Navratri celebrations in Kollam, especially in residential colonies and community halls with a pan-India character. The two weekends within the festival — October 11–12 and October 18–19 — anchor the largest dance gatherings, with elaborate chaniya choli and kurtas filling the floor alongside the rhythmic percussion of dhol and clap of dandiya sticks.

The mix of north-Indian garba tradition and Kerala devotional customs in Kollam creates a Navratri that is genuinely layered — you might attend a garba night in a community hall on Saturday and then visit a kolu display in a neighbour's home the following morning. This coexistence of traditions makes Kollam's Navratri one of the more culturally interesting festival experiences in Kerala.

Insider Tip: Reach Puttingal Devi Temple at least 45 minutes before the evening deeparadhana — crowds build quickly after 6 p.m. and inner sanctum space fills fast. The early morning window between 6 and 8 a.m. on Ashtami (October 19) and Vijayadashami (October 20) offers the same rituals with a fraction of the crowds and extraordinary quality of light.

FAQ

When does Navratri 2026 start and end in Kollam? Navratri begins on October 11, 2026, and concludes with Dussehra/Vijayadashami on October 20, 2026.

What is Vidyarambham and on which date does it occur? Vidyarambham is the Kerala tradition of initiating children into formal learning on the auspicious day of Vijayadashami. In 2026, it falls on October 20.

Are there garba and dandiya events in Kollam? Yes. Community halls and residential associations organise garba and dandiya raas, particularly on the two weekends within the Navratri period — October 11–12 and October 18–19.

Which temples are most significant during Navratri in Kollam? Puttingal Devi Temple is widely regarded as the premier Navratri destination in the district. Thamarakkulam Ganapathy Temple and Sree Saravana Temple (Murugan Temple) also attract large gatherings during the nine nights.

What is Saraswati Puja and how is it observed? Saraswati Puja (Navami) is the day on which books, instruments, and tools are offered to the goddess of learning. Reading and playing instruments are traditionally avoided during the puja itself.

Is Vijayadashami a public holiday in Kerala? Yes. It is a gazetted holiday in Kerala, and schools in particular observe it as Vidyarambham day.

Bottom Line

Kollam's Navratri is a nine-night confluence of goddess worship, classical Kerala custom, and community celebration. Ancient shrines like Puttingal Devi Temple, Thamarakkulam Ganapathy Temple, and Sree Saravana Temple (Murugan Temple) provide the devotional spine of the festival, while the kolu tradition, Saraswati Puja, and Vidyarambham on Vijayadashami give October in Kollam a cultural depth that is distinctly and beautifully Keralite. Whether you come to dance, to pray, or to watch a child trace their first letters in rice, Kollam's Navratri rewards the visit.