Durga Puja 2026 Dates: Shashthi to Vijayadashami
Durga Puja 2026 was celebrated from Friday, 16 October (Shashthi) to Wednesday, 21 October 2026 (Vijayadashami).
Durga Puja 2026 calendar
Durga Puja 2026: 16–21 October 2026 (observed)
| Date | Day | Rituals |
|---|---|---|
| Fri, 16 Oct | Maha Shashthi | Kalparambha, Bilva Nimantran, Akal Bodhon, Amantran and Adhivas |
| Sat, 17 Oct | Maha Saptami | Navapatrika (Kola Bou) snan and puja |
| Sun, 18 Oct | Saptami (second day) | Saptami tithi continues |
| Mon, 19 Oct | Maha Ashtami | Ashtami puja, Kumari Puja, Sandhi Puja (10:27 AM – 11:15 AM) |
| Tue, 20 Oct | Maha Navami | Navami Homa, Durga Balidan |
| Wed, 21 Oct | Vijayadashami | Durga Visarjan in Bengal, Sindoor Khela |
Dates as listed in Drik Panchang’s Durga Puja calendar; Sandhi Puja time is for India (IST), at the junction of Ashtami and Navami tithis (Navami began at 10:52 AM on 19 October). Tithi boundaries are the same moment everywhere, but Bengali almanacs (Gupta Press, Bisuddha Siddhanta) can differ by a day for some rituals; your pandal follows its own panjika.
Why Vijayadashami was on 21 October in Bengal
Dashami tithi began at 12:50 PM on 20 October and ended at 2:11 PM on 21 October. North Indian calendars celebrated Dussehra on 20 October, when Dashami covered the afternoon; Bengal’s Bijoya Dashami and immersion followed the sunrise tithi on Wednesday, 21 October.
Significance
Durga Puja celebrates Goddess Durga’s victory over the buffalo demon Mahishasura and her annual visit to her parents’ home with her children Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartikeya. Akal Bodhon, the “untimely awakening” of the goddess in autumn, recalls Rama invoking Durga before his battle with Ravana. In 2021 UNESCO inscribed Durga Puja in Kolkata on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Traditions
- Community pandals with themed idols, dhunuchi dance with incense burners, and dhak drumming.
- Anjali (flower offering) on Ashtami morning, and bhog of khichuri, labra and payesh.
- Sindoor Khela on Dashami, when married women offer vermilion to the goddess and to each other, followed by Bijoya greetings and sweets.
- Major celebrations also in Assam, Odisha, Tripura, Bihar, Jharkhand and among Bengali communities worldwide.
Panchang for Maha Ashtami
Panchang for 19 October 2026 (New Delhi).
Durga Puja 2027
In 2027 Durga Ashtami is listed on Thursday, 7 October and Vijayadashami on Saturday, 9 October.
Related
All times are IST for New Delhi unless stated otherwise. Muhurat changes with your city’s sunrise, sunset and moonrise: check today’s Panchang for your location. Outside India the date can differ; use your local panchang. Sources: Drik Panchang (New Delhi), cross-checked with Free Panchang’s own calculation (Lahiri ayanamsa).
Frequently asked questions
- Durga Puja 2026 kab thi?
- Durga Puja 2026 ran from Maha Shashthi on Friday, 16 October to Vijayadashami on Wednesday, 21 October 2026.
- When was the Sandhi Puja in 2026?
- Sandhi Puja was on Monday, 19 October 2026, from 10:27 AM to 11:15 AM IST.
- Why was Bengal’s Vijayadashami on 21 October 2026?
- Dashami was the sunrise tithi on 21 October, which Bengal follows for Bijoya Dashami; North Indian Dussehra was on 20 October.