# Durga Puja rituals day by day

> Durga Puja's rituals unfold over about ten days: Mahalaya opens Devi Paksha, Shashthi awakens the goddess (bodhon), Saptami brings the Nabapatrika or Kola Bou, Ashtami has the morning pushpanjali, Kumari Puja and Sandhi Puja, Navami has the homa and bhog, and Bijoya Dashami ends with sindoor khela and immersion. In 2026 Mahalaya falls on Saturday 10 October and Bijoya Dashami on Wednesday 21 October.

Source: https://pujoparikramaguide.in/durga-puja/rituals/ (updated 2026-10-06)

Durga Puja's rituals follow a fixed sequence that runs from **Mahalaya**, when Devi Paksha (the fortnight of the goddess) begins, to **Bijoya Dashami**, when she is bid farewell. The main worship takes place over five days, Shashthi to Dashami, and each day has a rite that defines it: the awakening, the arrival of the Kola Bou, the Ashtami anjali and Sandhi Puja, the Navami fire offering, and the Dashami farewell.

The broad order is the same across Bengal, but the exact rites, the moment each one is performed and some of the offerings vary by family, region and the panjika (Bengali almanac) the priest follows. Use this page as a map, and ask your local puja committee or priest for the timings that apply to you.

## Durga Puja 2026 at a glance

| Day | 2026 date | Key rituals | Read more |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mahalaya | Saturday 10 October | Tarpan for ancestors at the ghats, Mahishasuramardini on radio, start of Devi Paksha | [Mahalaya](/durga-puja/rituals/mahalaya/) |
| Shashthi | Saturday 17 October | Kalparambha, bodhon (awakening), amantran and adhivas, unveiling of faces | [Shashthi](/durga-puja/rituals/shashthi/) |
| Saptami | Sunday 18 October | Nabapatrika bath and Kola Bou, prana pratishtha, start of the main puja | [Saptami](/durga-puja/rituals/saptami/) |
| Maha Ashtami | Monday 19 October | Pushpanjali, Kumari Puja, Sandhi Puja with 108 lotuses and lamps | [Ashtami](/durga-puja/rituals/ashtami/) |
| Maha Navami | Tuesday 20 October | Navami puja, homa (fire offering), bhog, dhunuchi naach at night | [Navami](/durga-puja/rituals/navami/) |
| Bijoya Dashami | Wednesday 21 October | Darpan bisarjan, boron, sindoor khela, immersion, Bijoya greetings | [Dashami](/durga-puja/rituals/dashami/) |

Panchami, the evening before Shashthi, falls on Friday 16 October 2026. Many pandals open to visitors from Panchami or even earlier. For crowd forecasts by day, see the [Durga Puja 2026 dates page](/guide/dates/).

## The sequence, day by day

### Mahalaya: the invocation

Mahalaya is the new-moon day that ends Pitri Paksha, the fortnight for ancestors, and begins Devi Paksha. Families offer *tarpan* (water offerings to ancestors) at the Ganga ghats, and millions of Bengalis wake before dawn to hear the radio programme [Mahishasuramardini](/durga-puja/mahishasuramardini-radio/). In the idol workshops of [Kumartuli](/durga-puja/kumartuli-idol-making/), the eyes of the goddess are traditionally painted around this day.

### Shashthi: the awakening

On Shashthi the goddess is formally awakened in the *bodhon* rite, traditionally performed beside a bel (wood apple) tree, then invited (*amantran*) and consecrated (*adhivas*). In many pandals her face is unveiled this evening.

### Saptami: the Kola Bou arrives

At dawn on Saptami a bundle of nine plants, the *Nabapatrika* or *Kola Bou*, is bathed in the river or at a ghat, dressed in a sari and placed beside Ganesha. The priest then invokes life into the idol (*prana pratishtha*) and the main puja begins.

### Maha Ashtami: anjali and Sandhi Puja

Ashtami morning brings the most attended [pushpanjali](/durga-puja/rituals/pushpanjali-mantra/), the flower offering. Many places hold [Kumari Puja](/durga-puja/rituals/kumari-puja/), the worship of a young girl as the goddess. At the junction of Ashtami and Navami comes [Sandhi Puja](/durga-puja/rituals/sandhi-puja/), with 108 lotuses and 108 lamps.

### Maha Navami: homa and bhog

Navami has its own puja, a *homa* or *yajna* (fire offering) and a large bhog (food offered to the goddess and shared). In the evening the [dhunuchi naach](/durga-puja/rituals/dhunuchi-naach/) is at its most intense, because it is the last full night.

### Bijoya Dashami: farewell

On Dashami the goddess is symbolically immersed in a mirror (*darpan bisarjan*), married women bid her farewell with *boron* and [sindoor khela](/durga-puja/rituals/sindoor-khela/), and the idols are carried to the river. Then come Bijoya greetings: touching elders' feet, embracing friends and sharing sweets. See [Bijoya Dashami wishes](/durga-puja/bijoya-dashami-wishes/).

## Where to see the rituals in Kolkata

Old family pujas (*bonedi bari*) such as [Sovabazar Rajbari](/guide/pandals/sovabazar_rajbari/) keep many rites in their older forms, and [Bagbazar Sarbojanin](/guide/pandals/bagbazar/) is known for a traditional atmosphere and a crowded sindoor khela. The [North Kolkata heritage trail](/guide/trails/north_heritage/) links several of these. Read more about [bonedi bari pujas](/durga-puja/bonedi-bari-pujas/), the [food and bhog](/durga-puja/food-and-bhog/) of each day, and the [glossary](/durga-puja/glossary/) for any term you meet.

If you are new to the festival, start with [what Durga Puja is](/durga-puja/what-is-durga-puja/) and the story of the [goddess Durga](/durga-puja/goddess-durga/).

## At a glance

- **Sat 10 Oct**: Mahalaya. Tarpan for the ancestors at dawn and Mahishasuramardini on the radio: the fortnight of the goddess begins.
- **Sat 17 Oct**: Shashthi. Bodhon, the awakening of the goddess, in the evening; the pandals open.
- **Sun 18 Oct**: Saptami. Kola Bou is bathed at dawn and the goddess is invoked into the image.
- **Mon 19 Oct**: Maha Ashtami. Pushpanjali in the morning, Kumari Puja, and Sandhi Puja at the junction with Navami.
- **Tue 20 Oct**: Maha Navami. The last full day of worship: bhog, and dhunuchi dances late into the night.
- **Wed 21 Oct**: Bijoya Dashami. Sindoor khela, then the goddess is carried to the river; Shubho Bijoya to everyone.

## Frequently asked questions

**What is the order of Durga Puja rituals?**
Mahalaya comes first, about a week before the main puja. Then come Shashthi (bodhon, the awakening), Saptami (Nabapatrika bath and the start of the main puja), Maha Ashtami (pushpanjali, Kumari Puja, Sandhi Puja), Maha Navami (homa and bhog) and Bijoya Dashami (sindoor khela and immersion).

**What are the Durga Puja 2026 dates?**
Mahalaya is on Saturday 10 October 2026, Panchami on Friday 16 October, Shashthi on Saturday 17 October, Saptami on Sunday 18 October, Maha Ashtami on Monday 19 October, Maha Navami on Tuesday 20 October and Bijoya Dashami on Wednesday 21 October.

**Which is the most important day of Durga Puja?**
Many Bengalis treat Maha Ashtami as the heart of the festival because it has the main pushpanjali and the Sandhi Puja, but every day has its own essential rite and none is skipped in a full puja.

**Are Durga Puja rituals the same in every home and pandal?**
No. The core sequence is shared, but details, timings and some rites differ by family tradition, region and the panjika (almanac) a priest follows.

**Can visitors take part in Durga Puja rituals?**
Yes, in most community (sarbojanin) pujas anyone can join the pushpanjali, watch the arati and receive bhog. Follow the organisers' instructions, take off shoes near the altar and ask before photographing rites.