Durga Puja explained: what it is, its history and rituals, the goddess and her family, Kumartuli idols, the 2026 dates and how to see Kolkata's pandals.
Durga at a Kolkata pandal, 2025. Photo: Pramanikshreya, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
For a day-by-day plan and advice on crowds, see Durga Puja 2026 dates.
Night crowds on the pandal trail in Behala. Photo: Snehangshu36, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
The rituals hub walks through the whole sequence. Start with Mahalaya, the new-moon day when the season begins and many Bengalis wake before dawn for the Mahishasuramardini radio programme.
Tarpan on Mahalaya: offering water, til and kusha grass to the ancestors at the Ganga. Photo: Goutam1962, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
If you are holding a puja yourself or simply want to mark the days, read Durga Puja at home and the samagri list of items you will need.
A worship plate with a conch, lamp and offerings. Photo: Vish79, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Across much of India the same days are kept as Navratri, the nine nights of the goddess.
Sabudana khichdi, a common Navratri fasting food. Photo: Mrudit161187, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Kolkata holds thousands of pujas, from two-hundred-year-old family celebrations to vast community pandals that draw crowds through the night.
Night crowds on the pandal trail in Behala. Photo: Snehangshu36, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Durga Puja explained: what it is, its history and rituals, the goddess and her family, Kumartuli idols, the 2026 dates and how to see Kolkata's pandals.
Durga Puja → Next story: The story of Durga and Mahishasura All photo storiesMusic: Sitar sample yaman, Tito Dutta, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.