Bengali Calendar - Panjika 1979
The Bengali festival calendar (Panjika). Bengali festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
August 1979
Bangabda 1386
Shrabon – Bhadro
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 1979 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Bengali Calendar lists 36 dates in 1979, 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). October is the fullest month with 7 dates. The year runs through Bangabda 1385 – 1386.
January 1979 Poush – Magh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jan | Sun |
Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) The Bengali harvest festival on the Sun's entry into Makara, with pithe-puli. |
Krishna Pratipada |
February 1979 Magh – Falgun
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Feb | Thu |
Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami)
The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 25 Feb | Sun |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
March 1979 Falgun – Choitro
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Mar | Tue |
Dol Yatra (Holi) The swing festival of Krishna on Phalguna Purnima, Bengal's Holi. |
Shukla Purnima |
April 1979 Choitro – Boishakh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Apr | Wed |
Ashokashtami On Chaitra Shukla Ashtami, Goddess Durga is worshipped and ashoka flower buds are taken to ward off grief. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 5 Apr | Thu |
Basanti Puja The springtime Durga Puja of Chaitra — the original worship of Durga — culminating on Maha Navami. |
Shukla Navami |
| 14 Apr | Sat |
Charak Puja & Gajan On the last day of the Bengali year, devotees of Shiva perform the Gajan austerities and the spinning Charak rite. |
Krishna Dwitiya |
| 15 Apr | Sun |
Poila Boishakh (Bengali New Year) The Bengali solar new year, welcomed with Halkhata, sweets and visits to family and temples. |
Krishna Tritiya |
| 29 Apr | Sun |
Akshay Tritiya Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya, an auspicious day for new ventures and Jagannath's Chandan Yatra. |
Shukla Tritiya |
June 1979 Joishtho – Asharh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jun | Fri |
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 |
| 10 Jun | Sun |
Snana Yatra On Deva Snana Purnima, Lord Jagannath is given a grand ceremonial bath before retiring into seclusion ahead of Rath Yatra. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 26 Jun | Tue |
Ratha Yatra The chariot festival of Lord Jagannath. |
Shukla Dwitiya |
| 30 Jun | Sat | Bipodtarini Vrata Vrat | Shukla Shashthi |
July 1979 Asharh – Shrabon
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Jul | Thu |
Ulto Rath Yatra The return chariot festival (Bahuda Yatra), when Lord Jagannath journeys back to his temple. |
Shukla Dashami |
August 1979 Shrabon – Bhadro
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Aug | Sat |
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 Ekadashi |
| 8 Aug | Wed |
Rakhi Bandhan Sisters tie the rakhi on Shravana Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 15 Aug | Wed |
Janmashtami
The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
| 16 Aug | Thu |
Nandotsav The day after Janmashtami, celebrating Nanda Maharaj's joy at the birth of baby Krishna with sweets and revelry. |
Krishna Navami |
| 17 Aug | Fri |
Manasa Puja
The serpent goddess Manasa is worshipped on the last day of Shravan for protection from snakes and for fertility. |
Krishna Dashami |
| 31 Aug | Fri |
Radhashtami The birth of Radha, Krishna's beloved, celebrated with worship and fasting fifteen days after Janmashtami. |
Shukla Ashtami |
September 1979 Bhadro – Ashshin
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Sep | Mon |
Vishwakarma Puja The divine architect is worshipped as the Sun enters Kanya. |
Krishna Dwadashi |
| 21 Sep | Fri |
Mahalaya The new moon closing Pitru Paksha, when Devi is invoked at dawn. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 27 Sep | Thu |
Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi
Bodhon and Kalparambha — the formal welcome of Goddess Durga that opens the puja. |
Shukla Shashthi |
| 28 Sep | Fri |
Durga Puja — Maha Saptami Nabapatrika is bathed and Goddess Durga is worshipped on the seventh day of the puja. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 29 Sep | Sat |
Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami The grandest day of Durga Puja, with Kumari Puja and the Sandhi Puja at dusk. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 30 Sep | Sun |
Durga Puja — Maha Navami The ninth day of Durga Puja, marked by Navami Homa and the final grand worship. |
Shukla Navami |
October 1979 Ashshin – Kartik
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Oct | Mon |
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 Dashami |
| 5 Oct | Fri |
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 Purnima |
| 19 Oct | Fri |
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 Chaturdashi |
| 20 Oct | Sat |
Kali Puja
On Diwali's new-moon night, Goddess Kali is worshipped through the night across Bengal. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 23 Oct | Tue |
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 |
| 28 Oct | Sun |
Goshthashtami On Kartik Shukla Ashtami, cows and Lord Krishna as Gopala are honoured for their nurture and protection. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 29 Oct | Mon |
Jagaddhatri Puja Goddess Jagaddhatri, a serene form of Durga, is worshipped on Kartik Shukla Navami. |
Shukla Navami |
November 1979 Kartik – Ogrohayon
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Nov | Fri |
Kartik Puja On the last day of the Bengali month of Kartik, Lord Kartikeya is worshipped, especially by families praying for sons. |
Krishna Dwadashi |
| 28 Nov | Wed |
Nabanna The Bengali harvest festival of the new rice in Agrahayan. |
Shukla Navami |
December 1979 Ogrohayon – Poush
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Dec | Sun | Itu Puja (Itur Vrata) Vrat | Krishna Dwadashi |
Months of the Bengali Calendar in 1979
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 1979, covering Bangabda 1385 – 1386. 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 1979 | 14 Jan 1979 | 14 |
| Magh | 15 Jan 1979 | 12 Feb 1979 | 29 |
| Falgun | 13 Feb 1979 | 14 Mar 1979 | 30 |
| Choitro | 15 Mar 1979 | 14 Apr 1979 | 31 |
| Boishakh | 15 Apr 1979 | 14 May 1979 | 30 |
| Joishtho | 15 May 1979 | 15 Jun 1979 | 32 |
| Asharh | 16 Jun 1979 | 16 Jul 1979 | 31 |
| Shrabon | 17 Jul 1979 | 17 Aug 1979 | 32 |
| Bhadro | 18 Aug 1979 | 17 Sep 1979 | 31 |
| Ashshin | 18 Sep 1979 | 17 Oct 1979 | 30 |
| Kartik | 18 Oct 1979 | 16 Nov 1979 | 30 |
| Ogrohayon | 17 Nov 1979 | 16 Dec 1979 | 30 |
| Poush part | 17 Dec 1979 | 31 Dec 1979 | 15 |
What happened in the sky in 1979
Beyond the dates the Bengali Calendar lists, 1979 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 2 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami) fell on 1 February, 10 days earlier in the year than in 1978 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1979
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Bengali date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Feb 10:24 PM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) 1 day after Maha Shivaratri | Falgun Amavasya | Not visible |
| 14 Mar 2:38 AM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 1 day after Dol Yatra (Holi) | Falgun Krishna Pratipada | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 22 Aug 10:51 PM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Bhadro Amavasya | Not visible |
| 6 Sep 4:24 PM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Bhadro Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these.
Guru and Shani in 1979
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Aug 7:20 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Karka → Simha |
| 4 Nov 1:20 AM | Shani (Saturn) | Simha → Kanya |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Bengali Calendar 1979
How many festivals and vrats does the Bengali Calendar list in 1979?
The Bengali Calendar lists 36 dates in 1979, of which 2 are vrats. The first is Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) on Sunday, 14 January 1979, and the last is Itu Puja (Itur Vrata) on Sunday, 16 December 1979.
What are the main festival dates in the Bengali Calendar for 1979?
The first major observances of 1979 are:
- Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) - Sunday, 14 January 1979
- Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami) - Thursday, 1 February 1979
- Maha Shivaratri - Sunday, 25 February 1979
- Dol Yatra (Holi) - Tuesday, 13 March 1979
- Ashokashtami - Wednesday, 4 April 1979
- Basanti Puja - Thursday, 5 April 1979
Which month of 1979 has the most observances in the Bengali Calendar?
October 1979 is the fullest month with 7 dates, including Bijoya Dashami (Sindur Khela), Kojagari Lakshmi Puja, Bhoot Chaturdashi, Kali Puja, Bhai Phota, Goshthashtami, Jagaddhatri Puja.
Which traditional year does 1979 correspond to in the Bengali Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1979 spans Bangabda 1385 – 1386. 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 1979 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 1979 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 1979?
1979 had 4 eclipses:
- 26 February 1979 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 14 March 1979 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 22 August 1979 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 6 September 1979 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
Sutak Kaal is observed only for an eclipse actually visible where you are, so 2 of these were kept in India.
Did Guru or Shani change sign in 1979?
Yes - 2 sign changes among the slow grahas in 1979:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Simha on 29 August 1979
- Shani (Saturn) entered Kanya on 4 November 1979
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 1979?
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.
