Bengali Calendar

Bengali Calendar - Panjika 2004

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

June 2004

Bangabda 1411

Joishtho – Asharh

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 2004 - festivals and vrats through the year

The Bengali Calendar lists 36 dates in 2004, opening with Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) on 15 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 1410 – 1411. 2004 carries an Adhik Maas (Shravana (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several festivals later than usual.

January 2004 Poush – Magh

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
15 Jan Thu Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti)

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

Krishna Ashtami
26 Jan Mon Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami)

The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami.

Shukla Panchami

February 2004 Magh – Falgun

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
18 Feb Wed Maha Shivaratri

The great night of Lord Shiva.

Krishna Trayodashi

March 2004 Falgun – Choitro

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

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

Shukla Purnima
29 Mar Mon Ashokashtami

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

Shukla Ashtami
30 Mar Tue Basanti Puja

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

Shukla Navami

April 2004 Choitro – Boishakh

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
13 Apr Tue 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 Wed Poila Boishakh (Bengali New Year)

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

Krishna Dashami
22 Apr Thu Akshay Tritiya

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

Shukla Tritiya

May 2004 Boishakh – Joishtho

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
25 May Tue 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 2004 Joishtho – Asharh

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
3 Jun Thu Snana Yatra

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

Shukla Purnima
19 Jun Sat Ratha Yatra

The chariot festival of Lord Jagannath.

Shukla Dwitiya
26 Jun Sat Bipodtarini Vrata Vrat Shukla Ashtami
28 Jun Mon Ulto Rath Yatra

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

Shukla Dashami

August 2004 Shrabon – Bhadro

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
16 Aug Mon 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 Thu 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 Mon Rakhi Bandhan

Sisters tie the rakhi on Shravana Purnima.

Shukla Purnima

September 2004 Bhadro – Ashshin

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
7 Sep Tue Janmashtami

The midnight birth of Lord Krishna.

Krishna Ashtami
8 Sep Wed Nandotsav

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

Krishna Navami
16 Sep Thu Vishwakarma Puja

The divine architect is worshipped as the Sun enters Kanya.

Shukla Dwitiya
22 Sep Wed Radhashtami

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

Shukla Ashtami

October 2004 Ashshin – Kartik

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
13 Oct Wed Mahalaya

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

Krishna Chaturdashi
19 Oct Tue Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi

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

Shukla Shashthi
20 Oct Wed Durga Puja — Maha Saptami

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

Shukla Saptami
21 Oct Thu Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami

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

Shukla Ashtami
22 Oct Fri 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 Fri Durga Puja — Maha Navami

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

Shukla Navami
27 Oct Wed 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 2004 Kartik – Ogrohayon

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
11 Nov Thu 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 Fri Kali Puja

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

Krishna Amavasya
14 Nov Sun 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 Tue Kartik Puja

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

Shukla Chaturthi
19 Nov Fri Goshthashtami

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

Shukla Ashtami
20 Nov Sat Jagaddhatri Puja

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

Shukla Navami

December 2004 Ogrohayon – Poush

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

The Bengali harvest festival of the new rice in Agrahayan.

Shukla Navami

Months of the Bengali Calendar in 2004

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 2004, covering Bangabda 1410 – 1411. 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 2004 14 Jan 2004 14
Magh 15 Jan 2004 13 Feb 2004 30
Falgun 14 Feb 2004 14 Mar 2004 30
Choitro 15 Mar 2004 13 Apr 2004 30
Boishakh 14 Apr 2004 14 May 2004 31
Joishtho 15 May 2004 14 Jun 2004 31
Asharh 15 Jun 2004 16 Jul 2004 32
Shrabon 17 Jul 2004 16 Aug 2004 31
Bhadro 17 Aug 2004 16 Sep 2004 31
Ashshin 17 Sep 2004 16 Oct 2004 30
Kartik 17 Oct 2004 15 Nov 2004 30
Ogrohayon 16 Nov 2004 15 Dec 2004 30
Poush part 16 Dec 2004 31 Dec 2004 16

What happened in the sky in 2004

Beyond the dates the Bengali Calendar lists, 2004 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 2004 to 16 August 2004. Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) fell on 15 January, 1 day later in the year than in 2003 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.

Eclipses of 2004

Date (IST) Eclipse Bengali date Seen from India
19 Apr 7:04 PM Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) 3 days before Akshay Tritiya Boishakh Amavasya Not visible
5 May 2:00 AM Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Boishakh Krishna Pratipada Yes - Sutak observed
14 Oct 8:29 AM Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) 1 day after Mahalaya Ashshin Amavasya Not visible
28 Oct 8:34 AM Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 1 day after Kojagari Lakshmi Puja Kartik Purnima Yes - Sutak observed

Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these.

Guru and Shani in 2004

Date Graha Sign change
27 Aug 11:40 PM Guru (Jupiter) Simha → Kanya
6 Sep 4:40 AM Shani (Saturn) Mithuna → Karka

Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half.

Frequently asked questions about the Bengali Calendar 2004

How many festivals and vrats does the Bengali Calendar list in 2004?

The Bengali Calendar lists 36 dates in 2004, of which 2 are vrats. The first is Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) on Thursday, 15 January 2004, and the last is Nabanna on Monday, 20 December 2004.

What are the main festival dates in the Bengali Calendar for 2004?

The first major observances of 2004 are:

  • Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) - Thursday, 15 January 2004
  • Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami) - Monday, 26 January 2004
  • Maha Shivaratri - Wednesday, 18 February 2004
  • Dol Yatra (Holi) - Saturday, 6 March 2004
  • Ashokashtami - Monday, 29 March 2004
  • Basanti Puja - Tuesday, 30 March 2004
Which month of 2004 has the most observances in the Bengali Calendar?

October 2004 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 2004 correspond to in the Bengali Calendar?

The Gregorian year 2004 spans Bangabda 1410 – 1411. 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 2004 have an Adhik Maas?

Yes. 2004 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 2004 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.

Were there any eclipses in 2004?

2004 had 4 eclipses:

  • 19 April 2004 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
  • 5 May 2004 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
  • 14 October 2004 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
  • 28 October 2004 - 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 2004?

Yes - 2 sign changes among the slow grahas in 2004:

  • Guru (Jupiter) entered Kanya on 27 August 2004
  • Shani (Saturn) entered Karka on 6 September 2004

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 2004?

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.

Get your Daily Tarot Readings Draw Today's card