Note: The immersion date and timings mentioned here are general guidelines. They may vary from one Durga Puja committee to another, as some Puja committees schedule the immersion of the Durga idol after Vijaya Dashami, depending on their local traditions, administrative arrangements and immersion schedule.

Mahalaya: 10 October 2026 | Maha Shashthi: 16 October | Maha Saptami: 18 October | Maha Ashtami: 19 October | Maha Navami: 20 October | Vijaya Dashami: 21 October 2026

KOLKATA, WEST BENGAL — September 2026: Durga Puja 2026 will bring an unusual feature to the Bengali calendar: the Saptami tithi spans two sunrise periods, making the 2026 Puja calendar appear different across some Panchang and festival calendars.

For devotees in Bengal, the principal Durga Puja sequence is Maha Shashthi on 16 October, Maha Saptami on 18 October, Maha Ashtami on 19 October, Maha Navami on 20 October and Vijaya Dashami on 21 October 2026. Mahalaya falls on Saturday, 10 October 2026. The Government of West Bengal's 2026 Puja calendar and the Indian Meteorological Department's Kolkata Panchanga both confirm the Bengal sequence through Vijaya Dashami on 21 October.

This report presents the 2026 Bengali Durga Puja calendar using Kolkata, West Bengal, India as the primary reference location and IST (UTC+5:30) as the principal time zone. International equivalents are provided in UTC/GMT, BST and EDT where useful.

Durga Puja 2026 at a glance

ObservanceDateDayBengali dateMain ritual Mahalaya 10 October 2026Saturday23 Ashwin 1433Tarpan, Mahishasuramardini, beginning of Devipaksha Maha Shashthi 16 October 2026Friday29 Ashwin 1433Kalparambha, Bodhan, Amantran, Adhibas Saptami tithi begins 17 OctoberSaturday30 AshwinTithi transition Maha Saptami 18 OctoberSunday1 Kartik 1433 Nabapatrika Snan, Prana Pratishtha, Saptami Puja Maha Ashtami 19 OctoberMonday2 Kartik 1433Ashtami Puja, Anjali, Kumari Puja, Sandhi Puja Maha Navami 20 OctoberTuesday3 Kartik 1433Navami Puja, Homa Vijaya Dashami 21 OctoberWednesday4 Kartik 1433Baran, Sindoor Khela, Aparajita Puja, Visarjan

The Bisuddha Siddhanta-based calendar places Durga Puja from 16 to 21 October, with Mahalaya on 10 October.

MAHALAYA 2026

Saturday, 10 October 2026

Bengali date: 23 Ashwin 1433
Tithi: Amavasya
Reference time zone: IST, UTC+5:30

According to the Bisuddha Siddhanta-based Kolkata calculation, Amavasya begins at approximately 9:37 PM IST on 9 October and ends at approximately 9:20 PM IST on 10 October.

Kolkata sunrise is approximately 5:35 AM IST and sunset approximately 5:13 PM IST.

Main Mahalaya observances

Mahalaya marks the transition from Pitru Paksha toward Devipaksha and is traditionally associated with:

• Pitru Tarpan

• Ancestral remembrance

• Offering water to ancestors

• Mahishasuramardini

• Chandi-related devotional recitation

• Preparation for the arrival of Maa Durga

The famous early-morning Mahishasuramardini broadcast is a cultural tradition associated with Mahalaya, but the exact time at which families perform Tarpan depends on their ritual tradition and location.

International time reference

The Amavasya boundary of approximately 9:20 PM IST on 10 October corresponds to approximately:

• UTC/GMT: 3:50 PM, 10 October

• BST, UK: 4:50 PM, 10 October

• EDT, US Eastern: 11:50 AM, 10 October

Important: The UK is on BST in October 2026, and the US Eastern zone is on EDT. They are not on GMT and EST respectively at this time of year.

MAHA SHASHTHI 2026

Friday, 16 October 2026

Bengali date: 29 Ashwin 1433

The Shashthi tithi begins at approximately: 3:25 AM IST on 16 October

and ends at approximately:5:55 AM IST on 17 October.

The Kolkata Panjika gives sunrise on 16 October at approximately 5:37 AM IST and sunset at approximately 5:07 PM IST.

Main Shashthi rituals

Maha Shashthi is associated with the formal beginning of the principal Bengali Durga Puja rituals.

The traditional sequence includes:

1. Kalparambha

2. Bodhan

3. Amantran

4. Adhibas

5. Bilva-related invocation/rituals according to the Puja paddhati

Bodhan

Bodhan is the ceremonial awakening/invocation of the Goddess.

The exact Bodhan and Adhibas clock time can differ according to the Panjika and the Puja paddhati followed by the priest.

Therefore, a Puja committee should not copy an arbitrary online "Bodhan time" without checking the Panjika used by its purohit.

WHY 2026 HAS CONFUSING SHASHTHI AND SAPTAMI DATES

This is one of the most important points for the 2026 calendar.

The Shashthi tithi ends around 5:55 AM on 17 October, while Kolkata sunrise is earlier, around 5:37 AM.

Saptami then begins around 5:55 AM on 17 October and continues until approximately 8:29 AM on 18 October.

Therefore, the Saptami tithi crosses from 17 October into 18 October.

The principal Bengali Maha Saptami observance is assigned to Sunday, 18 October, because Saptami is present at sunrise on that date.

This is why some online calendars show two Saptami dates or describe the festival as having an additional Saptami day.

MAHA SAPTAMI 2026

Sunday, 18 October 2026

Bengali date: 1 Kartik 1433

Saptami tithi

Begins: 17 October, approximately 5:55 AM IST
Ends: 18 October, approximately 8:29 AM IST

Kolkata sunrise on 18 October is approximately 5:38 AM IST and sunset approximately 5:06 PM IST.

Main Saptami rituals

The principal Saptami observances include:

• Nabapatrika preparation

• Nabapatrika Snan

• Kalabou-related rituals

• Installation of Nabapatrika

• Prana Pratishtha

• Mahasnan

• Saptami Puja

• Pushpanjali

• Bhog

• Aarti

Nabapatrika

The Nabapatrika traditionally consists of nine plant elements brought together for ritual worship. The associated plants commonly include:

• Banana

• Colocasia

• Turmeric

• Jayanti

• Bilva

• Pomegranate

• Ashoka

• Rice

• A plant identified according to the local ritual tradition

The exact botanical identification of some components can vary by regional practice.

MAHA ASHTAMI 2026

Monday, 19 October 2026

Bengali date: 2 Kartik 1433

The Ashtami tithi begins approximately: 8:29 AM IST on 18 October

and ends approximately: 10:52 AM IST on 19 October.

Kolkata sunrise on 19 October is approximately 5:38 AM IST, with sunset around 5:05 PM IST.

Main Ashtami observances

Maha Ashtami is traditionally associated with:

• Ashtami Puja

• Pushpanjali

• Kumari Puja

• Special offerings

• Aarti

• Sandhi Puja

ASHTAMI PUSHpanjali

Pushpanjali is among the most widely observed rituals of Bengali Durga Puja.

A typical Anjali includes:

• Flowers

• Bel leaves

• Mantra recitation

• Offering to Maa Durga

• Pranam

The exact Anjali time is normally announced by each temple or Puja committee because multiple rounds may be conducted.

For a global audience, devotees should follow the local temple or Puja committee's published schedule rather than assuming that one Kolkata clock time applies everywhere.

KUMARI PUJA

Kumari Puja is traditionally performed during the Ashtami observance in many Shakta and Bengali traditions.

A young unmarried girl is worshipped symbolically as a manifestation of the Divine Mother.

The exact age, procedure, offerings and sequence can differ between temples, family traditions and ritual paddhatis.

SANDHI PUJA 2026: IMPORTANT TIMING UPDATE

This requires particular care because different Bengali Panjikas publish different Sandhi Puja windows for 2026.

The Sandhi period is traditionally the junction of the final 24 minutes of Ashtami and the first 24 minutes of Navami, creating a total ritual window of 48 minutes.

For 19 October 2026, two published Kolkata calculations currently appear:

Traditional Panjika calculation

7:26 AM – 8:14 AM IST

Bisuddha Siddhanta calculation

approximately 10:28 AM – 11:16 AM IST

The latter follows the Bisuddha Siddhanta tithi boundary of approximately 10:52 AM IST for the end of Ashtami. A current Kolkata 2026 Puja schedule explicitly identifies the two competing windows, while the Bisuddha Siddhanta calculation places the Ashtami/Navami transition around 10:52 AM.

Therefore, for Brindaban Matri Mandir

The website should not state that 7:26–8:14 AM is the only universally correct Sandhi Puja time.

Instead:

Sandhi Puja on 19 October 2026 falls in the morning. The exact 48-minute window varies according to the Panjika followed by the Puja committee. The traditional Panjika calculation gives approximately 7:26–8:14 AM IST, while the Bisuddha Siddhanta calculation gives approximately 10:28–11:16 AM IST. Devotees should follow the timing announced by their temple or Puja committee.

This is the safest and most accurate formulation for a global audience.

International conversion of the Bisuddha Siddhanta window

10:28–11:16 AM IST

corresponds to approximately: Location / Zone19 October 2026Kolkata — IST UTC+5:3010:28–11:16 AMUTC / GMT4:58–5:46 AMLondon — BST UTC+15:58–6:46 AMNew York — EDT UTC−412:58–1:46 AMDubai — GST UTC+46:28–7:16 AMSingapore — SGT UTC+812:28–1:16 PMSydney — AEDT UTC+113:58–4:46 PM

Note: New York is on EDT, not EST, on 19 October 2026. London is on BST, not GMT.

MAHA NAVAMI 2026

Tuesday, 20 October 2026

Bengali date: 3 Kartik 1433

Navami begins approximately: 10:52 AM IST on 19 October

and ends approximately: 12:51 PM IST on 20 October.

Kolkata sunrise is approximately 5:39 AM IST and sunset approximately 5:04 PM IST.

Main Navami rituals

• Navami Puja

• Pushpanjali

• Special offerings

• Mahapuja

• Mahahoma/Homa

• Aarti

• Traditional Bali where specifically prescribed and legally/customarily permitted

Navami Homa

Homa is an important part of many Bengali Durga Puja traditions.

The exact:

• mantra sequence

• samidha

• offerings

• number of ahutis

• Homa procedure

should follow the Puja paddhati and instructions of the appointed purohit.

There is no single universal Homa procedure followed by every Bengali Durga Puja committee worldwide.

VIJAYA DASHAMI 2026

Wednesday, 21 October 2026

Bengali date: 4 Kartik 1433

Dashami begins approximately:

12:51 PM IST on 20 October

and ends approximately:

2:12 PM IST on 21 October.

Kolkata sunrise is approximately 5:39 AM IST, while sunset is approximately 5:03 PM IST.

Main Dashami observances

Depending on the tradition followed by the temple or Puja committee, Dashami may include:

• Darpan Bisarjan

• Devi Baran

• Sindoor Khela

• Aparajita Puja

• Prasad distribution

• Visarjan

• Bijoya greetings

• Kolakuli

• Respectful farewell to Maa Durga

The immersion schedule itself depends on local administration, river/ghat arrangements and the Puja committee.

2026 TITHI TRANSITIONS: GLOBAL TIME REFERENCE

The following table is useful for international devotees because the same astronomical tithi transition can be expressed in different local time zones.

TithiKolkata / ISTUTC / GMTUK / BSTUS Eastern / EDTShashthi begins16 Oct, 3:25 AM15 Oct, 9:55 PM15 Oct, 10:55 PM15 Oct, 5:55 PMShashthi ends / Saptami begins17 Oct, 5:55 AM17 Oct, 12:25 AM17 Oct, 1:25 AM16 Oct, 8:25 PMSaptami ends / Ashtami begins18 Oct, 8:29 AM18 Oct, 2:59 AM18 Oct, 3:59 AM17 Oct, 10:59 PMAshtami ends / Navami begins19 Oct, 10:52 AM19 Oct, 5:22 AM19 Oct, 6:22 AM19 Oct, 1:22 AMNavami ends / Dashami begins20 Oct, 12:51 PM20 Oct, 7:21 AM20 Oct, 8:21 AM20 Oct, 3:21 AMDashami ends21 Oct, 2:12 PM21 Oct, 8:42 AM21 Oct, 9:42 AM21 Oct, 4:42 AM

These conversions are mathematical conversions of the Kolkata IST reference times published in the Bisuddha Siddhanta-based calendar. The actual local festival observance should follow the Panjika used by the local Puja authority.

IST, EST, GMT, EDT AND BST: WHAT GLOBAL DEVOTEES SHOULD KNOW

A common source of confusion in international Durga Puja calendars is the use of generic timezone labels.

India

IST = Indian Standard Time = UTC+5:30

India does not observe daylight saving time.

United States Eastern Time

On the October 2026 Durga Puja dates, the Eastern United States observes:

EDT = Eastern Daylight Time = UTC−4

It is therefore technically incorrect to label October 2026 New York timings as EST.

EST = UTC−5 applies after the daylight-saving transition later in the year.

United Kingdom

The UK remains on:

BST = British Summer Time = UTC+1 during Durga Puja 2026.

Therefore, although GMT is a useful UTC reference, London's local clock during Durga Puja 2026 is BST, not GMT.

Universal reference

For international publication, the clearest format is:

IST / UTC / local time

rather than simply writing "EST/GMT".

GRAHA, NAKSHATRA AND PANCHANG

Durga Puja dates are primarily determined through the relevant lunar tithi and Bengali ritual calendar, rather than by simply looking at the Gregorian date.

The five principal Panchang elements are:

1. Tithi — lunar day

2. Vara — weekday

3. Nakshatra — lunar constellation

4. Yoga — solar-lunar combination

5. Karana — half of a tithi

For 19 October 2026, the Kolkata Panchang lists Shukla Ashtami, with the Moon in Uttara Ashadha until approximately 3:38 PM, followed by Shravana. The Ashtami-to-Navami tithi transition occurs at approximately 10:52 AM in the referenced Kolkata calculation.

For ritual purposes, however, the appointed priest should use the complete Panchang and Puja paddhati followed by the temple or committee.

WHY DIFFERENT WEBSITES SHOW DIFFERENT 2026 DURGA PUJA DATES

International readers may encounter calendars showing:

• 16 October versus 17 October for Shashthi

• two Saptami dates

• 19 October versus another date for the wider Indian Ashtami reckoning

• 20 October versus 21 October for Vijayadashami

• different Sandhi Puja clock times

This does not automatically mean that one website is wrong.

There are differences between regional festival rules, Panchang systems and methods of assigning a tithi to a civil calendar day.

For Bengali Durga Puja in Kolkata, the relevant Bengali Panjika should be followed. The IMD's Kolkata Panchanga also lists:

• 18 October — Durga Puja begins/Saptami

• 19 October — Maha Ashtami

• 20 October — Mahanavami in Bengal

• 21 October — Vijaya Dashami in Bengal.

The Government of West Bengal's SAHAJ Puja portal likewise lists 18 October as Maha Saptami, 19 October as Maha Ashtami, 20 October as Maha Navami and 21 October as Vijaya Dashami.

2026 DURGA PUJA NIYOMABOLI: PRACTICAL CHECKLIST

Before Puja

• Confirm the Panjika followed by the purohit.

• Confirm the local sunrise and tithi.

• Prepare the Durga Pratima and accompanying deities.

• Arrange the Ghat/Kalash.

• Arrange flowers and Bel leaves.

• Prepare Dhup, Dhuno, lamps and wicks.

• Arrange Naivedya and Bhog.

• Prepare Nabapatrika components.

• Arrange Homa materials.

• Confirm Sandhi Puja timing.

• Confirm Dashami immersion arrangements.

Shashthi

• Kalparambha

• Bodhan

• Amantran

• Adhibas

• Bilva-related rituals according to tradition

Saptami

• Nabapatrika Snan

• Nabapatrika installation

• Prana Pratishtha

• Saptami Puja

• Pushpanjali

• Bhog

• Aarti

Ashtami

• Ashtami Puja

• Pushpanjali

• Kumari Puja where observed

• Sandhi Puja

• 108 lamps/lotus offerings where prescribed

• Bhog and Aarti

Navami

• Navami Puja

• Pushpanjali

• Mahahoma/Homa

• Special offerings

• Aarti

Dashami

• Darpan Bisarjan

• Devi Baran

• Sindoor Khela where traditionally observed

• Aparajita Puja where observed

• Visarjan

• Bijoya greetings

A NOTE FOR GLOBAL DEVOTEES

A Durga Puja calendar should not be treated like an ordinary event timetable.

The festival date, tithi, sunrise and ritual muhurta are interconnected. A clock time printed for Kolkata cannot automatically be copied into another country.

For devotees in:

• United States

• Canada

• United Kingdom

• Europe

• UAE

• Singapore

• Australia

• New Zealand

• Bangladesh

• other parts of India

the Gregorian date may remain the Bengali community's festival date, but the local clock time for tithi-sensitive rituals must be checked against the appropriate local Panchang and the Puja tradition being followed.

For a temple or community Puja, the final authority should be the appointed purohit and the Panjika adopted by the Puja committee.

Official 2026 Durga Puja Dates for Quick Reference

• Mahalaya: Saturday, 10 October 2026

• Maha Shashthi: Friday, 16 October 2026

• Maha Saptami: Sunday, 18 October 2026

• Maha Ashtami: Monday, 19 October 2026

• Maha Navami: Tuesday, 20 October 2026

• Vijaya Dashami: Wednesday, 21 October 2026

• Sandhi Puja: Monday, 19 October 2026, morning; exact 48-minute timing depends on the Panjika followed.

Editorial note

This 2026 guide uses Kolkata, West Bengal, as the primary reference location and gives the tithi boundaries from the Bisuddha Siddhanta-based Kolkata calculation. Published Panchikas can differ slightly in tithi boundary and ritual-window calculations. For an actual Puja, the temple/committee should follow its appointed priest's Panjika rather than combining timings from different calendars.

The Government of West Bengal's SAHAJ portal and the IMD Kolkata Panchanga have been used as important cross-checks for the Bengal festival sequence.

Prepared for publication by Brindaban Matri Mandir — www.brindabanmatrimandir.org