Durga Puja in India in 2024

Durga Puja in India in 2024
  How long until Durga Puja?
Durga Puja
  Dates of Durga Puja in India
2025 Oct 2
AssamThu, Oct 2Regional Holiday
OdishaThu, Oct 2Regional Holiday
RajasthanThu, Oct 2Regional Holiday
SikkimThu, Oct 2Regional Holiday
SikkimThu, Oct 2Regional Holiday
TelanganaThu, Oct 2Regional Holiday
TripuraThu, Oct 2Regional Holiday
West BengalThu, Oct 2Regional Holiday
2024 Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14, Oct 15
TripuraTue, Oct 15Regional Holiday (additional day)
SikkimMon, Oct 14Regional Holiday (additional day)
TripuraMon, Oct 14Regional Holiday (additional day)
Andhra PradeshSun, Oct 13Regional Holiday
OdishaSun, Oct 13Regional Holiday
SikkimSun, Oct 13Regional Holiday
TelanganaSun, Oct 13Regional Holiday
TripuraSun, Oct 13Regional Holiday
AssamSat, Oct 12Regional Holiday
BiharSat, Oct 12Regional Holiday
OdishaSat, Oct 12Regional Holiday
RajasthanSat, Oct 12Regional Holiday
SikkimSat, Oct 12Regional Holiday
TelanganaSat, Oct 12Regional Holiday
West BengalSat, Oct 12Regional Holiday
2023 Oct 24, Oct 25, Oct 26, Oct 27
TripuraFri, Oct 27Regional Holiday (additional day)
TripuraThu, Oct 26Regional Holiday (additional day)
TelanganaWed, Oct 25Regional Holiday
TripuraWed, Oct 25Regional Holiday (additional day)
Andhra PradeshTue, Oct 24Regional Holiday
AssamTue, Oct 24Regional Holiday
OdishaTue, Oct 24Regional Holiday
RajasthanTue, Oct 24Regional Holiday
SikkimTue, Oct 24Regional Holiday
TelanganaTue, Oct 24Regional Holiday
TripuraTue, Oct 24Regional Holiday
West BengalTue, Oct 24Regional Holiday
2022 Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6
TelanganaThu, Oct 6Regional Holiday (additional day)
RajasthanWed, Oct 5Regional Holiday
TelanganaWed, Oct 5Regional Holiday
TripuraWed, Oct 5Regional Holiday
West BengalWed, Oct 5Regional Holiday
SikkimTue, Oct 4Regional Holiday
TripuraTue, Oct 4Regional Holiday
2021 Oct 15, Oct 16
TelanganaSat, Oct 16Regional Holiday (additional day)
AssamFri, Oct 15Regional Holiday
BiharFri, Oct 15Regional Holiday
RajasthanFri, Oct 15Regional Holiday
SikkimFri, Oct 15Regional Holiday
SikkimFri, Oct 15Regional Holiday
TelanganaFri, Oct 15Regional Holiday
TripuraFri, Oct 15Regional Holiday
West BengalFri, Oct 15Regional Holiday
  Summary

Durga Puja is one of the largest Hindu festivals that involves worship of Goddess Durga symbolising power and triumph of good over evil in Hindu mythology.

  Durga Puja in other countries
Durga Puja internationally
  Which regions observe Durga Puja in 2024?
National Holiday Regional Holiday Not a public holiday Govt Holiday
  AssamOct 12
  BiharOct 12
  OdishaOct 12, Oct 13
  SikkimOct 12, Oct 13
  TelanganaOct 12, Oct 13
  TripuraOct 13

When is Durga Puja?

In India, Durga Puja is a public holiday in several states. The names and dates may differ and some states observe holidays related to the festivals of Dussehra and Navrati which are celebrated on similar dates.

To complicate matters, in some regions the tenth day of both Durga Puja and Dussehra is known as Vijaya Dasami.

Durga Puja, also known as Durgotsava or Mahashtami, is a Hindu festival in South Asia that celebrates the worship of the goddess Durga.

Durga Puja celebrates the ten-armed mother goddess and her victory over the evil buffalo demon Mahishasura.

While celebrated across India, In West Bengal, Assam and Tripura, it is the biggest festival of the year and the most significant cultural event in Bengali Hindu society.

The world was under threat from the evil buffalo demon Mahishasura, that no man or god could defeat. To vanquish the demon, Durga emerged from the collective energies of all the gods. Each of her ten arms brandished the deadliest weapon of each god. Durga was the mother to four gods, Kartikeya, Ganesha, Saraswati, and Lakshmi.

To Hindus, Durga represents the embodiment of shakti, the powerful feminine force that governs all cosmic creation, existence, and change.

Before his battle with Ravana, Lord Rama invoked the goddess and her victory over the buffalo-demon, which ties the festivals of Durga Puja and Dussehra closely together.

Key days during Durga Puja

The rituals of Durga Puja last ten days with the start and the last four days being special festivals that are reflected in public holidays in some states in India.

Mahalaya

Mahalaya marks the start of the Durga Puja festival. On this day, the goddess Durga is believed to have descended to Earth and large, elaborately crafted statutes of Durga are set up in homes and decorated podiums, called Pandals.

Maha Saptami

On the seventh day (saptami) of Durga Puja, the goddess started her epic battle against Mahishasura.

Durgastami

Known as Durgashtami, Mahashtami or Durga Ashtami, this is the eighth day of Durga Puja celebrations. Durgastami is one of the important days of Durga Puja and many people may fast on this day. The weapons of the gods used by Durga are worshipped today.

Vijaya Dashami

Also known as Dashain or Tenth day of Navratri or Durgotsav, Vijaya Dashami commemorates the day that Durga appeared riding a lion to slay the Mahisasura. Statutes of Durga are paraded through the streets, then immersed in water.

Durga Puja in Kolkata

In December 2021, UNESCO added Durga Puja to its "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity" list. The decision was taken during the sixteenth session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Prime Minister Modi, reacting to the development called it "A matter of great pride and joy for every Indian." 

Durga Puja becomes the first festival in Asia to receive the UNESCO heritage tag.


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