Durga Puja 2026 in Kolkata: pandal hopping guide

Durga Puja 2026 dates in Kolkata

Durga Puja 2026 in Kolkata runs from Mahalaya on Saturday 10 October to Bijoya Dashami on Wednesday 21 October. By the Gupta Press and Benimadhab Sil panjikas the main days are Shashthi, Friday 16 October; Saptami, Saturday 17 and Sunday 18; Ashtami, Monday 19; Navami, Tuesday 20; and Dashami, Wednesday 21. Bishuddha Siddhanta, Drik Panchang and Belur Math count Saturday 17 as a second Shashthi, and the West Bengal government holiday list differs on 15 to 17 October.

These are the day names Pujo Passport prints on its stamps: Prothoma (প্রথমা) Sun 11 Oct, Dwitiya (দ্বিতীয়া) Mon 12, Tritiya (তৃতীয়া) Tue 13, Chaturthi (চতুর্থী) Wed 14, Panchami (পঞ্চমী) Thu 15, Shashthi (ষষ্ঠী) Fri 16, Saptami (সপ্তমী) Sat 17 and Sun 18, Ashtami (অষ্টমী) Mon 19, Navami (নবমী) Tue 20 and Dashami (দশমী) Wed 21. The two Saptami stamps share the Saptami design and differ only in the date printed on them.

Kumari Puja and Sandhi Puja are both on Ashtami, Monday 19 October. Drik Panchang gives the Sandhi Puja time in Kolkata as 10:27 to 11:15 am. The Bishuddha Siddhanta panjika and Belur Math give 10:28 to 11:16 am, and Belur Math holds Kumari Puja at 9:00 am. Pujas that follow the Gupta Press panjika hold Sandhi Puja earlier, from 7:25 to 8:13 am (often printed as 7:26 to 8:14 am), and finish anjali by 7:03 am. Times depend on the panjika, so check with the puja you plan to visit.

Navami is Tuesday 20 October in the government list, in Drik Panchang's Kolkata calendar, in every Bengal panjika and at Belur Math. Dussehra, the all-India holiday, falls on the same day. Those calendars put Bijoya Dashami, Sindoor Khela and the immersion (bisarjan) on Wednesday 21 October. This year the Navami tithi starts on Monday morning and the Dashami tithi at about 12:50 pm on Tuesday, so some puja schedules hold Navami rites on Monday 19 and start darpan bisarjan and Sindoor Khela on Tuesday afternoon. Asianet News Bangla gives a window from 12:50 pm on Tuesday 20 to 2:11 pm on Wednesday 21. Ask the puja you plan to visit.

Sources: the West Bengal Finance (Audit) Department holiday list for 2026 (Notification No. 4188-F(P2), 27 November 2025); Drik Panchang for Kolkata; the Bishuddha Siddhanta and Gupta Press panjikas as published by Anandabazar Patrika; the Benimadhab Sil panjika; Belur Math's Sri Sri Durga Puja 2026 programme; Ei Samay, TV9 Bangla and AajTak Bangla (1 and 15 October 2026); Asianet News Bangla (29 September 2026); and the Government of India's 2026 holiday list (DoPT, 3 July 2025).

Why Saptami is on two days, and why calendars disagree

Every calendar agrees that Monday 19 October is Ashtami, Tuesday 20 Navami and Wednesday 21 Dashami. Every panjika and Drik Panchang also make Thursday 15 Panchami and Friday 16 Shashthi. They differ on Saturday 17, and the West Bengal government holiday list differs on 15 to 17 October.

In the Gupta Press and Benimadhab Sil panjikas the Saptami tithi is running at sunrise on two days. It begins at 3:45 am on Saturday 17 by Gupta Press (3:47 am by Benimadhab Sil) and ends at 5:52 am on Sunday 18 (5:53 am by Benimadhab Sil). These panjikas hold the Navapatrika (Kola Bou) bath and the Saptami puja on Saturday morning. Bengali media, among them Ei Samay, TV9 Bangla, AajTak Bangla, Asianet News Bangla and Bartaman, report two days of Saptami under the old (prachin) panjikas.

Bishuddha Siddhanta, Drik Panchang (Kolkata) and Belur Math count these days differently. For them Shashthi is on two days, Friday 16 and Saturday 17, and Saptami is Sunday 18 only. Shashthi ends at 5:55 am on Saturday 17 by Bishuddha Siddhanta (5:54 am by Drik Panchang), and Saptami runs until 8:29 am on Sunday 18 (8:27 am by Drik Panchang). In these the Navapatrika bath is on Sunday 18. Belur Math's programme calls Saturday 17 'Shashthi (Additional Puja)'.

Friday 16 October is Shashthi in every panjika and almanac. Bishuddha Siddhanta, Gupta Press, Benimadhab Sil and Belur Math hold Kalparambha that morning and the Bodhon, with Amantran and Adhivas, that evening; Belur Math has Kalparambha at 6:00 am and Bodhon at 6:15 pm. Drik Panchang lists Bilva Nimantran on Friday 16, and Kalparambha and Akal Bodhon on Saturday 17.

The West Bengal government holiday list for 2026 has Maha Chaturthi on Thursday 15, Maha Panchami on Friday 16, Maha Shashthi on Saturday 17 and Maha Saptami on Sunday 18. From Maha Ashtami on Monday 19 it agrees with the panjikas.

Pujo Passport prints Panchami on Thursday 15, Shashthi on Friday 16 and Saptami on both Saturday 17 and Sunday 18, as the Gupta Press and Benimadhab Sil panjikas count them. At a puja that follows Bishuddha Siddhanta or Belur Math, Saturday 17 is a second Shashthi and the Navapatrika bath is on Sunday 18. The two Saptami stamps differ only in the date printed on them. The day name on a stamp is a label for the date. It is not a ritual time.

Plan a pandal-hopping night by zone

Pujo Passport lists 388 Durga Puja pandals in Kolkata and Howrah, grouped into five zones. That is the app's list, not a count of every puja in the city. The full list, with Bengali names, is on the pandal list.

North Kolkata (উত্তর কলকাতা) has 89 pandals, from Kumartuli, Bagbazar and Shobhabazar through Shyambazar, Hatibagan, Simla, Tala and Paikpara to Dum Dum Park. Central Kolkata (মধ্য কলকাতা) has 56, mostly in Ultadanga, Kankurgachi, Beleghata, College Street, Sealdah, Thanthania and Tangra. South Kolkata (দক্ষিণ কলকাতা) has 195, more than any other zone, including Behala, Bhowanipore, Kalighat, Kidderpore, Barisha, Kasba, Haridevpur and Ballygunge.

The Salt Lake & Lake Town zone (east) has 33: 18 Salt Lake block pujas, plus pujas in Baguiati, Kestopur, Lake Town, Sreebhumi, Golaghata, Patipukur and New Town. Howrah (হাওড়া) has 15, in Salkia, Kadamtala, Shibpur, Bantra, Dasnagar, Bally, Ichapur and Andul.

Pick one zone, or one trail, for a night. The app works out walking times from the straight-line distance between pins, multiplied by 1.3 for winding streets, at a crowd pace of 3.5 km/h, plus 15 minutes at each pandal. On that basis the North heritage walk, 8 pandals over about 3.7 km, takes about 3 hours before any queues.

Bonedi baris: the family pujas

A bonedi bari puja is a heritage family puja, usually held in the family's house. A sarbojanin puja is a community puja run by a neighbourhood club or committee. Pujo Passport lists 26 bonedi bari pujas: 11 in North Kolkata, 8 in Central Kolkata, 6 in South Kolkata and 1 in Howrah. None are listed in Salt Lake or Lake Town.

North Kolkata: Shobhabazar Rajbari (Boro Taraf), Shobhabazar Rajbari (Choto Taraf), Darjipara Mitra Bari, Chhatu Babu–Latu Babu Bari (Ramdulal Nivas), Shibkrishna Daw Bari (Jorasanko), Narasingha Daw Bari, Hatkhola Dutta Bari, Khelat Ghosh Bari (Pathuriaghata), Bagbazar Haldar Bari, Baishnab Das Mallick Bari (Jorabagan) and Maniktala Saha Bari.

Central Kolkata: Chorbagan Mitra Bari, Laha Bari (Thanthania), Thanthania Dutta Bari, Thanthania Chandra Bari, Badan Chandra Roy Bari, Purna Chandra Dhar Bari, Rani Rashmoni Bari (Janbazar) and Ramgopal Saha Bari.

South Kolkata: Mallick Bari (Bhowanipore), Bhowanipore Mitra Bari, Bhowanipore Dey Bari, Sabarna Roy Choudhury Atchala (Barisha), Sabarna Roy Choudhury Boro Bari (Barisha) and Bhukailash Rajbari.

Howrah: Shibpur Raychowdhury Bari. One older listing puts it at 46A/11 Shibpur Road, and its map pin is rough.

Three trails visit only family pujas: Bonedi baris: Bagbazar to Hatkhola (BNDNTH, 8 houses), Bonedi baris: Chorbagan to Janbazar (BNDCTL, 7 houses) and Bonedi highlights: Shobhabazar to Thanthania (BNDBAR, 8 houses). Barisha and the Sabarna houses (BRSHA2) takes in the two Sabarna Roy Choudhury houses, and the Kidderpore trail (KDRPR2) starts at the Bhukailash Rajbari. The Laha Bari puja moves between branches of the Laha family, so confirm this year's house before you go. Stamps at 3 different family pujas earn the Bonedi Bari badge.

Walking the 36 recommended trails

Pujo Passport has 36 recommended walking trails, filed by zone: 10 under North Kolkata, 4 under Central Kolkata, 17 under South Kolkata and 5 under Salt Lake & Lake Town. Two of the North trails, Jorasanko and Pathuriaghata and Bonedi highlights, end in Central Kolkata, at Chorbagan and Thanthania. There is no Howrah trail yet. Each trail has 4 to 9 pandals over about 1.2 to 4.7 km, with the stops in the shortest walking order. Between them they cover 228 of the 388 pandals.

Some examples. The North heritage walk (NHWALK) starts in Kumartuli, where the idols are made, and takes in Bagbazar, the Shobhabazar Rajbari and Ahiritola by the river. Hatibagan and Shyambazar (HTBGN2) covers the pujas from Nalin Sarkar Street to Kashi Bose Lane and Simla. College Street to Sealdah (CLGSQ2) takes in College Square, Md Ali Park and Santosh Mitra Square. Ballygunge and Gariahat (BLYGRH) has 8 pujas over about 3 km, including Deshapriya Park, Ekdalia Evergreen and Singhi Park. Sreebhumi and Lake Town (LKTWN3) has 4 pujas over about 2.4 km.

Once you sign in, the trails are on Routes: you can filter them by zone, and if you share your location the closest trails come first. The map draws the stops in order with straight lines. Each stop has a Directions button, and Walk it in Google Maps opens the walk in legs of up to 5 stops. Near you now builds a route through up to 8 pandals within 3 km that you have not stamped today. You can also make your own route of 2 to 25 stops and share it by link; anyone with the link sees its name and how many stops it has, and once signed in they see the stops and can save a copy.

Crowds, queues and the metro

The app's trail times assume a crowd pace of 3.5 km/h and 15 minutes at each pandal without a big queue. Big queues take longer, and the trail pages say so.

The hype score on the map shows where people are stamping. It counts every stamp at a pandal, gives extra weight to the last few hours, and scales the result from 0 to 100 against the pandal with the highest score at that moment: Quiet, Warming up, Buzzing or On fire. It measures stamps in the app, not the size of the crowd.

Metro: on 8 October 2026 Metro Railway Kolkata announced special Puja services (reported by PTI via ThePrint). From Saptami to Navami, 17 to 20 October, the Blue Line is due to run from 1 pm until about 4 am the next morning and the Green Line from 1:30 pm until about 4 am. The Yellow and Purple lines run afternoons and evenings only, and the Orange Line has no service from 17 to 21 October. On Dashami, 21 October, the Blue and Green lines run from the afternoon until about 10:30 pm. On 15 and 16 October the Blue and Green lines keep daytime hours, about 6 am to 11 pm. Check Metro Railway Kolkata's own notices before you plan around a late train. Each pandal page, the map and each trail name the nearest open Metro station and the walk to it; Pujo Passport does not include metro timings or plan metro journeys.

How Pujo Passport stamps work

Pujo Passport is a free web app. Open it at a pandal, sign in with Google, and tap Stamp when your phone's GPS puts you within about 150 m of the pin. Where a pin is less certain, the circle is wider: 200 m or 400 m.

Stamps open at 5 am on Prothoma, Sunday 11 October, and close at 5 am on Thursday 22 October, the end of Dashami night. A Puja day runs from 5 am to 5 am IST, so a 2 am stamp counts for the night you went out.

You can collect one stamp per pandal per day. Come back on another day and you get another stamp; every stamp counts as a visit on the leaderboards. Each Puja day name has its own stamp design, from a shiuli flower on Prothoma to a bisarjan boat on Dashami, and both Saptami dates get the Saptami design. Stamps print in English, Bengali or Hindi, whichever you choose. All ten designs are on the stamps page.

Stamps unlock 20 badges. Among them are Char Raat (stamps on Shashthi, Saptami, Ashtami and Navami), Dosh Din (a stamp on each of the ten day names from Prothoma to Dashami; either Saptami date counts), Ashtami Anjali (a stamp between 6 am and noon on Ashtami), Opar Ganga (3 stamps in Howrah) and Dol Bendhe (3 together stamps with your crew: you and a crewmate at the same pandal within 15 minutes). Leaderboards rank the city, today, each zone and your crew. Your passport is a page you can share as a link or as a story image.

Collecting a stamp may show a short ad first. If an ad is ready, you tap Watch ad and the stamp lands when it finishes; choosing Not now means no stamp that time. If no ad loads within a few seconds, you get the stamp anyway.

Privacy and fair play

Pujo Passport keeps your Google name, email and photo from sign-in. Leaderboards show the name you pick and your photo, never your email. If you add a phone number, gender or locality on your account page, they are optional and never shown to other players: the phone is looked up only to reach you about a prize or your account if email doesn't work, and gender and locality are used only in anonymous totals, to plan next year. For each stamp it keeps the pandal, the time and the GPS position your phone reported, and uses that position only to check you were there. Location is read only while the app is open on your screen. Favourite routes (the heart) are kept only in your phone's browser, never sent to us. Google Analytics, the same as on seekolabs.tech, counts page visits and actions such as stamps, shares and installs, and sets cookies. It gets each page's address, so a public passport is counted under its link, which shows the handle, but never your name, email or location; a stamp is reported only by its zone, type and day, and whether it was a repeat visit or a together stamp. Pages may also show ads from Google AdSense, which use cookies to show ads based on your visits to this and other sites; the ads never get your GPS position.

Your public passport shows which pandals you visited and on which day, but never the time and never your location. Other people see each new pandal, day and badge as soon as you stamp, along with your visit and pandal counts and your rank on the leaderboards, so share your passport link only with people you're happy to know where you've been. If someone in one of your crews stamps the same pandal within 15 minutes of you, the app tells them you're there too (a together stamp). You can delete your account from your account page at any time.

Fair play: stamps must be at least a minute apart, and you cannot jump across the city faster than a car could. The limit is 40 stamps per Puja day. Using a fake-GPS app gets you removed from the leaderboards. The full rules, including analytics and ads, are on the rules page.

What Pujo Passport is not, and missing pandals

Pujo Passport is not an entry pass or a VIP pass, and it gives no priority entry at any pandal. It does not cover puja awards, opening times or idols, and a pandal's theme appears on its map card only where the team has added one. Check those with the puja committee or an official source.

Pandal pins come from OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, published pandal directories and shared Google Maps lists. 24 of the 388 pins are rough, and big pandals can move within their ground from one year to the next.

During the Puja days, if you are at a puja that is not listed, add it from the app where you are standing and collect your stamp. Your GPS needs to be accurate to about 60 m, and each person can add up to 3. The new pandal goes on the map at your position and counts on the leaderboards once 3 different people have stamped it.

Questions people ask