Narmada Jayanti 2026 Date

About Narmada Jayanti

Narmada Jayanti marks the day the river — held older than the Ganga and second only to her in sanctity — is said to have sprung from Shiva's body. It falls on Magha Shukla Saptami, the same day as Ratha Saptami, and is centred on Amarkantak, where the Vindhya and Satpura ranges meet.

The source point at Amarkantak is no ordinary spring. Narmada Kund sits inside the Shondesh Shakti Peeth, one of the 51 seats where a part of Sati's body is said to have fallen — here, her right buttock. The goddess of this shrine is worshipped as Narmada herself, with Shiva alongside as Bhadrasen. The river's other unique claim is the Banalinga: smooth Shiva lingams that form naturally only in the Narmada's bed and are worshipped in temples and homes across India. Devotion runs so deep that the Narmada is the only Indian river with its own parikrama — a roughly 2,624 km walk down one bank and up the other. On Jayanti day, pilgrims greet each other with 'Narmade Har' and gather at the Amarkantak ghats for the evening Maha Aarti.