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

TL;DR

• 🗓 Navratri 2026 starts October 11 in Simi Valley — mark your calendar now
• 🏛 Simi Valley Hindu Temple on Royal Ave is the go-to hub for puja and community gatherings
• 💃 The nine-night festival runs through Durga Ashtami on October 18 and closes with Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026 on October 20
• 🪔 The fall season also brings Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 on September 14 and Krishna Janmashtami 2026 on September 4
• 📍 Simi Valley's Indian diaspora community has built a consistent tradition around these celebrations

The Season Leading Up to Navratri

Before the nine nights of Navratri arrive, the Desi calendar in Simi Valley is already humming with activity. Krishna Janmashtami 2026 falls on September 4, marking the birth of Lord Krishna with overnight bhajans, fasting, and the joyful breaking of the fast at midnight. Just ten days later, Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 arrives on September 14 — a ten-day festival in which the idol of Lord Ganesha is worshipped before being ritually immersed on Anant Chaturdashi.

These back-to-back festivals set the devotional mood. By the time Navratri 2026 begins on October 11, families have already been in a rhythm of fasting, puja preparation, and community gathering for weeks. Each observance builds on the last, making autumn the most spiritually charged stretch of the Hindu year.

For Simi Valley's Indian community, these months also involve practical preparation: ordering new clothes in garba-ready chaniya cholis and kurtas, stocking up on puja samagri, and coordinating with friends and family about which events to attend together.

Navratri 2026 Dates and the Devi Navaratri Schedule

Navratri 2026 begins on October 11 and runs for nine nights. Each day is dedicated to one of the nine forms of Goddess Durga — from Shailputri on day one to Siddhidatri on day nine. Key dates in the sequence:

• October 10 — Amavasya (new moon), observed with ancestral rites the day before Navratri opens
• October 11 — Navratri 2026 begins (Pratipada), the first night of Garba
• October 18 — Durga Ashtami 2026, the eighth day, considered among the most auspicious for puja and havan
• October 20 — Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026, the tenth day marking the victory of good over evil

Saptami and Ashtami evenings tend to draw the largest gatherings for Garba and Dandiya Raas. If you can attend only one night, Durga Ashtami 2026 on October 18 is the most significant for both spiritual observance and communal celebration.

The Ekadashi on October 21 arrives one day after Dussehra, a natural pause point after the intensity of the festival period.

Simi Valley Hindu Temple: The Community Anchor

The Simi Valley Hindu Temple, located at 1925 Royal Ave, Simi Valley, CA 93065, is the primary hub for Hindu religious observance in Ventura County. For Navratri, the temple typically conducts daily ashtottara, abhishekam, and evening aarti for each of the nine Durga forms.

The temple grounds serve as the natural gathering point for the Indian diaspora community in Simi Valley and the surrounding region. Families come for puja in the morning, return for evening aarti, and often gather afterward for prasad and informal community conversation.

For specific puja schedules, Garba night details, and prasad timings, contact Simi Valley Hindu Temple directly or check community WhatsApp groups and local Desi event boards, where volunteers typically post updates a few weeks before Navratri begins.

Garba and Dandiya: What to Expect

Garba nights in the Southern California diaspora tend to be organized affairs with ticketed entry, live music or high-energy DJ sets, and designated spaces for different age groups. Simi Valley's proximity to larger Indian communities in the San Fernando Valley means that residents often have options to attend regional Garba events as well as any locally organized nights.

Traditional Garba involves circular dance in concentric rings around a central lamp or image of the Goddess. Dandiya Raas, often held on later nights, is the partner-dance form with decorated wooden sticks. Both are high-energy and fully participatory — spectators rarely stay on the sidelines for long.

Dress is generally traditional. Chaniya cholis, ghagra-choli sets, lehengas, and sharara suits are standard for women; kurta-pajama, sherwani, and dhoti-kurta for men. Many families spend considerable time choosing coordinated outfits for each night of the nine-day festival.

The Weeks Before: Raksha Bandhan Through Sankashti Chaturthi

The calendar leading up to Navratri 2026 is dense with observances. Raksha Bandhan 2026 falls on August 27, the sibling-bond festival on Shravan Purnima. Pradosh Vrat on September 8 and September 24 are bimonthly Shiva fasts. Purnima (full moon) on September 26 brings another round of Satyanarayan puja for many households. Sankashti Chaturthi on September 29 is the monthly Ganesha fast, observed until moonrise.

This continuous cycle means that by the time October arrives and Navratri 2026 begins, the community has been in a steady rhythm of devotional observance for months. The transition from the Shravan and Bhadrapada months into Ashwin — the month of Navratri — feels organic rather than abrupt.

Insider Tip 💡

If you are attending Garba for the first time or returning after a long gap, plan to go on the first or second night of Navratri 2026 rather than waiting for Durga Ashtami. The earlier nights tend to have slightly smaller crowds and a more relaxed pace, which makes it easier to learn or relearn the basic three-step and two-step Garba patterns. By Ashtami, the floor fills up fast and the energy is electric — you will enjoy it far more with the earlier nights as warm-up.

Many Garba venues in Southern California require advance ticket purchase and do not accommodate walk-in entry. Confirm the ticketing process as soon as details are announced, usually in late September.

FAQ

Q: When does Navratri 2026 start in Simi Valley? Navratri 2026 begins on October 11, 2026.

Q: Where is the main temple for Navratri puja in Simi Valley? Simi Valley Hindu Temple at 1925 Royal Ave, Simi Valley, CA 93065 is the primary venue for Hindu religious observance in the area.

Q: What is Durga Ashtami and when does it fall in 2026? Durga Ashtami 2026 is the eighth day of Navratri, considered highly auspicious for puja and havan. It falls on October 18, 2026.

Q: What is Dussehra and when is it in 2026? Dussehra, also known as Vijayadashami, marks the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana, celebrated on the tenth day after Navratri begins. Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026 falls on October 20.

Q: Are Garba events in Simi Valley open to the public? Community Garba events are organized by Indian cultural associations across the San Fernando Valley and Ventura County. Watch for announcements in local Desi community groups and event boards beginning in late September.

Bottom Line

Navratri 2026 runs October 11 through October 20 in Simi Valley, capping a packed fall season that includes Krishna Janmashtami 2026 on September 4 and Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 on September 14. Simi Valley Hindu Temple at 1925 Royal Ave is the anchor for puja, aarti, and community gatherings. For Garba nights, confirm ticketing early and plan to attend multiple evenings to experience the full arc of the nine-night festival.