Bengali Calendar - Panjika 1981
The Bengali festival calendar (Panjika). Bengali festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
May 1981
Bangabda 1388
Boishakh – Joishtho
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 1981 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Bengali Calendar lists 37 dates in 1981, opening with Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) on 14 January and closing with Itu Puja (Itur Vrata) on 15 December. Of these, 2 are vrats (fasting observances). October is the fullest month with 9 dates. The year runs through Bangabda 1387 – 1388.
January 1981 Poush – Magh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jan | Wed |
Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) The Bengali harvest festival on the Sun's entry into Makara, with pithe-puli. |
Shukla Navami |
February 1981 Magh – Falgun
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Feb | Mon |
Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami)
The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
March 1981 Falgun – Choitro
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Mar | Wed |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
| 20 Mar | Fri |
Dol Yatra (Holi) The swing festival of Krishna on Phalguna Purnima, Bengal's Holi. |
Shukla Purnima |
April 1981 Choitro – Boishakh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Apr | Sat |
Ashokashtami On Chaitra Shukla Ashtami, Goddess Durga is worshipped and ashoka flower buds are taken to ward off grief. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 12 Apr | Sun |
Basanti Puja The springtime Durga Puja of Chaitra — the original worship of Durga — culminating on Maha Navami. |
Shukla Navami |
| 13 Apr | Mon |
Charak Puja & Gajan On the last day of the Bengali year, devotees of Shiva perform the Gajan austerities and the spinning Charak rite. |
Shukla Dashami |
| 14 Apr | Tue |
Poila Boishakh (Bengali New Year) The Bengali solar new year, welcomed with Halkhata, sweets and visits to family and temples. |
Shukla Ekadashi |
| 15 Apr | Wed |
Poila Boisakh (Bengali New Year) The Bengali solar new year, the day after the Sun's entry into Mesha. |
Shukla Dwadashi |
May 1981 Boishakh – Joishtho
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 May | Wed |
Akshay Tritiya Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya, an auspicious day for new ventures and Jagannath's Chandan Yatra. |
Shukla Tritiya |
June 1981 Joishtho – Asharh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Jun | 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 |
| 17 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 |
July 1981 Asharh – Shrabon
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Jul | Fri |
Ratha Yatra The chariot festival of Lord Jagannath. |
Shukla Dwitiya |
| 4 Jul | Sat | Bipodtarini Vrata Vrat | Shukla Tritiya |
| 11 Jul | Sat |
Ulto Rath Yatra The return chariot festival (Bahuda Yatra), when Lord Jagannath journeys back to his temple. |
Shukla Dashami |
August 1981 Shrabon – Bhadro
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Aug | Tue |
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 |
| 15 Aug | Sat |
Rakhi Bandhan Sisters tie the rakhi on Shravana Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 16 Aug | Sun |
Manasa Puja
The serpent goddess Manasa is worshipped on the last day of Shravan for protection from snakes and for fertility. |
Krishna Pratipada |
| 23 Aug | Sun |
Janmashtami
The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
| 24 Aug | Mon |
Nandotsav The day after Janmashtami, celebrating Nanda Maharaj's joy at the birth of baby Krishna with sweets and revelry. |
Krishna Dashami |
September 1981 Bhadro – Ashshin
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Sep | Sun |
Radhashtami The birth of Radha, Krishna's beloved, celebrated with worship and fasting fifteen days after Janmashtami. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 16 Sep | Wed |
Vishwakarma Puja The divine architect is worshipped as the Sun enters Kanya. |
Krishna Tritiya |
| 27 Sep | Sun |
Mahalaya The new moon closing Pitru Paksha, when Devi is invoked at dawn. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
October 1981 Ashshin – Kartik
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Oct | Sun |
Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi
Bodhon and Kalparambha — the formal welcome of Goddess Durga that opens the puja. |
Shukla Shashthi |
| 5 Oct | Mon |
Durga Puja — Maha Saptami Nabapatrika is bathed and Goddess Durga is worshipped on the seventh day of the puja. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 6 Oct | Tue |
Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami The grandest day of Durga Puja, with Kumari Puja and the Sandhi Puja at dusk. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 7 Oct | Wed |
Durga Puja — Maha Navami The ninth day of Durga Puja, marked by Navami Homa and the final grand worship. |
Shukla Navami |
| 8 Oct | Thu |
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 |
| 12 Oct | Mon |
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 |
| 26 Oct | Mon |
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 |
| 27 Oct | Tue |
Kali Puja
On Diwali's new-moon night, Goddess Kali is worshipped through the night across Bengal. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 29 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 |
November 1981 Kartik – Ogrohayon
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Nov | Thu |
Goshthashtami On Kartik Shukla Ashtami, cows and Lord Krishna as Gopala are honoured for their nurture and protection. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 6 Nov | Fri |
Jagaddhatri Puja Goddess Jagaddhatri, a serene form of Durga, is worshipped on Kartik Shukla Navami. |
Shukla Navami |
| 16 Nov | Mon |
Kartik Puja On the last day of the Bengali month of Kartik, Lord Kartikeya is worshipped, especially by families praying for sons. |
Krishna Panchami |
December 1981 Ogrohayon – Poush
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Dec | Sun |
Nabanna The Bengali harvest festival of the new rice in Agrahayan. |
Shukla Navami |
| 15 Dec | Tue | Itu Puja (Itur Vrata) Vrat | Krishna Panchami |
Months of the Bengali Calendar in 1981
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 1981, covering Bangabda 1387 – 1388. 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 1981 | 13 Jan 1981 | 13 |
| Magh | 14 Jan 1981 | 12 Feb 1981 | 30 |
| Falgun | 13 Feb 1981 | 14 Mar 1981 | 30 |
| Choitro | 15 Mar 1981 | 13 Apr 1981 | 30 |
| Boishakh | 14 Apr 1981 | 14 May 1981 | 31 |
| Joishtho | 15 May 1981 | 14 Jun 1981 | 31 |
| Asharh | 15 Jun 1981 | 16 Jul 1981 | 32 |
| Shrabon | 17 Jul 1981 | 16 Aug 1981 | 31 |
| Bhadro | 17 Aug 1981 | 16 Sep 1981 | 31 |
| Ashshin | 17 Sep 1981 | 17 Oct 1981 | 31 |
| Kartik | 18 Oct 1981 | 16 Nov 1981 | 30 |
| Ogrohayon | 17 Nov 1981 | 15 Dec 1981 | 29 |
| Poush part | 16 Dec 1981 | 31 Dec 1981 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 1981
Beyond the dates the Bengali Calendar lists, 1981 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 1 was above the horizon somewhere in India. Poila Boishakh (Bengali New Year) fell on 14 April, 1 day earlier in the year than in 1980 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1981
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Bengali date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Jan 1:19 PM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Magh Purnima | Not visible |
| 5 Feb 3:38 AM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Magh Shukla Pratipada | Not visible |
| 17 Jul 10:16 AM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Shrabon Purnima | Not visible |
| 31 Jul 9:15 AM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Shrabon Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 1 of these.
Guru and Shani in 1981
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Oct 1:30 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Kanya → Tula |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Mithuna on 24 December 1981, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Bengali Calendar 1981
How many festivals and vrats does the Bengali Calendar list in 1981?
The Bengali Calendar lists 37 dates in 1981, of which 2 are vrats. The first is Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) on Wednesday, 14 January 1981, and the last is Itu Puja (Itur Vrata) on Tuesday, 15 December 1981.
What are the main festival dates in the Bengali Calendar for 1981?
The first major observances of 1981 are:
- Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) - Wednesday, 14 January 1981
- Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami) - Monday, 9 February 1981
- Maha Shivaratri - Wednesday, 4 March 1981
- Dol Yatra (Holi) - Friday, 20 March 1981
- Ashokashtami - Saturday, 11 April 1981
- Basanti Puja - Sunday, 12 April 1981
Which month of 1981 has the most observances in the Bengali Calendar?
October 1981 is the fullest month with 9 dates, including Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi, Durga Puja — Maha Saptami, Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami, Durga Puja — Maha Navami, Bijoya Dashami (Sindur Khela), Kojagari Lakshmi Puja, Bhoot Chaturdashi, Kali Puja.
Which traditional year does 1981 correspond to in the Bengali Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1981 spans Bangabda 1387 – 1388. 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 1981 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 1981 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 1981?
1981 had 4 eclipses:
- 20 January 1981 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India
- 5 February 1981 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 17 July 1981 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India
- 31 July 1981 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
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 1981?
Yes - 1 sign change among the slow grahas in 1981:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Tula on 27 October 1981
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 1981?
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.
