Woken up before 4 am by the radio? Got a Bengali neighbour? Then you know exactly why. Mahalaya, yaar. Birendra Krishna Bhadra’s voice booming out Mahishasura Mardini from every second balcony, same as it did when our parents were kids. Kids are trying hard to come out of their sleep, eyes shut, mouthing the lines, and your heart cannot help melting a little. 10 October 2026, and we are back again! And what do you know, we are less than a week away from Pujo!
Now let’s get into the important stuff. Dates first, then the Sandhi Puja timing, then what the panjikas (almanacs) say about Maa’s vahana, and then pandals, city by city: Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Guwahati, Patna. Some of you spell it Durga Pooja. Fine by me, the bhog line is just as long either way.
Durga Puja 2026 Dates, Day by Day
Mark two days on the fridge calendar. Shashthi, Friday 16 October. Dashami, Wednesday 21 October. Everything else sits in between. Navratri people, you’re off the blocks sooner, Sunday the 11th.
So, here’s the deal:
- Mahalaya, Saturday, 10 October: today! Tarpan at the ghats at dawn, Mahishasura Mardini on the radio, Devi Paksha begins.
- Sunday, 11 October: Ghatasthapana, for those of you doing Navratri.
- Maha Shashthi, Friday, 16 October: Bodhon, Kalparambha and the unveiling of the protima.
- Maha Saptami, Saturday, 17 October and Sunday, 18 October: yes, it’s two days this time! Kola Bou snan at the ghat.
- Maha Ashtami, Monday, 19 October: Pushpanjali, Kumari Puja and Sandhi Puja.
- Maha Navami, Tuesday, 20 October: Navami homa and a special bhog.
- Bijoya Dashami, Wednesday, 21 October: Sindoor Khela and visarjan.
Wondering why Saptami is a double whammy? The Saptami tithi touches two sunrises this year. Gupta Press and Benimadhab Shil treat both the 17th and 18th as Saptami, while Bisuddha Siddhanta sticks with the 18th. Don’t worry, Ashtami falls on Monday, 19 October in both. Take the morning off from work if you can, because Anjali won’t wait. Dussehra in Delhi and North India? Tuesday, 20 October.
Sandhi Puja 2026 Time
Have you ever witnessed those magical 48 minutes where Ashtami ends and Navami begins? That’s the Sandhi Puja! It’s believed that’s when Devi became Chamunda to finish off Chanda and Munda. Priests light 108 diyas and offer 108 lotuses, while the dhak nearly falls to a hush in anticipation.
For 2026 the panjikas don’t agree, so here are both timings for Monday, 19 October:
- Bisuddha Siddhanta: about 10:28 AM to 11:16 AM IST
- Gupta Press / Benimadhab Shil: about 7:26 AM to 8:14 AM IST
Ask your puja committee which one they follow. The last thing you want is to arrive at 10:30 just as the lamps are already blazing!
Maa Durga’s Vahana in Durga Puja 2026
Her arrival and departure depend on the weekday of Saptami and Dashami, and yep, the panjikas differ here too.
- Gupta Press counts Saptami from Saturday, so Maa comes on a ghotak (horse), which the old texts link with unrest and upheaval.
- Bisuddha Siddhanta counts Saptami as Sunday, so Maa comes on a gaja (elephant), considered a good omen for rain and crops.
- Dashami is on Wednesday, so she leaves by nouka (boat). That means a good harvest, though the texts also warn of floods.
Remember, it’s tradition, not a weather forecast!
Best Durga Puja Pandals in Kolkata 2026
Want to know how Kolkata’s Durga Puja made it to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2021? It’s fairly obvious once you are inside one of the city’s theme pujas. Want to know the hot favourites this year? Let us tell you!
Kick things off with 66 Pally’s “Souls of Fire”, honouring 41 forgotten revolutionaries of the Agni Yug. Celebrate Mudiali Club’s 92nd year with “Oitijhyer Lok-Kotha”, and see the Hawa Mahal recreated in all its splendour at Sreebhumi Sporting Club. Marvel at Ekdalia Evergreen’s replica of the Somnath Temple and enjoy “Gangotri to Ganga” at Kumartuli Park.
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Want a dose of old Kolkata? Head up north to Bagbazar Sarbojanin before stretching your legs at College Square! You’ll be surprised by the beauty of its lit-up pond at night. Make sure to visit Santosh Mitra Square as well!
Durga Puja 2026 Kolkata Metro Timings
Attention, night owls! Metro Railway has special Puja services from 15 to 21 October. From 17 to 20 October, Blue Line and Green Line trains run from 1 PM till about 4 AM. Blue Line at peak? A train roughly every 6 minutes. Dashami (21 October) wraps up earlier though: Blue Line 1 PM to 10:30 PM, Green Line 1:30 PM to 10:30 PM. Metro Railway does fiddle with these, so glance at their official notice once before heading out.
Durga Puja in Delhi: CR Park and the Old Pujas
CR Park is the mini Kolkata of Delhi! Planning a drive? Ditch the car and ride the Metro. With tall idols and 30+ food stalls, the CR Park Mela Ground near Market 1 is the largest open ground and a don’t-miss. CR Park Kali Mandir has a divine vibe to it, especially during Sindoor Khela on Dashami.
Stop by the Kashmere Gate Durga Puja Samiti in Civil Lines, running since 1910, for its ek-chala idol in daaker saaj. For a traditional setting, check out the idol and the Rabindra Sangeet competitions at New Delhi Kali Bari on Mandir Marg. Or go for the evening dhunuchi naach at Timarpur and Civil Lines Puja Samity (since 1914)! And make sure to try the bhog at Minto Road Puja Samity (since 1940), but reach early!
Getting to CR Park? Nehru Enclave on the Magenta Line is about 1 km from Mela Ground and Cooperative Ground. Nehru Place on the Violet Line is about 1 km from B Block and Kali Mandir. Greater Kailash on the Magenta Line is around 1.5 km away, and Kalkaji Mandir works if you take an auto in. An easy walking route is Pocket 40, B Block, Kali Mandir, Mela Ground, and out at Nehru Place. Arrive before 5 PM if you’re taking elders along, otherwise you’ll be moving at crowd speed after 6 PM. The last metro is at around 11 PM.
Durga Puja in Mumbai: Where Bollywood Meets Bhog
Here’s one you can’t resist! North Bombay Sarbojanin at SNDT University Ground, Juhu, recreates Kerala’s Guruvayoor shrine this year, with the protima made by artisans from Kolkata. Wanna feel like you’re in a Bollywood movie? Celebrity spotting here is practically guaranteed!
Bombay Durga Bari Samiti of Kemps Corner has been celebrating since 1930, and this year it’s at Mathuradas Vissanji Hall from 16 to 21 October. Living in Navi Mumbai or Thane? The Bengal Association in Nerul holds its Durga Puja from 16 to 21 October. And I’m sure your housing society has its own lovely puja as well.
Durga Puja in Bengaluru
If you are in Bengaluru, do visit the RT Nagar Socio Cultural Trust puja at Palace Grounds, Gate 9, the biggest Bengali association puja in the city. The Bengalee Association on Assaye Road, Ulsoor, is warm and homely, from 16 to 21 October. For a Sylheti puja, try BSS (Bengaluru Sreehatta Sammelani) at The Occasion, Hoodi, from 16 to 21 October.
Durga Puja in Guwahati and Patna
Guwahati has more community pujas than almost any city outside Bengal! Ulubari and Kamakhya Colony are the most popular with crowds. In Patna, the Navyuvak Sangh pandal at Dak Bungalow Crossing is building an 80-foot Khajuraho temple this year, so expect traffic around Fraser Road.
Durga Puja Food
Look, I’ll be honest, half of pandal hopping is the eating. Inside, the khichuri bhog with labra and payesh, ladled out by some uncle who’s been volunteering since 1998. Outside, egg roll, phuchka, fish fry, kosha mangsho, and a little matka of mishti doi to close. Keep some cash on you. By 8 PM, with ten thousand phones in one lane, UPI just gives up.
Still Got Questions About Durga Puja 2026? Ask Away
My mashi keeps asking, Durga Puja 2026 kab se hai? When does it start?
Mashi, it begins with Shashthi on Friday the 16th of October 2026 and we cry our way through Bijoya Dashami on Wednesday the 21st.
Did I miss Mahalaya 2026?
Already done! Saturday, 10 October 2026. Devi Paksha starts from there.
Hang on, Maha Ashtami 2026 falls on a weekday?
Sadly yes, it’s a Monday, the 19th of October 2026, so bunk office if you can. Anjali in the morning, Kumari Puja, Sandhi Puja. Wear comfortable shoes, it’s a long one.
What is the Sandhi Puja time in 2026?
Depends whose panjika you trust! Bisuddha Siddhanta puts it at roughly 10:28 till 11:16 AM IST, while Gupta Press goes early, roughly 7:26 till 8:14 AM IST. Which one your para follows? Ask the purohit, na. Dada will tell you.
Puja, Pooja, Pujo, arre which spelling do I type into Google?
Both, yaar. I use “Puja” here since that’s the more popular form.
Which day do we do Sindoor Khela in 2026?
On Bijoya Dashami, so that’s Wednesday the 21st of October 2026. Married women smear sindoor on Maa and on each other before she’s taken for visarjan. Keep an old saree aside for this one.
Shubho Pujo to all of you! Get your comfy chappals ready!