Durga Puja and Bijoya Dashami 2026 in West Bengal: Full Calendar, Sindoor Khela and Vijay Muhurat

Quick answer: In West Bengal, Durga Puja 2026 runs from Maha Shashthi on Saturday 17 October to Bijoya Dashami on Wednesday 21 October 2026, with Mahalaya on Saturday 10 October (Drik Panchang Durga Puja calendar for Kolkata). Maha Ashtami and Sandhi Puja are on Monday 19 October and Maha Navami on Tuesday 20 October, the day the rest of India observes Dussehra. Vijay Muhurat on 20 October: Kolkata 1:16 to 2:02 PM (local time, calculated by the Drik Panchang method).

For Bengal, the autumn festival is not Dussehra but Durga Puja, the homecoming of the Goddess Durga, or Uma, to her parents' home with her children Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartik. Kolkata turns into a city of pandals, the beat of the dhak fills the air, families dress in new clothes for each day, and on Bijoya Dashami the Goddess is bid an emotional farewell. In 2021 UNESCO inscribed Durga Puja in Kolkata on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Durga Puja 2026 calendar (Kolkata)

This calendar is from Drik Panchang's Durga Puja calendar for Kolkata. Ritual timings (for example, the exact moment of Sandhi Puja or the last time for visarjan) are given in the Bengali panjika and announced by each puja committee and household priest, so check those for exact times.

Why Bijoya Dashami is on 21 October

Across most of India, Vijayadashami (Dussehra) is on Tuesday 20 October 2026, because the Dashami tithi begins at 12:50 PM IST that day and covers the afternoon, when the Vijay Muhurat falls. The Bengal tradition reckons the puja days differently, and the Kolkata calendar places Maha Navami on Tuesday 20 October and Bijoya Dashami on Wednesday 21 October, when Dashami is current in the morning until 2:11 PM IST. Bengali families elsewhere in India and abroad generally follow the Bengal dates for Durga Puja.

Vijay Muhurat 2026 for West Bengal cities

For those who also observe the all-India Vijayadashami rituals, such as starting new work or worship of the Aparajita, here are the Vijay Muhurat timings for Tuesday 20 October 2026, in local time (IST), calculated by the Drik Panchang method:

In the Bengal calendar, 20 October is Maha Navami.

The rituals, day by day

Mahalaya

Mahalaya marks the end of Pitri Paksha and the beginning of Devi Paksha. Before dawn, many Bengali households tune in to the radio programme Mahishasuramardini, with Birendra Krishna Bhadra's recitation of the Chandi, a tradition decades old. Many people offer tarpan to their ancestors on the banks of the Ganga (Hooghly). In many pandals, the eyes of the idol are painted around this time in the ritual of chokkhu daan.

Shashthi and Saptami

On Shashthi, the Goddess is awakened (Bodhon) and invited, and the face of the idol is unveiled in many pandals. Early on Saptami, a banana plant bound with eight other plants, the Kolabou or Nabapatrika, is bathed in a river or pond, draped in a red-bordered sari and placed beside Ganesha, representing the Goddess in her nine plant forms.

Ashtami and Sandhi Puja

Maha Ashtami is the most crowded day. People fast till they offer pushpanjali (flowers to the Goddess) in the morning. Kumari Puja, the worship of a young girl as the Goddess, is held at many pujas, and the Belur Math observance is particularly well known. Sandhi Puja, at the junction of Ashtami and Navami, commemorates the moment Durga, as Chamunda, slew the demons Chanda and Munda; 108 lamps are lit and 108 lotuses offered.

Navami and Bijoya Dashami

Navami brings the Navami homa and the last full evening of pandal hopping, often with dhunuchi naach, the dance with smoking clay incense burners to the dhak. On Bijoya Dashami, married women offer sweets and sindoor to the Goddess and smear sindoor on one another in Sindoor Khela, before the idol is carried in procession for immersion. Families then exchange Bijoya greetings: younger people touch the feet of elders, friends embrace, and sweets are shared for days.

Pandal hopping in Kolkata

Kolkata's Durga Puja ranges from the traditional Bonedi Bari pujas of old family homes to large community (sarbojanin) pujas run by neighbourhood clubs, many of them with elaborate theme pandals and idols by the artisans of Kumartuli. Pandal hopping, often through the night, is the defining experience.

• Plan by area: group pandals by neighbourhood, for example north Kolkata's traditional pujas or the theme pandals of south Kolkata, rather than criss-crossing the city.
• Go early or late: weekday afternoons and very late nights are usually less crowded than prime evening hours.
• Use public transport: the Metro and walking are often easier than driving, as many roads are closed or diverted. Check official traffic advisories.
• Stay safe: keep children close, agree on a meeting point and carry water and minimal valuables.

Pandal themes, idols and timings change every year and are announced by the clubs and committees, so check local listings for 2026.

Siliguri, Durgapur and beyond

Durga Puja is celebrated across the state, from Siliguri and the towns of North Bengal to the industrial belt of Durgapur and Asansol and every district town and village, where community pujas and family pujas follow the same ritual calendar. Puja timings, cultural programmes and visarjan arrangements are announced locally.

Durga Puja is followed by Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on the full-moon night and then Kali Puja at Diwali time. Our Goddess Kali guide explains Kali's place in Bengali devotion.

For Bengali families abroad

• Most Bengali associations abroad hold Durga Puja over the nearest weekend, with fixed Bengal-calendar rituals compressed into fewer days. Check your local committee's 2026 schedule.
• Use a panjika or panchang for your own city for any muhurat. Do not convert Kolkata's timings into your local time zone.
• Offer pushpanjali online or at your local puja on Ashtami, and call elders on Bijoya Dashami for their blessings.
• Keep some Bijoya sweets at home for visitors in the days after Dashami.

For the all-India meaning of Vijayadashami, see our Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026 pillar guide.

Frequently asked questions

When is Durga Puja 2026 in West Bengal?

According to the Drik Panchang Durga Puja calendar for Kolkata, Maha Shashthi is Saturday 17 October, Maha Saptami Sunday 18 October, Maha Ashtami Monday 19 October, Maha Navami Tuesday 20 October and Bijoya Dashami Wednesday 21 October 2026. Mahalaya is Saturday 10 October.

When is Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela in 2026?

Wednesday 21 October 2026, according to the Drik Panchang Durga Puja calendar for Kolkata. Sindoor Khela takes place before the idol leaves the pandal for visarjan; individual puja committees announce their own timings.

Why is Bijoya Dashami a day after Dussehra in 2026?

The all-India Vijayadashami (Dussehra) is Tuesday 20 October 2026, because the Dashami tithi begins at 12:50 PM IST that day and covers the afternoon. The Bengal calendar for Kolkata places Maha Navami on 20 October and Bijoya Dashami on Wednesday 21 October, when Dashami is current in the morning, until 2:11 PM IST.

When is Sandhi Puja in 2026?

Sandhi Puja falls on Maha Ashtami, Monday 19 October 2026, at the juncture where Ashtami ends and Navami begins. The exact time is given in the Bengali panjika and announced by puja committees.

What is the Vijay Muhurat in Kolkata on 20 October 2026?

1:16 to 2:02 PM local time, calculated by the Drik Panchang method. Siliguri is 1:15 to 2:01 PM and Durgapur 1:20 to 2:06 PM. In the Bengal calendar this day is Maha Navami.

Has UNESCO recognised Durga Puja?

Yes. UNESCO inscribed Durga Puja in Kolkata on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2021.

Editor's note

Editor's note (5 October 2026): This page has been restored at its original address after the earlier version was lost. The Durga Puja calendar is from Drik Panchang for Kolkata, the all-India dates are from Drik Panchang for India, and the Vijay Muhurat timings for Kolkata, Siliguri and Durgapur are calculated by the Drik Panchang method. We have not named individual pandals or listed timings, themes or visarjan schedules because these are announced by puja committees and the authorities each year; please check official sources.

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