Durga Puja: History, Date & Significance
Durga Puja is the biggest festival of Bengali Hindus and celebrates the goddess Durga's victory over Mahishasura. The puja runs for five days. In Bangladesh the public holiday is on the last day, Vijaya Dashami, when the idols are taken in procession and immersed in rivers.
Durga Puja 2026: Date
- English Date
- Tuesday, October 20, 2026
- Bengali Date
- 4 Kartik 1433
- Hijri Date
- 8 Jumada al-Awwal 1448 AH
- Days Left
- 15 days
Traditional almanac timings for 1433
Dates and windows by the Surya Siddhanta panjika used in Bengal. They can differ from official holiday dates by a day.
Bodhan — Fri, October 16, 2026
- In the evening: 3:18 PM – 5:36 PM
Durga Shashthi — Fri, October 16, 2026
- In the evening: 3:18 PM – 5:36 PM
Maha Saptami — Sat, October 17, 2026
- Puja in the forenoon: 6:08 AM – 9:57 AM
- Devi arrives on a horse. Omen: unrest
Maha Ashtami — Mon, October 19, 2026
- Puja in the forenoon: 6:08 AM – 9:57 AM
- Sandhi Puja: 7:49 AM – 8:37 AM; Balidan at 8:13 AM
Maha Navami — Tue, October 20, 2026
- Puja in the forenoon: 6:09 AM – 9:57 AM
Vijaya Dashami — Wed, October 21, 2026
- Puja in the forenoon: 6:09 AM – 9:57 AM
- Devi departs on a boat. Omen: floods with a good harvest
Kojagari Lakshmi Puja — Sun, October 25, 2026
- Pradosha: 5:29 PM – 7:05 PM
- Nishita (midnight): 11:26 PM – 12:14 AM (Oct 26)
History of Durga Puja
Durga Puja celebrates the goddess Durga's victory over the buffalo demon Mahishasura. According to the Ramayana tradition, Lord Rama invoked the goddess out of season in autumn (akalbodhan) before his battle with Ravana, which is why the great puja is held in the month of Ashwin. Community celebrations in Bengal go back to the late eighteenth century, when the first barowari (public) puja was organised and a household ritual became the region's grandest festival.
In Bangladesh, Durga Puja is the biggest festival of the Hindu community. Its centre is the historic Dhakeshwari National Temple in Dhaka, and there are thousands of pandals across the country. The festival runs for five days: Shashthi, Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Vijaya Dashami. The public holiday is on the last day, when the idols are carried in procession and immersed in rivers.
How Durga Puja Is Celebrated
- Elaborately decorated pandals and artisan-crafted idols of the goddess and her children
- Daily rituals from Shashthi to Navami: pushpanjali flower offerings, arati, and prasad
- Dhunuchi dance to the beat of dhak drums during evening arati
- Sindur khela on Vijaya Dashami, when married women smear each other with vermilion
- Immersion (bisorjon) processions carrying the idols to rivers at the festival’s close
Durga Puja Dates for the Next 5 Years
| Year | Date | Day | Bengali Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | October 20, 2026 | Tuesday | 4 Kartik 1433 |
| 2027* | October 8, 2027 | Friday | 23 Ashwin 1434 |
| 2028* | September 27, 2028 | Wednesday | 12 Ashwin 1435 |
| 2029* | October 15, 2029 | Monday | 30 Ashwin 1436 |
| 2030* | October 5, 2030 | Saturday | 20 Ashwin 1437 |
* Dates for coming years are calculated and may change when the government announces its holiday list.
Frequently Asked Questions
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