Durga Puja 2026 lands in the third week of October this year. Mahalaya, the day that marks the countdown, falls on Saturday, 10 October. The main five days run from Saturday, 17 October to Wednesday, 21 October, so most of the celebration sits neatly over a long weekend and into midweek.
Here is the full schedule:
- Mahalaya: Saturday, 10 October 2026
- Maha Panchami: Friday, 16 October 2026
- Maha Shashthi: Saturday, 17 October 2026
- Maha Saptami: Sunday, 18 October 2026
- Maha Ashtami: Monday, 19 October 2026
- Maha Navami: Tuesday, 20 October 2026
- Vijaya Dashami (Dussehra): Wednesday, 21 October 2026
A few things worth planning around. There is a week's gap between Mahalaya on 10 October and Panchami on 16 October, which is the usual run-up when pandal work wraps and shopping peaks. Ashtami on Monday, 19 October is the day most people mark for anjali and the sandhi puja, so if you are travelling to your home town, the weekend of 17 to 18 October is when trains and flights fill up first.
Vijaya Dashami on 21 October closes the Puja with sindoor khela and the immersion. It is also Dussehra, so the date carries across the country beyond Bengal.
If you are booking leave, note that Shashthi through Dashami covers a Saturday to Wednesday stretch. Pairing it with the Thursday and Friday after Dashami gives you a clear run into the following weekend.
Planning to travel or celebrate somewhere specific this year? Share your plans and any local pandal recommendations below.
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