About Durga Puja
Durga Puja celebrates Goddess Durga's victory over the buffalo demon Mahishasura and is the most important festival of West Bengal, also observed with devotion in Assam, Odisha, Bihar and Tripura and by Bengali communities worldwide. It is traditionally seen as the Goddess's homecoming with her children Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartikeya. Cities and towns fill with pandals, many of them remarkable works of art, where beautifully crafted images of the Goddess are worshipped. Durga Puja in Kolkata was inscribed on UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2021.
The main celebrations run from Shashthi to Dashami. On Shashthi the Goddess is welcomed, and on Maha Saptami, the date shown on this page, the day begins with the Kolabou snan, when a banana plant dressed as a bride is bathed and installed beside the Goddess. Maha Ashtami brings the Sandhi puja at the meeting point of Ashtami and Navami, and Kumari puja is held in many places. On Bijoya Dashami, married women offer sindoor to the Goddess and to each other in Sindoor khela, and the images are carried in procession for immersion, followed by greetings and sweets among friends and family.
How it is observed
- Visiting pandals with family and friends to see the images and art
- Offering pushpanjali, flowers offered with prayers, to the Goddess
- Attending the Sandhi puja and the evening aarti with dhunuchi dance
- Joining Sindoor khela and the immersion procession on Dashami
- Sharing bhog and sweets and exchanging Bijoya greetings
Durga Puja dates in past and coming years
| Year | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Thursday, 10 October 2024 | Past |
| 2025 | Monday, 29 September 2025 | Past |
| 2026 | Saturday, 17 October 2026 | Past |
| 2027 | Wednesday, 6 October 2027 | Next |
| 2028 | Monday, 25 September 2028 | Upcoming |
| 2029 | Saturday, 13 October 2029 | Upcoming |
| 2030 | Thursday, 3 October 2030 | Upcoming |
Dates are calculated from the Panchang for New Delhi. Some regions may observe a day earlier or later.
Across India
Celebrated widely in: West Bengal Assam Odisha Bihar
The same season is marked in many ways. Where a region keeps the festival on a different day, its calculated date is shown.
West Bengal
Durga Puja, Pujo
From Shashthi to Dashami, Kolkata and every town fill with artistic pandals, dhak drums and pandal hopping. Married women play sindoor khela before the immersion.
Assam, Tripura
Durga Puja
Community pujas with cultural programmes are held across Assam and Tripura, and many homes hold family pujas.
Odisha
Durga Puja
Cuttack is famous for idols decorated with silver filigree (Chandi Medha) and grand immersion processions.
Bihar, Jharkhand
Durga Puja
Large pandals and fairs come up in Patna, Ranchi and other towns, and the goddess is worshipped from Saptami.
Bengali communities across India
Durga Puja
Bengali associations in Delhi (such as Chittaranjan Park), Mumbai, Bengaluru and elsewhere host pujas with food and culture.
The festival overlaps with Sharad Navratri, which is celebrated in other regions as nine nights of the Goddess and Dussehra.
← All festivals