Bengali Calendar - Panjika 1971
The Bengali festival calendar (Panjika). Bengali festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
October 1971
Bangabda 1378
Ashshin – Kartik
Timings shown for New Delhi (IST) at sunrise - use the city box at the top to change it. Solar months begin by each tradition's own Sankranti rule (same-day, next-day, sunset or aparahna). Era years and lunar month names follow standard Vedic calculations and may differ slightly from regional almanacs around an Adhik Maas.
Bengali Calendar 1971 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Bengali Calendar lists 36 dates in 1971, opening with Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) on 14 January and closing with Itu Puja (Itur Vrata) on 16 December. Of these, 2 are vrats (fasting observances). September is the fullest month with 7 dates. The year runs through Bangabda 1377 – 1378.
January 1971 Poush – Magh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jan | Thu |
Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) The Bengali harvest festival on the Sun's entry into Makara, with pithe-puli. |
Krishna Tritiya |
| 31 Jan | Sun |
Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami)
The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
February 1971 Magh – Falgun
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Feb | Tue |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
March 1971 Falgun – Choitro
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Mar | Thu |
Dol Yatra (Holi) The swing festival of Krishna on Phalguna Purnima, Bengal's Holi. |
Shukla Purnima |
April 1971 Choitro – Boishakh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Apr | Sat |
Ashokashtami On Chaitra Shukla Ashtami, Goddess Durga is worshipped and ashoka flower buds are taken to ward off grief. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 3 Apr | Sat |
Basanti Puja The springtime Durga Puja of Chaitra — the original worship of Durga — culminating on Maha Navami. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 14 Apr | Wed |
Charak Puja & Gajan On the last day of the Bengali year, devotees of Shiva perform the Gajan austerities and the spinning Charak rite. |
Krishna Tritiya |
| 15 Apr | Thu |
Poila Boishakh (Bengali New Year) The Bengali solar new year, welcomed with Halkhata, sweets and visits to family and temples. |
Krishna Chaturthi |
| 27 Apr | Tue |
Akshay Tritiya Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya, an auspicious day for new ventures and Jagannath's Chandan Yatra. |
Shukla Tritiya |
May 1971 Boishakh – Joishtho
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 May | Sun |
Jamai Sasthi
Mothers-in-law worship Goddess Sasthi and honour their sons-in-law (jamai) with a grand feast, on Jyeshtha Shukla Shashthi. |
Shukla Shashthi |
June 1971 Joishtho – Asharh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Jun | Wed |
Snana Yatra On Deva Snana Purnima, Lord Jagannath is given a grand ceremonial bath before retiring into seclusion ahead of Rath Yatra. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 24 Jun | Thu |
Ratha Yatra The chariot festival of Lord Jagannath. |
Shukla Dwitiya |
| 26 Jun | Sat | Bipodtarini Vrata Vrat | Shukla Chaturthi |
July 1971 Asharh – Shrabon
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Jul | Sat |
Ulto Rath Yatra The return chariot festival (Bahuda Yatra), when Lord Jagannath journeys back to his temple. |
Shukla Dashami |
August 1971 Shrabon – Bhadro
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Aug | Mon |
Jhulan Yatra (Hindola) Begins The swing festival of Radha and Krishna — beautifully decorated swings are rocked through to Jhulan Purnima; in Gujarat temples the same hindola (swing) darshan is held. |
Shukla Dashami |
| 6 Aug | Fri |
Rakhi Bandhan Sisters tie the rakhi on Shravana Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 13 Aug | Fri |
Janmashtami
The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
| 14 Aug | Sat |
Nandotsav The day after Janmashtami, celebrating Nanda Maharaj's joy at the birth of baby Krishna with sweets and revelry. |
Krishna Navami |
| 17 Aug | Tue |
Manasa Puja
The serpent goddess Manasa is worshipped on the last day of Shravan for protection from snakes and for fertility. |
Krishna Dwadashi |
| 29 Aug | Sun |
Radhashtami The birth of Radha, Krishna's beloved, celebrated with worship and fasting fifteen days after Janmashtami. |
Shukla Ashtami |
September 1971 Bhadro – Ashshin
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Sep | Fri |
Vishwakarma Puja The divine architect is worshipped as the Sun enters Kanya. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
| 19 Sep | Sun |
Mahalaya The new moon closing Pitru Paksha, when Devi is invoked at dawn. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 25 Sep | Sat |
Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi
Bodhon and Kalparambha — the formal welcome of Goddess Durga that opens the puja. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 27 Sep | Mon |
Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami The grandest day of Durga Puja, with Kumari Puja and the Sandhi Puja at dusk. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 27 Sep | Mon |
Durga Puja — Maha Saptami Nabapatrika is bathed and Goddess Durga is worshipped on the seventh day of the puja. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 28 Sep | Tue |
Durga Puja — Maha Navami The ninth day of Durga Puja, marked by Navami Homa and the final grand worship. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 29 Sep | Wed |
Bijoya Dashami (Sindur Khela) The tenth and final day of Durga Puja — married women smear one another with vermilion in Sindur Khela before the idols are carried out for immersion (Bisarjan). |
Shukla Navami |
October 1971 Ashshin – Kartik
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Oct | Sun |
Kojagari Lakshmi Puja
On the Sharad Purnima night, Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped through a vigil for prosperity; in Rajasthan, Jodhpur keeps the night with the Marwar Festival of folk music and dance. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 17 Oct | Sun |
Bhoot Chaturdashi On the eve of Kali Puja, fourteen lamps are lit and fourteen leafy greens eaten to honour ancestors and ward off evil spirits. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
| 18 Oct | Mon |
Kali Puja
On Diwali's new-moon night, Goddess Kali is worshipped through the night across Bengal. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 21 Oct | Thu |
Bhai Phota The Bengali brother–sister festival on Kartik Shukla Dwitiya — sisters place a sandalwood phota (tilak) on their brothers' foreheads and pray for their long life. |
Shukla Dwitiya |
| 27 Oct | Wed |
Goshthashtami On Kartik Shukla Ashtami, cows and Lord Krishna as Gopala are honoured for their nurture and protection. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 28 Oct | Thu |
Jagaddhatri Puja Goddess Jagaddhatri, a serene form of Durga, is worshipped on Kartik Shukla Navami. |
Shukla Navami |
November 1971 Kartik – Ogrohayon
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Nov | Tue |
Kartik Puja On the last day of the Bengali month of Kartik, Lord Kartikeya is worshipped, especially by families praying for sons. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 27 Nov | Sat |
Nabanna The Bengali harvest festival of the new rice in Agrahayan. |
Shukla Navami |
December 1971 Ogrohayon – Poush
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Dec | Thu | Itu Puja (Itur Vrata) Vrat | Krishna Chaturdashi |
Months of the Bengali Calendar in 1971
The Bengali Calendar does not begin its year on 1 January, so each of its months straddles two Gregorian ones. These are the months that ran through 1971, covering Bangabda 1377 – 1378. A month marked part is one the Gregorian year cuts short at its own start or end.
| Month | Begins | Ends | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poush part | 1 Jan 1971 | 14 Jan 1971 | 14 |
| Magh | 15 Jan 1971 | 12 Feb 1971 | 29 |
| Falgun | 13 Feb 1971 | 14 Mar 1971 | 30 |
| Choitro | 15 Mar 1971 | 14 Apr 1971 | 31 |
| Boishakh | 15 Apr 1971 | 14 May 1971 | 30 |
| Joishtho | 15 May 1971 | 15 Jun 1971 | 32 |
| Asharh | 16 Jun 1971 | 16 Jul 1971 | 31 |
| Shrabon | 17 Jul 1971 | 17 Aug 1971 | 32 |
| Bhadro | 18 Aug 1971 | 16 Sep 1971 | 30 |
| Ashshin | 17 Sep 1971 | 17 Oct 1971 | 31 |
| Kartik | 18 Oct 1971 | 16 Nov 1971 | 30 |
| Ogrohayon | 17 Nov 1971 | 16 Dec 1971 | 30 |
| Poush part | 17 Dec 1971 | 31 Dec 1971 | 15 |
What happened in the sky in 1971
Beyond the dates the Bengali Calendar lists, 1971 brought 5 eclipses - 3 solar and 2 lunar - of which 1 was above the horizon somewhere in India. Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami) fell on 31 January, 10 days earlier in the year than in 1970 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1971
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Bengali date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Feb 1:14 PM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Magh Purnima | Not visible |
| 25 Feb 3:07 PM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) 2 days after Maha Shivaratri | Falgun Amavasya | Not visible |
| 22 Jul 3:01 PM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Shrabon Amavasya | Not visible |
| 7 Aug 1:13 AM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 1 day after Rakhi Bandhan | Shrabon Krishna Pratipada | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 21 Aug 4:08 AM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Bhadro Shukla Pratipada | Not visible |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 1 of these.
Guru and Shani in 1971
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 28 Apr 10:30 AM | Shani (Saturn) | Mesha → Vrishabha |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Makara on 17 February 1971, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Bengali Calendar 1971
How many festivals and vrats does the Bengali Calendar list in 1971?
The Bengali Calendar lists 36 dates in 1971, of which 2 are vrats. The first is Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) on Thursday, 14 January 1971, and the last is Itu Puja (Itur Vrata) on Thursday, 16 December 1971.
What are the main festival dates in the Bengali Calendar for 1971?
The first major observances of 1971 are:
- Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) - Thursday, 14 January 1971
- Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami) - Sunday, 31 January 1971
- Maha Shivaratri - Tuesday, 23 February 1971
- Dol Yatra (Holi) - Thursday, 11 March 1971
- Ashokashtami - Saturday, 3 April 1971
- Basanti Puja - Saturday, 3 April 1971
Which month of 1971 has the most observances in the Bengali Calendar?
September 1971 is the fullest month with 7 dates, including Vishwakarma Puja, Mahalaya, Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi, Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami, Durga Puja — Maha Saptami, Durga Puja — Maha Navami, Bijoya Dashami (Sindur Khela).
Which traditional year does 1971 correspond to in the Bengali Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1971 spans Bangabda 1377 – 1378. The traditional year does not begin on 1 January, so one Gregorian year usually covers the end of one era year and the start of the next.
Did 1971 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 1971 had twelve lunar months with no Adhik Maas, so its festival dates fall in their usual Gregorian window rather than being pushed later by an intercalary month.
Were there any eclipses in 1971?
1971 had 5 eclipses:
- 10 February 1971 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India
- 25 February 1971 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 22 July 1971 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 7 August 1971 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 21 August 1971 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
Sutak Kaal is observed only for an eclipse actually visible where you are, so 1 of these was kept in India.
Did Guru or Shani change sign in 1971?
Yes - 1 sign change among the slow grahas in 1971:
- Shani (Saturn) entered Vrishabha on 28 April 1971
Jupiter takes about a year to cross one sign and Saturn about two and a half, so these transits colour the whole year rather than a single week.
How do I see the tithi and nakshatra for a specific date in 1971?
Use the month grid above: pick a month from the selector, then tap any day to open its full panchang - tithi with start and end times, nakshatra, yoga, karana, sunrise and sunset, and the inauspicious periods (Rahu Kalam, Yamaganda, Gulika Kalam). Set your city in the box at the top first, because these timings are sunrise-based and shift with location. The Bengali Calendar - Panjika opens on the current month.
About the Bengali Calendar - Panjika
The Bengali festival calendar (Panjika). Bengali festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
Each day lists its tithi and paksha, the nakshatra, the weekday (vaar) and any festivals or vrats. Tap any day to see the full panchang for that date - tithi start and end times, nakshatra, yoga, karana, sunrise and sunset, and the inauspicious periods (Rahu Kalam, Yamaganda, Gulika Kalam). Use the month and year selectors to browse any year in the archive or plan ahead into the coming years.
This calendar names the tithi and festivals for each day. For sunrise, Rahu Kalam and muhurat windows on a chosen date, open the Panchang. Other regional calendars are on the Calendars index. Fast stories live under Vrat Katha.
