Being a Bengali, Durga Puja holds a special place in my heart. As I eagerly await this grand festival each year, I know many of you are also counting down the days until we can immerse ourselves in the divine celebration of Maa Durga. Let me share everything you need about the upcoming Durga Puja festivities and important dates.
How Many Days Left for Durga Puja in 2024
Like every year, my neighborhood’s excitement for Durga Puja 2024 is already building up. I calculate that we have approximately 167 days left until the main festivities begin. Shashthi falls on October 9, 2024, marking the official start of the five-day celebration.
I can sense the anticipation building every time I pass by the local community centers. The organizing committees are already having their first meetings, planning for another spectacular celebration that will bring our community together.
How Many Days Left for Durga Puja in 2025
Looking further, Durga Puja 2025 in West Bengal will begin on September 29 with Shashthi, meaning we have roughly 522 days to wait. While this might seem like a long time, we Bengali folks in Assam start our countdown right after the previous year’s Vijaya Dashami!
The festival in 2025 will be extra unique as it falls earlier in the calendar, bringing slightly cooler weather. I remember how the early autumn celebrations always had a different charm.
Just thinking about it makes me nostalgic for the sound of Dhaka and the aroma of dhunuchi that fills the air during these precious days of celebration.
2024 Durga Puja Bengali Date
Tithi | Date | Bengali Calendar
And | October 2, 2024 | Ashwin Krishna Paksha
Shashthi | October 9, 2024 | Ashwin Shukla Shashthi
On | October 10, 2024 | Ashwin
As | October 11, 2024 | Ashwin
Already | THE | As
Vijaya Dashami | October 13, 2024 | Ashw
The countdown to Mahalaya 2024 has already begun in my household! We have approximately 160 days until October 2, 2024, when we’ll wake up early to listen to Birendra Krishna Bhadra’s iconic Mahishasura Mardini.
Every year, I set my alarm for 4 AM on Mahalaya, continuing the tradition my parents taught me. The anticipation of hearing “Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu” on the radio still gives me goosebumps. This auspicious day marks the beginning of Devi Paksha and the end of Pitru Paksha, making it one of the most significant days in our calendar.
Sandhi Puja Muhurat is listed on this page. Sandhi Puja is performed during the Navratri festival. The Sandhi Puja is performed at a special time at the end of Ashtami Tithi and beginning of Navami Tithi. At this special moment, Goddess Chamunda appeared to kill the demons named Chand-Munda.
The 10th day or “Maha Dashami” marks the final day of Durga Puja On this day, Durga and the other deities are immersed in the river Ganga Before the immersion, married women take part in “Sindoor Khela” where they smear vermillion on each other’s faces. By the grace of Goddess Durga, devotees gain strength, courage and bravery.
Janmashtami Countdown
Mark your August 26, 2024, calendars for those eagerly awaiting Janmashtami. That means we have roughly 122 days to celebrate Lord Krishna’s birth. The festivities typically begin at midnight, which is considered the auspicious time of Krishna’s birth.
I’ve always been fascinated by how different regions of India celebrate this festival uniquely, from the dahi handi celebrations in Maharashtra to the celaborate jhankis in Mathura and Vrindavan.
The temples and homes across India will soon start preparing for their midnight aartis and special prasad distributions that make this festival so memorable. However, the first ‘Baro-Yaari’ puja was celebrated in Kolkata in 1832 by Raja Harinath of Cossimbazar who prior to that would perform the puja at his native home in Murshidabad between 1824 and 1831..
Durga Puja is preceded by Mahalaya, which marks the beginning of Durga’s journey to her home. The actual puja starts from “Maha Sashthi ” or the sixth day where devotees welcome the Goddess with pomp and gusto
Durga Puja 2024 – Know all about the Festival in India
Durga Puja isn’t just a festival; it’s a celebration of Bengali culture, art, culture, and tradition that transforms entire cities into open-air art galleries. The 2024 celebration promises to be unique as many pandals plan to showcase sustainable and eco-friendly decorations.
I’m incredibly excited about the theme pandals this year. Word is that several committees are planning to highlight various social and environmental issues through their artistic presentations. This beautiful blend of tradition and contemporary relevance makes Durga Puja genuinely unique.
Having visited countless pandals over the years, I can tell you that the festival is getting bigger and more spectacular each year. Combining traditional rituals with modern interpretations creates an atmosphere that’s simply magical. Goddess Lakshmi, Goddess Saraswati, Lord Ganesha. And Lord Kartikeya are also worshiped in Durga Puja.
Durga Puja is a famous Hindu festival when Goddess Durga is worshipped, particularly notable in regions like Odisha and Tripura. Durga Puja is also known as Durgotsava. Durgotsava refers to all five days of festivity, and these five days are observed as Shashthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami, and Vijayadashami. In the Indian state of Bihar, the celebration includes unique cultural elements. Dhunuchi dance is a very popular dance performed during Durga Puja. Under the Dhunuchi dance, one dances in front of Goddess Durga carrying burning incense in an earthen Dhunachi in both hands. A traditional musical instrument called Dhak is also used for dance.
