Bengali Calendar

Bengali Calendar - Panjika 1985

The Bengali festival calendar (Panjika). Bengali festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.

April 1985

Bangabda 1391 · Bangabda 1392

Choitro – Boishakh

Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat

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 1985 - festivals and vrats through the year

The Bengali Calendar lists 37 dates in 1985, opening with Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) on 14 January and closing with Nabanna on 20 December. Of these, 2 are vrats (fasting observances). October is the fullest month with 7 dates. The year runs through Bangabda 1391 – 1392. 1985 carries an Adhik Maas (Shravana (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several festivals later than usual.

January 1985 Poush – Magh

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
14 Jan Mon Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti)

The Bengali harvest festival on the Sun's entry into Makara, with pithe-puli.

Krishna Ashtami
25 Jan Fri Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami)

The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami.

Shukla Chaturthi

February 1985 Magh – Falgun

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
17 Feb Sun Maha Shivaratri

The great night of Lord Shiva.

Krishna Trayodashi

March 1985 Falgun – Choitro

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
6 Mar Wed Dol Yatra (Holi)

The swing festival of Krishna on Phalguna Purnima, Bengal's Holi.

Shukla Chaturdashi
30 Mar Sat Ashokashtami

On Chaitra Shukla Ashtami, Goddess Durga is worshipped and ashoka flower buds are taken to ward off grief.

Shukla Ashtami
30 Mar Sat Basanti Puja

The springtime Durga Puja of Chaitra — the original worship of Durga — culminating on Maha Navami.

Shukla Ashtami

April 1985 Choitro – Boishakh

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
13 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 Navami
14 Apr Sun Poila Boishakh (Bengali New Year)

The Bengali solar new year, welcomed with Halkhata, sweets and visits to family and temples.

Krishna Dashami
15 Apr Mon Poila Boisakh (Bengali New Year)

The Bengali solar new year, the day after the Sun's entry into Mesha.

Krishna Ekadashi
23 Apr Tue Akshay Tritiya

Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya, an auspicious day for new ventures and Jagannath's Chandan Yatra.

Shukla Tritiya

May 1985 Boishakh – Joishtho

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
26 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 1985 Joishtho – Asharh

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
3 Jun Mon Snana Yatra

On Deva Snana Purnima, Lord Jagannath is given a grand ceremonial bath before retiring into seclusion ahead of Rath Yatra.

Shukla Purnima
20 Jun Thu Ratha Yatra

The chariot festival of Lord Jagannath.

Shukla Dwitiya
22 Jun Sat Bipodtarini Vrata Vrat Shukla Chaturthi
28 Jun Fri Ulto Rath Yatra

The return chariot festival (Bahuda Yatra), when Lord Jagannath journeys back to his temple.

Shukla Dashami

August 1985 Shrabon – Bhadro

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
16 Aug Fri Manasa Puja

The serpent goddess Manasa is worshipped on the last day of Shravan for protection from snakes and for fertility.

Krishna Amavasya
26 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 Ekadashi
30 Aug Fri Rakhi Bandhan

Sisters tie the rakhi on Shravana Purnima.

Shukla Purnima

September 1985 Bhadro – Ashshin

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
7 Sep Sat Janmashtami

The midnight birth of Lord Krishna.

Krishna Ashtami
8 Sep Sun Nandotsav

The day after Janmashtami, celebrating Nanda Maharaj's joy at the birth of baby Krishna with sweets and revelry.

Krishna Ashtami
16 Sep Mon Vishwakarma Puja

The divine architect is worshipped as the Sun enters Kanya.

Shukla Dwitiya
21 Sep Sat Radhashtami

The birth of Radha, Krishna's beloved, celebrated with worship and fasting fifteen days after Janmashtami.

Shukla Ashtami

October 1985 Ashshin – Kartik

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
14 Oct Mon Mahalaya

The new moon closing Pitru Paksha, when Devi is invoked at dawn.

Krishna Amavasya
19 Oct Sat Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi

Bodhon and Kalparambha — the formal welcome of Goddess Durga that opens the puja.

Shukla Shashthi
20 Oct Sun Durga Puja — Maha Saptami

Nabapatrika is bathed and Goddess Durga is worshipped on the seventh day of the puja.

Shukla Saptami
21 Oct Mon Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami

The grandest day of Durga Puja, with Kumari Puja and the Sandhi Puja at dusk.

Shukla Ashtami
22 Oct Tue 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
22 Oct Tue Durga Puja — Maha Navami

The ninth day of Durga Puja, marked by Navami Homa and the final grand worship.

Shukla Navami
27 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

November 1985 Kartik – Ogrohayon

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
11 Nov 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
12 Nov Tue Kali Puja

On Diwali's new-moon night, Goddess Kali is worshipped through the night across Bengal.

Krishna Amavasya
14 Nov 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
16 Nov Sat Kartik Puja

On the last day of the Bengali month of Kartik, Lord Kartikeya is worshipped, especially by families praying for sons.

Shukla Panchami
19 Nov Tue Goshthashtami

On Kartik Shukla Ashtami, cows and Lord Krishna as Gopala are honoured for their nurture and protection.

Shukla Ashtami
20 Nov Wed Jagaddhatri Puja

Goddess Jagaddhatri, a serene form of Durga, is worshipped on Kartik Shukla Navami.

Shukla Navami

December 1985 Ogrohayon – Poush

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
15 Dec Sun Itu Puja (Itur Vrata) Vrat Shukla Chaturthi
20 Dec Fri Nabanna

The Bengali harvest festival of the new rice in Agrahayan.

Shukla Navami

Months of the Bengali Calendar in 1985

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 1985, covering Bangabda 1391 – 1392. 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 1985 13 Jan 1985 13
Magh 14 Jan 1985 12 Feb 1985 30
Falgun 13 Feb 1985 14 Mar 1985 30
Choitro 15 Mar 1985 13 Apr 1985 30
Boishakh 14 Apr 1985 14 May 1985 31
Joishtho 15 May 1985 14 Jun 1985 31
Asharh 15 Jun 1985 16 Jul 1985 32
Shrabon 17 Jul 1985 16 Aug 1985 31
Bhadro 17 Aug 1985 16 Sep 1985 31
Ashshin 17 Sep 1985 17 Oct 1985 31
Kartik 18 Oct 1985 16 Nov 1985 30
Ogrohayon 17 Nov 1985 15 Dec 1985 29
Poush part 16 Dec 1985 31 Dec 1985 16

What happened in the sky in 1985

Beyond the dates the Bengali Calendar lists, 1985 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 2 were above the horizon somewhere in India. The year also carried an Adhik Maas, the extra lunar month of Shravana, running from 18 July 1985 to 16 August 1985. Poila Boishakh (Bengali New Year) fell on 14 April, 1 day earlier in the year than in 1984 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.

Eclipses of 1985

Date (IST) Eclipse Bengali date Seen from India
5 May 1:26 AM Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Boishakh Krishna Pratipada Yes - Sutak observed
20 May 2:58 AM Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) Joishtho Shukla Pratipada Not visible
28 Oct 11:12 PM Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 1 day after Kojagari Lakshmi Puja Kartik Purnima Yes - Sutak observed
12 Nov 7:40 PM Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) on Kali Puja Kartik Amavasya Not visible

Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these.

Guru and Shani in 1985

Date Graha Sign change
10 Jan 2:40 PM Guru (Jupiter) Dhanu → Makara
1 Jun 2:40 AM Shani (Saturn) Vrishchika → Tula re-entry while retrograde
17 Sep 5:20 AM Shani (Saturn) Tula → Vrishchika

Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Mesha on 29 January 1985, carrying the eclipse axis with it.

Frequently asked questions about the Bengali Calendar 1985

How many festivals and vrats does the Bengali Calendar list in 1985?

The Bengali Calendar lists 37 dates in 1985, of which 2 are vrats. The first is Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) on Monday, 14 January 1985, and the last is Nabanna on Friday, 20 December 1985.

What are the main festival dates in the Bengali Calendar for 1985?

The first major observances of 1985 are:

  • Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) - Monday, 14 January 1985
  • Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami) - Friday, 25 January 1985
  • Maha Shivaratri - Sunday, 17 February 1985
  • Dol Yatra (Holi) - Wednesday, 6 March 1985
  • Ashokashtami - Saturday, 30 March 1985
  • Basanti Puja - Saturday, 30 March 1985
Which month of 1985 has the most observances in the Bengali Calendar?

October 1985 is the fullest month with 7 dates, including Mahalaya, Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi, Durga Puja — Maha Saptami, Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami, Bijoya Dashami (Sindur Khela), Durga Puja — Maha Navami, Kojagari Lakshmi Puja.

Which traditional year does 1985 correspond to in the Bengali Calendar?

The Gregorian year 1985 spans Bangabda 1391 – 1392. 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 1985 have an Adhik Maas?

Yes. 1985 carried an Adhik Maas (Shravana (Adhik)), the extra lunar month inserted roughly every third year to keep the lunar calendar in step with the solar one. Festivals falling after it shift later in the Gregorian year, which is why 1985 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.

Were there any eclipses in 1985?

1985 had 4 eclipses:

  • 5 May 1985 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
  • 20 May 1985 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
  • 28 October 1985 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
  • 12 November 1985 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India

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 1985?

Yes - 3 sign changes among the slow grahas in 1985:

  • Guru (Jupiter) entered Makara on 10 January 1985
  • Shani (Saturn) entered Tula on 1 June 1985, moving retrograde
  • Shani (Saturn) entered Vrishchika on 17 September 1985

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 1985?

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.

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