Durga Puja Calendar 2026 (Worldwide)

Get ready to celebrate Durga Puja 2026 with our complete festival calendar! Whether you’re planning rituals, pandal visits, or holiday travel, this guide keeps you in sync with every Durga Puja date, from Mahalaya to Vijaya Dashami. Discover these Hindu festival timings, traditional events, and cultural insights—all in one place.

Durga Puja is a Hindu festival celebrated worldwide, especially in West Bengal, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Orissa, Delhi, Pune, and other parts of India. Even abroad, cities like New York, Japan, London, Australia, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, New Jersey, Switzerland, and countries such as the UK and Bangladesh host grand celebrations. 

2026 Durga Puja Calendar for India, USA, London, UK, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, Japan and others

Durga Puja 2026 will be celebrated from 28th September (Sasthi) to 2nd October (Vijaya Dashmi). The Mahalaya date is 21st September, so the Durga Puja 2026 is less than 1 month.

Days	Dates
Mahalaya	10 October 2026 Saturday
Maha Shashti	16 – 17 October 2026 Friday and Saturday
Maha Saptami	18 October 2026 Sunday
Maha Ashtami	19 October 2026 Monday
Maha Navami	20 October 2026 Tuesday
Maha Dashmi	21 October 2026 Wednesday

Durga Puja 2026 Countdown (Mahalaya: 21st September)

Durga Puja 2025 Countdown

Durga Puja Visarjan Date 2026

Durga Puja Visarjan starts on Wednesday, 21 October 2026.

Why We Celebrate Durga Puja?

Durga Puja symbolises the victory of good over evil. It commemorates Maa Durga’s triumph over Mahishasura (the bull demon). According to mythology, Mahishasura wanted to conquer the entire world, so he created chaos and wreaked havoc on people on Earth. The gods Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva summoned Goddess Durga to defeat him. Every major God gave her a weapon to fight and win the battle. 

Maa Durga went to the battlefield, sitting on a lion. After fierce fighting, she killed Mahishasura on the tenth day. Navratri is celebrated for nine nights and days to mark the battle between good and evil, and Durga Puja is celebrated for the last five days (from Shashti to Dashmi). According to legend, on these five days every year, Maa Durga leaves her home in heaven and visits Earth. 

Every part of India celebrates grandly, especially in West Bengal. People from India and abroad come together to celebrate. 

Significance of Durga Puja

Durga Puja marks Maa Durga’s victory against the demon Mahishasura. This festival spreads the message that good eventually triumphs over evil. According to Hindu scriptures, Maa Durga leaves her heavenly home every year and visits Earth during puja (five days). Goddess Durga symbolises the creation of life, so this puja is also celebrated as a harvest festival. 

Durga Puja, one of Hinduism’s most important festivals, is less than 100 days away. According to the Hindu calendar, Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal, Assam, and Tripura celebrate the festival in Ashwin month.

Five Important Days of Durga Puja

Durga Puja is a ten-day festival. The last five days hold the most importance. The five prominent days are Shashthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami, and Maha Dashami.  

Maha Shashti

Maha Sashti is the beginning of the celebrations. On this day, the face of Goddess Durga’s idol is revealed. Rituals like Kalprarambha (the beginning of puja), Bodhon (the reveal of the face), Amontron (inviting Goddess Durga), and Odhibash (purifying the mandap) are performed on Maha Shashti. 

Maha Saptami

Maha Saptami begins at dawn with submerging a banana tree in holy water. And clad in a saree & offered sandalwood, incense, and flowers. This banana tree is called “Kola Bou” (banana plant bride). Then, Kola Bou is positioned beside God Ganesha as his newly married wife. Another ritual to worship Kola Bou is a sacred bath of Nabapatrika (nine leaves). It symbolises Maa Durga’s triumph over Mahishasura. 

Maha Ashtami

Maha Ashtami is the most auspicious day of Puja celebrations. Legends say that Maa Kali emerged from Maa Durga’s forehead to kill Raktabija, Munda, and Chanda. Kanya Puja (Kumari Puja) is an inseparable part of Maha Ashtami. Young girls are worshipped as avatars of Maa Durga. At the junction of Navami and Ashtami tithis, “Sandhi Puja” and “Yajna” are performed. 

Maha Navami

The day of Maha Navami symbolises new beginnings. On Navami, Maa Durga killed Mahishasura and became known as “Mahisasuramardini” (a subduer of Mahishasura). Kanjak puja is performed in many houses. Young girls are served chana, puri, and halwa in prasad. 

Maha Dashmi – Dussehra

Vijaya Dashmi, or Dussehra, marks the end of the Durga Puja celebrations. Women celebrate it with Sindoorkhela, wearing a ‘Laal paad saree’ and applying sindoor on Maa Durga’s forehead and feet. Then, they apply sindoor on each other’s noa, shaka, pola, and forehead (symbolising marital status). Married women bid farewell to the goddess by performing the Devi Baran ritual and offering sweets. 

Conclusion

On the last day (Dashmi) of Durga Puja, we bid Maa Durga goodbye with a heavy heart. I hope that next year, we will welcome her with even greater honor. We load the idols onto trucks, parade them through the streets, and immerse them in the Ganga. All pandals are dismantled, with the hope that they will be reborn in a new form the following year. So, I believe you get the answer: How many days are left for Durga Puja?

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