Durga Puja 2026 Dates: Shashthi to Vijaya Dashami with Tithi Times
Durga Puja 2026 at a glance
| Day | Date | Tithi ends (Dhaka) |
|---|---|---|
| Shashthi (Bodhon) | Friday 16 October | 6:24 am on 17 October |
| Saptami | Sunday 18 October | 8:58 am |
| Maha Ashtami | Monday 19 October | 11:22 am |
| Maha Navami | Tuesday 20 October | 1:20 pm |
| Vijaya Dashami | Wednesday 21 October | 2:42 pm |
The tithi that is current at sunrise decides the day, which is the rule Bengali panjikas follow. Times are for Dhaka; for Chattogram or Sylhet the difference is a few minutes.
Day by day
Shashthi, 16 October. Shashthi tithi runs from before sunrise on Friday through 6:24 am on Saturday morning, so Bodhon, the awakening of the goddess, and Adhibas take place on Friday evening. Pandals open to visitors from this night.
Saptami, 18 October. Saturday has Saptami tithi from 6:25 am, but because Shashthi was still current at that morning's sunrise, the Saptami rituals fall on Sunday 18 October. Nabapatrika is bathed at dawn and the main puja begins.
Maha Ashtami, 19 October. Ashtami tithi ends at 11:22 am on Monday. Morning pushpanjali should be finished before then. Kumari Puja, where observed, is on this morning.
Sandhi Puja. The junction of Ashtami and Navami is the most important moment of the festival. It is observed for 48 minutes centred on the tithi change: from about 10:58 am to 11:46 am on Monday 19 October. The 108 lamps are lit in this window.
Maha Navami, 20 October. Navami tithi ends at 1:20 pm on Tuesday. This is the first government holiday. Navami homa and the final grand pushpanjali are in the morning.
Vijaya Dashami, 21 October. Dashami tithi ends at 2:42 pm on Wednesday. Darpan bisarjan is done in the morning, followed by sindoor khela. Immersion processions in Dhaka usually leave in the afternoon for the Buriganga. This is the second government holiday.
Holidays and long weekend
Bangladesh has two days of public holiday for Durga Puja in 2026: Tuesday 20 October for Navami and Wednesday 21 October for Dashami. The days before are working days, so there is no long weekend this year. Kojagari Lakshmi Puja follows on the next full moon and Kali Puja on the new moon after that.
Bengali and Hijri dates
Vijaya Dashami on 21 October 2026 is 5 Kartik 1433 in the Bengali calendar and 10 Jumada al-Awwal 1448 in the Hijri calendar. The full month grid is on the Kartik 1433 calendar page.
Durga Puja 2027
Next year the festival moves earlier. Maha Navami and Vijaya Dashami are expected on Friday 8 and Saturday 9 October 2027, which means both holidays fall on the weekend. The 2027 holiday list post has the details.