Major Festival · Select a year for the Gregorian date
Durga Puja and Sharad Navratri: Dates, Sandhi Puja and Rituals
Bengal’s Durga Puja and pan-Indian Sharad Navratri culminate on Vijayadashami. Select a year for Shashthi–Dashami dates.
दुर्गा पूजा / शारदीय नवरात्रि · · Shukla Shashti
- Muhurat (2026)
- 06:17 AM to 06:25 PM
- Hindu month
- Ashwin
- Regions
- West Bengal, Pan-India, Assam, Tripura
- Deity
- Goddess Durga (Mahishasuramardini) with Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartikeya
Sharad Navratri is the autumn nine-night worship of Goddess Durga. In eastern India it takes the form of Durga Puja — elaborately crafted pratimas, community pandals, dhak, dhunuchi dance, and the emotional visarjan of Vijaya Dashami. Mahalaya, when Devi’s eyes are traditionally painted (chakkhu dan) and ancestors are offered tarpan, falls on the Amavasya before Shashthi. North Indian homes keep a kalash from Pratipada; Gujarati Garba and Gujarati-style Navratri run the same lunar fortnight. Sandhi Puja at the Ashtami–Navami junction is the most charged moment of the Bengali paddhati. Use the year selector for Shashthi through Dashami dates.
Durga Puja calendar
Use this working calendar for Kolkata and most of India. Tithi sunrise rules can shift a civil date by one day in edge cases; pandals publish their own bodhon time. For 2026, Maha Shashthi (bodhon) is Wednesday, 16 September, 2026. Count Saptami–Navami and Vijayadashami from that tithi using your city Panchang. Use the year selector to see any other calendar.
- Maha Shashthi (bodhon): Wednesday, 16 September, 2026.
- Vijayadashami follows Dashami tithi a few days later — confirm locally.
- Mahalaya tarpan falls on the Amavasya before Shashthi.
| Tithi / day | Typical day | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Mahalaya | 10 October | Tarpan; chakkhu dan |
| Maha Shashthi | 16 October | Bodhon, adhivas |
| Maha Saptami | 17 October | Nabapatrika, pushpanjali |
| Maha Ashtami | 18 October | Sandhi Puja, kumari puja |
| Maha Navami | 19 October | Navami anjali, bhog |
| Vijayadashami | 20 October | Sindoor khela, visarjan |
Sandhi Puja and anjali
Sandhi Puja occupies the last 24 minutes of Ashtami and the first 24 minutes of Navami — 48 minutes when Durga is worshipped as Chamunda. Temples announce the exact clock time each year; be in the pandal well before it starts. Pushpanjali on Saptami, Ashtami and Navami is the householder’s main participation if you are not on the puja committee. Dress codes are cultural, not scriptural: many wear new clothes on Ashtami–Navami. Fasting is less universal than in North Indian Navratri; bhog prasad is central to the Bengali observance.
Sharad Navratri outside Bengal
In the Hindi belt, Ghatasthapana begins earlier in Ashwin Shukla Pratipada (several days before Shashthi). Gujarat dances Garba and Dandiya through the nine nights. Mysuru Dasara and Kullu Dussehra overlap the same Dashami. All of these share the mythology of Durga’s victory over Mahishasura and, in Rama traditions, the completion of Rama’s battle with Ravana on Vijayadashami. Travel and hotel prices in Kolkata peak from Shashthi to Dashami. Book pandal-hopping with respect for queues, photography rules, and overnight safety.
Key sacred rituals
- Mahalaya Tarpan and Chakkhu Dan (drawing eyes on Durga idol)
- Bodhon, Amantran and Adhivash on Shashthi
- Saptami, Ashtami, Navami Anjali and Sandhi Puja
- Vijaya Dashami Sindoor Khela and idol immersion (Visarjan)
Frequently asked questions
When is Durga Puja?
Maha Shashthi is 16 October and Vijayadashami is Tuesday, 20 October. Mahalaya is 10 October.
When is Sandhi Puja?
Sandhi Puja falls at the Ashtami–Navami junction on 18–19 October. Clock times vary by city; follow the pandal or Kolkata Panchang announcement.
Is Durga Puja the same as Navratri?
They share the same lunar fortnight. Navratri is the nine-night vrata; Durga Puja is the eastern Indian temple-and-pandal form concentrated on Shashthi to Dashami.
When is Vijayadashami / Dussehra?
Tuesday, 20 October. See the dedicated Dussehra page for Ravana dahan and Aparahna vijay muhurat.
Is Durga Puja a public holiday?
West Bengal, Tripura, Assam and several other states notify multiple holidays from Saptami through Dashami. Other states may holiday only on Dussehra.
Muhurat times are indicative for IST and may vary by city sunrise and tithi. Confirm with Today's Panchang.