📅 Festival calendar
Durga Puja 2026: the dates, day by day
Mahalaya is Saturday 10 October 2026. In Kolkata the festival runs Shashthi to Bijoya Dashami, 17–21 October; in Bangladesh 16–21 October. The table below has every day, with sources.
Next year: Durga Puja 2027, Shashthi 5 Oct → Dashami 10 Oct
Day-by-day dates
| Day | Date (2026) |
|---|---|
| Mahalaya | Saturday, 10 Oct |
| Shashthi | Saturday, 17 Oct |
| Saptami | Sunday, 18 Oct |
| Ashtami | Monday, 19 Oct |
| Navami | Tuesday, 20 Oct |
| Dashami | Wednesday, 21 Oct |
| Day | Date (2026) |
|---|---|
| Mahalaya | Saturday, 10 Oct |
| Shashthi | Friday, 16 Oct |
| Saptami | Saturday, 17 Oct |
| Ashtami | Monday, 19 Oct |
| Navami | Tuesday, 20 Oct |
| Dashami | Wednesday, 21 Oct |
West Bengal dates follow a Drik Panchang-based report; some calendars put Shashthi/Saptami a day earlier. Check your own panjika or your para committee's schedule.
Bangladesh: Maha Shashthi 16 and Dashami 21 Oct per News On AIR; Maha Saptami 17 and 18, Maha Ashtami 19 Oct per Prothom Alo (14 Oct); Mahanabami 20 Oct per the government holiday notification. A tithi can span two days, so check the Puja Udjapan Parishad schedule.
Puja timings: tithi, Sandhi Puja, anjali, bisarjan
Kolkata times are IST, Bangladesh times BST. Two panjika traditions differ: Bishuddha Siddhanta (Belur Math, Drik Panchang) and Gupta Press / Beni Madhab Sil. Ask your para committee which one your puja follows.
| Day | What | When |
|---|---|---|
| Mahalaya, Sat 10 Oct | Amavasya | 9 Oct 8:59 pm to 10 Oct 8:34 pm (Source: Beni Madhab Sil Panjika, Mahalaya 2026) |
| Shashthi, Fri 16 – Sat 17 Oct | Shashthi tithi · Bilva Nimantran | Tithi 16 Oct 3:25 am to 17 Oct 5:54 am; Bilva Nimantran 16 Oct 2:51–5:11 pm (Source: Drik Panchang, Bilva Nimantran (Kolkata)) |
| Shashthi | Bodhon · Amantran & Adhibas (Belur Math) | Bodhon 16 Oct 6:15 pm; Amantran-Adhibas 17 Oct 6:15 pm (Source: Belur Math, Durga Puja 2026 programme) |
| Saptami, Sun 18 Oct | Saptami tithi · puja begins | Tithi 17 Oct 5:54 am to 18 Oct 8:27 am (Drik); Beni Madhab panjika: until 18 Oct 5:53 am. Belur Math puja from 5:40 am (Source: Drik Panchang, Navpatrika Puja (Kolkata)) |
| Ashtami, Mon 19 Oct | Ashtami tithi · Sandhi Puja (Bishuddha Siddhanta) | Tithi 18 Oct 8:27 am to 19 Oct 10:51 am; Sandhi Puja 19 Oct 10:27–11:15 am (Drik), Belur Math 10:28–11:16 am; Kumari Puja 9:00 am (Source: Drik Panchang, Sandhi Puja (Kolkata)) |
| Ashtami, Mon 19 Oct | Anjali & Sandhi Puja (Gupta Press vs Bishuddha Siddhanta) | Gupta Press: Sandhi Puja 7:25:15–8:13:15 am, pushpanjali before 7:15 am; Bishuddha Siddhanta: Sandhi Puja 10:28–11:16 am, anjali 9:30–10:15 am (Source: Sangbad Pratidin, 21 Sep 2026) |
| Navami, Tue 20 Oct | Navami tithi | 19 Oct 10:51 am to 20 Oct 12:50 pm (Drik); Beni Madhab panjika: until 20 Oct 9:31 am (Source: Drik Panchang, Maha Navami, Bengal (Kolkata)) |
| Dashami, Wed 21 Oct | Dashami tithi · darpan bisarjan | Tithi 20 Oct 12:50 pm to 21 Oct 2:11 pm (Drik); Belur Math Dashami puja 6:30 am, darpan bisarjan within 8:30 am; Beni Madhab panjika: bisarjan within 8:31 am (Source: Drik Panchang, Durga Visarjan, Bengal (Kolkata)) |
| Shashthi to Dashami | Tithi ends (Beni Madhab Sil panjika) | Shashthi 3:47 at night (night of the 16th); Saptami 18 Oct 5:53 am; Ashtami 19 Oct 7:50 am; Navami 20 Oct 9:31 am; Dashami 21 Oct 10:47 am (Source: Beni Madhab Sil Panjika, Durga Puja 2026) |
| Day | What | When |
|---|---|---|
| Shashthi to Dashami | The days | Shashthi 16, Maha Saptami 17 and 18, Maha Ashtami 19, Mahanabami 20, Bijoya Dashami 21 Oct (Source: Prothom Alo, 14 Oct 2026) |
| Bodhon, Thu 15 Oct | Bodhon · adhibas | Bodhon on Thursday 15 Oct (Prothom Alo); Dhakeshwari temple: bodhon evening of the 15th, adhibas evening of the 16th (mandir.bd) (Source: Prothom Alo English, 15 Oct 2026) |
| Ashtami, Mon 19 Oct | Sandhi Puja | Bishuddha Siddhanta: 10:58–11:46 am; Gupta Press: 7:55–8:43 am (Source: mandir.bd, Durga Puja 2026 schedule (secondary); second-hand source; check the Parishad or temple schedule) |
| Navami 20 and Dashami 21 Oct | Navami puja · Dashami puja and darpan bisarjan | Gupta Press: both by 9:57 am; Bishuddha Siddhanta: Navami by 1:20 pm, darpan bisarjan by 2:41 pm; Dhakeshwari: Devi's boron 21 Oct 11:30 am (Source: mandir.bd, Durga Puja 2026 schedule (secondary); second-hand source; check the Parishad or temple schedule) |
| Dashami, Wed 21 Oct | Dhaka Bijoya procession and immersion | Procession at 3 pm, then idol immersion (Source: Prothom Alo English, 15 Oct 2026) |
| Holidays | Public holidays (gazette, 7 Oct) | 20–22 Oct (20 and 22 by executive order, 21 a public holiday); Saturday 17 Oct is a working day (Source: Prothom Alo English, holiday gazette) |
Clock times published by the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad or Dhakeshwari temple (Saptami, Ashtami and Navami puja starts, Kumari Puja) were not found in the news; they will be added when found.
What goes with the dates
Hand-picked from published reports, not live social-media trends. Upcoming / on now / over is worked out from your device’s date.
🥁 Kolkata7 Sep – 21 Oct
No Red Road carnival this year
West Bengal
State announcement: no post-Dashami carnival, no alcohol sales at shops on Ashtami, no DJs at pandals or immersions, no cranes at immersion.
🛕 Bangladesh26 Sep
Puja Udjapan Parishad preparation meeting
Dhakeshwari National Temple, Dhaka
About 70 district and metropolitan committees met at Dhakeshwari National Temple, chaired by Bashudeb Dhar.
🥁 Kolkata10 Oct
Mahalaya
Kolkata · Eden Gardens
Devi Paksha begins. The state’s Puja inauguration is planned at Eden Gardens with a drone show (as announced).
🛕 Bangladesh10 Oct
Mahalaya: prayers and tarpan at Dhakeshwari
Dhaka
Mahalaya prayers and til-tarpan at Dhakeshwari National Temple; Ramna Kali Mandir also marked the day.
🥁 Kolkata15–21 Oct
Kolkata Metro runs overnight for Puja
Kolkata Metro
Saptami to Navami (17–20 Oct): Blue Line 1 pm to 4 am, Green Line 1:30 pm to 3:59 am. Dashami: Blue Line 1 pm to 10:30 pm.
🛕 Bangladesh16–21 Oct
Durga Puja 2026 in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Maha Shashthi 16 Oct, Maha Saptami 17 and 18, Maha Ashtami 19, Mahanabami 20, Bijoya Dashami and immersion 21 Oct; Dhaka's Bijoya procession starts at 3 pm.
As reported🥁 Kolkata17–21 Oct
Durga Puja 2026: Shashthi to Dashami
West Bengal
Shashthi 17 Oct, Saptami 18, Ashtami 19, Navami 20, Bijoya Dashami 21 Oct. Some calendars differ by a day.
🛕 Bangladesh20–24 Oct
Puja holidays: 20–24 Oct
Bangladesh
20 Oct (Mahanabami) is an executive-order holiday, 21 Oct (Bijoya Dashami) a public holiday and 22 Oct an added holiday; with the weekend that makes five days off.
Questions
- When is Durga Puja in 2026?
- Mahalaya is 10 October 2026. In Kolkata and West Bengal, Shashthi 17 October to Bijoya Dashami 21 October (as reported). In Bangladesh, Maha Shashthi 16 October to Dashami 21 October.
- When is Ashtami in 2026?
- Monday 19 October 2026 (anjali and Sandhi Puja) in both Kolkata and Bangladesh, as reported. In Bangladesh Maha Saptami runs 17 and 18 October (Prothom Alo, 14 Oct).
- When is Sandhi Puja in 2026?
- Monday 19 October. In Kolkata, 10:27–11:15 am by Bishuddha Siddhanta (Drik Panchang; Belur Math 10:28–11:16 am) or 7:25–8:13 am by Gupta Press (Sangbad Pratidin). In Bangladesh, 10:58–11:46 am by Bishuddha Siddhanta or 7:55–8:43 am by Gupta Press (mandir.bd, a second-hand source). Full table below.
- When are the Puja holidays in Bangladesh?
- 20 October (Mahanabami) by executive order, 21 October (Bijoya Dashami) as a public holiday and 22 October as an added holiday; with the weekend, 20–24 October. Offices are open on Saturday 17 October (source: Jagonews24, 7 Oct).
- How late does the Kolkata Metro run at Puja?
- Saptami to Navami (17–20 Oct): Blue Line 1 pm to 4 am, Green Line 1:30 pm to 3:59 am; Dashami: Blue Line 1 pm to 10:30 pm (source: India TV/PTI, 8 Oct).
- Is there a Red Road carnival in 2026?
- No. The state government has announced there will be no post-Dashami carnival this year (source: The Week, 7 Sep).
🥁 Kolkata pandals 2026🛕 Dhaka mandaps 2026Local PujaDurga Puja 2027