Durga Puja FAQ: 40 quick answers on 2026 dates, meaning, rituals, food, etiquette, Kolkata travel and Navratri vs Durga Puja, with links to in-depth guides.
Durga at a Kolkata pandal, 2025. Photo: Pramanikshreya, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Mahalaya is Saturday 10 October 2026, Panchami Friday 16 October, Shashthi Saturday 17 October, Saptami Sunday 18 October, Maha Ashtami Monday 19 October, Maha Navami Tuesday 20 October and Bijoya Dashami Wednesday 21 October.
Tarpan on Mahalaya: offering water, til and kusha grass to the ancestors at the Ganga. Photo: Goutam1962, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Both fall in the same autumn period and honour the Goddess. Navratri is nine nights of worship of her nine forms, with fasting and, in western India, garba and dandiya; Bengal's Durga Puja centres on the last five days, with clay idols of Durga and her children.
Idols take shape in a workshop lane at Kumartuli, north Kolkata. Photo: Pinakpani, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
The goddess is formally welcomed with bodhon (awakening), amantran (invitation) and adhibas (preparatory rites), and most pujas unveil the idol's face.
Bodhon, the awakening of the goddess, on the evening of Shashthi. Photo: Goutam1962, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Bhog is food offered to the goddess and then shared as blessed food, typically khichuri, labra (mixed vegetables), fries, chutney and payesh.
Khichuri with fried vegetables, offered as bhog in a Bengali home. Photo: Biswarup Ganguly, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Yes. Public pandals welcome everyone.
Durga at a Kolkata pandal, 2025. Photo: Pramanikshreya, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Early morning, from about dawn to 9 am, and late night after about 1 am.
Durga at a Kolkata pandal, 2025. Photo: Pramanikshreya, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Durga Puja FAQ: 40 quick answers on 2026 dates, meaning, rituals, food, etiquette, Kolkata travel and Navratri vs Durga Puja, with links to in-depth guides.
Durga Puja FAQ → Next story: Durga Puja food: bhog, street food and sweets All photo storiesMusic: Sitar sample yaman, Tito Dutta, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.