Bengali Calendar - Panjika 1996
The Bengali festival calendar (Panjika). Bengali festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
November 1996
Bangabda 1403
Kartik – Ogrohayon
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 1996 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Bengali Calendar lists 36 dates in 1996, opening with Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) on 15 January and closing with Nabanna on 18 December. Of these, 2 are vrats (fasting observances). October is the fullest month with 7 dates. The year runs through Bangabda 1402 – 1403. 1996 carries an Adhik Maas (Ashadha (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several festivals later than usual.
January 1996 Poush – Magh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jan | Mon |
Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) The Bengali harvest festival on the Sun's entry into Makara, with pithe-puli. |
Krishna Navami |
| 24 Jan | Wed |
Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami)
The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
February 1996 Magh – Falgun
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Feb | Sat |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
March 1996 Falgun – Choitro
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Mar | Mon |
Dol Yatra (Holi) The swing festival of Krishna on Phalguna Purnima, Bengal's Holi. |
Shukla Chaturdashi |
| 27 Mar | Wed |
Ashokashtami On Chaitra Shukla Ashtami, Goddess Durga is worshipped and ashoka flower buds are taken to ward off grief. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 28 Mar | Thu |
Basanti Puja The springtime Durga Puja of Chaitra — the original worship of Durga — culminating on Maha Navami. |
Shukla Navami |
April 1996 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 Dashami |
| 14 Apr | Sun |
Poila Boishakh (Bengali New Year) The Bengali solar new year, welcomed with Halkhata, sweets and visits to family and temples. |
Krishna Ekadashi |
| 20 Apr | Sat |
Akshay Tritiya Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya, an auspicious day for new ventures and Jagannath's Chandan Yatra. |
Shukla Tritiya |
May 1996 Boishakh – Joishtho
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 May | Thu |
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 1996 Joishtho – Asharh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jun | Sat |
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 1996 Asharh – Shrabon
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Jul | Wed |
Ratha Yatra The chariot festival of Lord Jagannath. |
Shukla Dwitiya |
| 20 Jul | Sat | Bipodtarini Vrata Vrat | Shukla Chaturthi |
| 26 Jul | Fri |
Ulto Rath Yatra The return chariot festival (Bahuda Yatra), when Lord Jagannath journeys back to his temple. |
Shukla Dashami |
August 1996 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. |
Shukla Dwitiya |
| 24 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 Dashami |
| 28 Aug | Wed |
Rakhi Bandhan Sisters tie the rakhi on Shravana Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
September 1996 Bhadro – Ashshin
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Sep | Thu |
Janmashtami
The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
| 6 Sep | Fri |
Nandotsav The day after Janmashtami, celebrating Nanda Maharaj's joy at the birth of baby Krishna with sweets and revelry. |
Krishna Navami |
| 16 Sep | Mon |
Vishwakarma Puja The divine architect is worshipped as the Sun enters Kanya. |
Shukla Tritiya |
| 20 Sep | Fri |
Radhashtami The birth of Radha, Krishna's beloved, celebrated with worship and fasting fifteen days after Janmashtami. |
Shukla Ashtami |
October 1996 Ashshin – Kartik
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Oct | Sat |
Mahalaya The new moon closing Pitru Paksha, when Devi is invoked at dawn. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 18 Oct | Fri |
Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi
Bodhon and Kalparambha — the formal welcome of Goddess Durga that opens the puja. |
Shukla Shashthi |
| 19 Oct | Sat |
Durga Puja — Maha Saptami Nabapatrika is bathed and Goddess Durga is worshipped on the seventh day of the puja. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 20 Oct | Sun |
Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami The grandest day of Durga Puja, with Kumari Puja and the Sandhi Puja at dusk. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 20 Oct | Sun |
Durga Puja — Maha Navami The ninth day of Durga Puja, marked by Navami Homa and the final grand worship. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 21 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 Navami |
| 25 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 Chaturdashi |
November 1996 Kartik – Ogrohayon
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Nov | Sat |
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 |
| 10 Nov | Sun |
Kali Puja
On Diwali's new-moon night, Goddess Kali is worshipped through the night across Bengal. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 12 Nov | 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 Pratipada |
| 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 Shashthi |
| 18 Nov | Mon |
Goshthashtami On Kartik Shukla Ashtami, cows and Lord Krishna as Gopala are honoured for their nurture and protection. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 19 Nov | Tue |
Jagaddhatri Puja Goddess Jagaddhatri, a serene form of Durga, is worshipped on Kartik Shukla Navami. |
Shukla Navami |
December 1996 Ogrohayon – Poush
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Dec | Sun | Itu Puja (Itur Vrata) Vrat | Shukla Panchami |
| 18 Dec | Wed |
Nabanna The Bengali harvest festival of the new rice in Agrahayan. |
Shukla Navami |
Months of the Bengali Calendar in 1996
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 1996, covering Bangabda 1402 – 1403. 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 1996 | 14 Jan 1996 | 14 |
| Magh | 15 Jan 1996 | 13 Feb 1996 | 30 |
| Falgun | 14 Feb 1996 | 14 Mar 1996 | 30 |
| Choitro | 15 Mar 1996 | 13 Apr 1996 | 30 |
| Boishakh | 14 Apr 1996 | 14 May 1996 | 31 |
| Joishtho | 15 May 1996 | 14 Jun 1996 | 31 |
| Asharh | 15 Jun 1996 | 16 Jul 1996 | 32 |
| Shrabon | 17 Jul 1996 | 16 Aug 1996 | 31 |
| Bhadro | 17 Aug 1996 | 16 Sep 1996 | 31 |
| Ashshin | 17 Sep 1996 | 16 Oct 1996 | 30 |
| Kartik | 17 Oct 1996 | 15 Nov 1996 | 30 |
| Ogrohayon | 16 Nov 1996 | 15 Dec 1996 | 30 |
| Poush part | 16 Dec 1996 | 31 Dec 1996 | 16 |
What happened in the sky in 1996
Beyond the dates the Bengali Calendar lists, 1996 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 Ashadha, running from 17 June 1996 to 15 July 1996. Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) fell on 15 January, 1 day later in the year than in 1995 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1996
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Bengali date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Apr 5:39 AM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Choitro Krishna Pratipada | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 18 Apr 4:07 AM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) 2 days before Akshay Tritiya | Boishakh Shukla Pratipada | Not visible |
| 27 Sep 8:24 AM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Ashshin Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 12 Oct 7:31 PM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) on Mahalaya | Ashshin Amavasya | Not visible |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these.
Guru and Shani in 1996
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Feb 6:30 PM | Shani (Saturn) | Kumbha → Meena |
| 26 Dec 8:00 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Dhanu → Makara |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Bengali Calendar 1996
How many festivals and vrats does the Bengali Calendar list in 1996?
The Bengali Calendar lists 36 dates in 1996, of which 2 are vrats. The first is Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) on Monday, 15 January 1996, and the last is Nabanna on Wednesday, 18 December 1996.
What are the main festival dates in the Bengali Calendar for 1996?
The first major observances of 1996 are:
- Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) - Monday, 15 January 1996
- Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami) - Wednesday, 24 January 1996
- Maha Shivaratri - Saturday, 17 February 1996
- Dol Yatra (Holi) - Monday, 4 March 1996
- Ashokashtami - Wednesday, 27 March 1996
- Basanti Puja - Thursday, 28 March 1996
Which month of 1996 has the most observances in the Bengali Calendar?
October 1996 is the fullest month with 7 dates, including Mahalaya, Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi, Durga Puja — Maha Saptami, Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami, Durga Puja — Maha Navami, Bijoya Dashami (Sindur Khela), Kojagari Lakshmi Puja.
Which traditional year does 1996 correspond to in the Bengali Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1996 spans Bangabda 1402 – 1403. 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 1996 have an Adhik Maas?
Yes. 1996 carried an Adhik Maas (Ashadha (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 1996 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.
Were there any eclipses in 1996?
1996 had 4 eclipses:
- 4 April 1996 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 18 April 1996 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 27 September 1996 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 12 October 1996 - Partial 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 1996?
Yes - 2 sign changes among the slow grahas in 1996:
- Shani (Saturn) entered Meena on 16 February 1996
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Makara on 26 December 1996
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 1996?
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.
