Ashwin (purnimanta), Ashwin (amanta)
Durga Puja 2026: date and meaning
In the calendar: Durga Puja (Maha Shashthi)
दुर्गा पूजा
This is the 2026 page. The date has passed. See Durga Puja 2027
In Washington DC, Durga Puja (Maha Shashthi) is on Friday, October 16, 2026.
- Washington DC
Friday, October 16, 2026
Ends Tuesday, October 20.
Washington DC. Bengali tradition.
The same date in India (New Delhi).
Not in Washington DC? Find your city in the table below.
The days of Durga Puja 2026
Dates for Washington DC. India’s date is shown where it differs.
- Durga Puja: Maha Shashthi, Friday, October 16, 2026
- Durga Puja: Maha Saptami, Saturday, October 17, 2026
- Durga Puja: Maha Ashtami, Sunday, October 18, 2026.Sandhi Puja: 12:58–1:46 AM (Mon 19 Oct, night of Sun 18 Oct)India: Mon 19 Oct
- Durga Puja: Maha Navami, Monday, October 19, 2026.India: Tue 20 Oct
- Durga Puja: Bijaya Dashami, Tuesday, October 20, 2026.India: Wed 21 Oct
The rule
Bengal Durga Puja: Maha Shashthi, Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Bijaya Dashami fall on the days these Ashwin Shukla tithis prevail at sunrise. Sandhi Puja is the 48 minutes (2 ghatikas) around the end of Ashtami.
The times that decide it (Washington DC): Shukla Shashthi 5:55 PM, 15 Oct to 8:24 PM, 16 Oct
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Durga Puja 2026 Washington DC: Friday, October 16, 2026 Bengali tradition. Each city's date is computed for its own sky and time zone. https://pujadeep.com/festivals/durga-puja/2026/
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Durga Puja 2026 in each city
US
| City | Date | Times that decide it | Also |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | Fri 16 Oct – Tue 20 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 5:55 PM, 15 Oct to 8:24 PM, 16 Oct | – |
| Edison, NJ | Fri 16 Oct – Tue 20 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 5:55 PM, 15 Oct to 8:24 PM, 16 Oct | – |
| Washington DC | Fri 16 Oct – Tue 20 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 5:55 PM, 15 Oct to 8:24 PM, 16 Oct | – |
| Atlanta | Fri 16 Oct – Tue 20 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 5:55 PM, 15 Oct to 8:24 PM, 16 Oct | – |
| Boston | Fri 16 Oct – Tue 20 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 5:55 PM, 15 Oct to 8:24 PM, 16 Oct | – |
| Philadelphia | Fri 16 Oct – Tue 20 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 5:55 PM, 15 Oct to 8:24 PM, 16 Oct | – |
| Chicago | Fri 16 Oct – Tue 20 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 4:55 PM, 15 Oct to 7:24 PM, 16 Oct | – |
| Houston | Fri 16 Oct – Tue 20 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 4:55 PM, 15 Oct to 7:24 PM, 16 Oct | – |
| Dallas | Fri 16 Oct – Tue 20 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 4:55 PM, 15 Oct to 7:24 PM, 16 Oct | – |
| Los Angeles | Fri 16 Oct – Tue 20 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 2:55 PM, 15 Oct to 5:24 PM, 16 Oct | – |
| San Jose, CA | Fri 16 Oct – Tue 20 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 2:55 PM, 15 Oct to 5:24 PM, 16 Oct | – |
| Fremont, CA | Fri 16 Oct – Tue 20 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 2:55 PM, 15 Oct to 5:24 PM, 16 Oct | – |
| Sunnyvale, CA | Fri 16 Oct – Tue 20 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 2:55 PM, 15 Oct to 5:24 PM, 16 Oct | – |
| Cupertino, CA | Fri 16 Oct – Tue 20 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 2:55 PM, 15 Oct to 5:24 PM, 16 Oct | – |
| Seattle | Fri 16 Oct – Tue 20 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 2:55 PM, 15 Oct to 5:24 PM, 16 Oct | – |
UK
| City | Date | Times that decide it | Also |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | Fri 16 Oct – Wed 21 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 10:55 PM, 15 Oct to 1:24 AM, 17 Oct | – |
| Birmingham, UK | Fri 16 Oct – Wed 21 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 10:55 PM, 15 Oct to 1:24 AM, 17 Oct | – |
| Leicester | Fri 16 Oct – Wed 21 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 10:55 PM, 15 Oct to 1:24 AM, 17 Oct | – |
| Manchester | Fri 16 Oct – Wed 21 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 10:55 PM, 15 Oct to 1:24 AM, 17 Oct | – |
Canada
| City | Date | Times that decide it | Also |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto | Fri 16 Oct – Tue 20 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 5:55 PM, 15 Oct to 8:24 PM, 16 Oct | – |
| Brampton | Fri 16 Oct – Tue 20 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 5:55 PM, 15 Oct to 8:24 PM, 16 Oct | – |
| Vancouver | Fri 16 Oct – Tue 20 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 2:55 PM, 15 Oct to 5:24 PM, 16 Oct | – |
| Calgary | Fri 16 Oct – Tue 20 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 3:55 PM, 15 Oct to 6:24 PM, 16 Oct | – |
Australia
| City | Date | Times that decide it | Also |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | Sat 17 Oct – Wed 21 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 8:55 AM, 16 Oct to 11:24 AM, 17 Oct | In India (New Delhi): Fri 16 Oct |
| Melbourne | Sat 17 Oct – Wed 21 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 8:55 AM, 16 Oct to 11:24 AM, 17 Oct | In India (New Delhi): Fri 16 Oct |
| Brisbane | Sat 17 Oct – Wed 21 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 7:55 AM, 16 Oct to 10:24 AM, 17 Oct | In India (New Delhi): Fri 16 Oct |
| Perth | Sat 17 Oct – Wed 21 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 5:55 AM, 16 Oct to 8:24 AM, 17 Oct | In India (New Delhi): Fri 16 Oct |
India
| City | Date | Times that decide it | Also |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Delhi | Fri 16 Oct – Wed 21 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 3:25 AM, 16 Oct to 5:54 AM, 17 Oct | – |
| Mumbai | Fri 16 Oct – Wed 21 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 3:25 AM, 16 Oct to 5:54 AM, 17 Oct | – |
| Kolkata | Fri 16 Oct – Wed 21 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 3:25 AM, 16 Oct to 5:54 AM, 17 Oct | – |
| Chennai | Fri 16 Oct – Wed 21 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 3:25 AM, 16 Oct to 5:54 AM, 17 Oct Close call | – |
| Bengaluru | Fri 16 Oct – Wed 21 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 3:25 AM, 16 Oct to 5:54 AM, 17 Oct | – |
| Hyderabad | Fri 16 Oct – Wed 21 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 3:25 AM, 16 Oct to 5:54 AM, 17 Oct | – |
| Ahmedabad | Fri 16 Oct – Wed 21 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 3:25 AM, 16 Oct to 5:54 AM, 17 Oct | – |
| Surat | Fri 16 Oct – Wed 21 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 3:25 AM, 16 Oct to 5:54 AM, 17 Oct | – |
| Pune | Fri 16 Oct – Wed 21 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 3:25 AM, 16 Oct to 5:54 AM, 17 Oct | – |
| Jaipur | Fri 16 Oct – Wed 21 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 3:25 AM, 16 Oct to 5:54 AM, 17 Oct | – |
| Lucknow | Fri 16 Oct – Wed 21 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 3:25 AM, 16 Oct to 5:54 AM, 17 Oct | – |
| Varanasi | Fri 16 Oct – Wed 21 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 3:25 AM, 16 Oct to 5:54 AM, 17 Oct Close call | – |
| Patna | Fri 16 Oct – Wed 21 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 3:25 AM, 16 Oct to 5:54 AM, 17 Oct | – |
| Chandigarh | Fri 16 Oct – Wed 21 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 3:25 AM, 16 Oct to 5:54 AM, 17 Oct | – |
| Bhopal | Fri 16 Oct – Wed 21 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 3:25 AM, 16 Oct to 5:54 AM, 17 Oct | – |
| Thiruvananthapuram | Fri 16 Oct – Wed 21 Oct | Shukla Shashthi 3:25 AM, 16 Oct to 5:54 AM, 17 Oct | – |
Panchang for the first day of Durga Puja: Friday, October 16, 2026, Washington DC
- Tithi
- Shukla Shashthi (ends 8:24 PM), then Saptami (ends 10:58 PM +1 day)
- Nakshatra
- Mula (ends 12:17 AM +1 day), then Purva Ashadha (ends 3:19 AM +2 days) Name letters for this nakshatra
- Yoga
- Shobhana (ends 12:36 PM), then Atiganda (ends 1:33 PM +1 day)
- Karana
- Taitila (ends 8:24 PM), then Garaja (ends 9:42 AM +1 day)
- Weekday
- Friday (शुक्रवार)
- Month
- Ashwin (Amanta) · Ashwin (Purnimanta)
- Tamil month
- Purattasi 30 (solar month)
- Year
- Vikram Samvat 2083 (Chaitradi) · Vikram Samvat (Kartikadi, Gujarati) 2082 · Shaka Samvat 1948
- Sunrise
- 7:18 AM
- Sunset
- 6:28 PM
- Moonrise
- 1:22 PM
- Moonset
- 10:10 PM
- Rahu Kaal
- 11:29 AM – 12:53 PM
- Yamaganda
- 3:40 PM – 5:04 PM
- Gulika Kalam
- 8:42 AM – 10:06 AM
- Abhijit Muhurta
- 12:31 PM – 1:15 PM
Abhijit and Rahu Kaal overlap from 12:31 PM to 12:53 PM. - Brahma Muhurta
- 5:36 AM – 6:27 AM
About the festival
Durga Puja is the great autumn worship of the Goddess Durga by Bengali families, and by families of Odisha, Assam, Tripura, Jharkhand and Bihar, in the bright half of Ashvin. Its five main days run from the sixth day of Navratri to the day after it ends: Maha Shashthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami and Bijoya Dashami.
Written for Pujadeep and checked against the sources listed. See the sources
Questions families ask
When is Durga Puja 2027?
The date moves with the Hindu calendar. In 2027, Durga Puja is on Tuesday, October 5, 2027 in Washington DC. Durga Puja 2027
How is the date found for my city?
Each city’s date is computed for that city, from its own sunrise and sunset and the times the tithi begins and ends, with the rule named below. Find your city in the table above.
Which rule sets the date of Durga Puja?
Bengal Durga Puja: Maha Shashthi, Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Bijaya Dashami fall on the days these Ashwin Shukla tithis prevail at sunrise. Sandhi Puja is the 48 minutes (2 ghatikas) around the end of Ashtami. How we compute dates
The rule and its sources
Tradition: Bengali.
- Bengali panjikas (Vishuddha Siddhanta and Gupta Press) can differ by a day; check a local panjika before you plan a puja.
Rule sources
- Published panchang: Sandhi Puja 2025, Kolkata
- Wikipedia: Durga Puja
Related
Computed for 43 cities on Friday, October 16, 2026
Rule: Bengal Durga Puja: Maha Shashthi, Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Bijaya Dashami fall on the days these Ashwin Shukla tithis prevail at sunrise. Sandhi Puja is the 48 minutes (2 ghatikas) around the end of Ashtami.
What the words mean: Paksha: Shukla and Krishna · Tithi · Ghatika
Calculated for your location from NASA JPL's DE440 ephemeris and Astronomy Engine (MIT licence), with the Lahiri ayanamsa. Times can differ by a minute or two from printed panchangs. For vrat and puja timings, follow your family or temple tradition.
Source and licence
- Our explanation
- Written for this site from the sources listed here, and checked against them. Free to quote with credit.
- Checked
- Checked against the sources listed, October 15, 2026.
- Updated
- October 27, 2026