Bengali Calendar

Bengali Calendar - Panjika 2010

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

January 2010

Bangabda 1416

Poush – Magh

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 2010 - festivals and vrats through the year

The Bengali Calendar lists 36 dates in 2010, 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 1416 – 1417. 2010 carries an Adhik Maas (Vaishakha (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several festivals later than usual.

January 2010 Poush – Magh

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

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

Krishna Chaturdashi
20 Jan Wed Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami)

The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami.

Shukla Panchami

February 2010 Magh – Falgun

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
12 Feb Fri Maha Shivaratri

The great night of Lord Shiva.

Krishna Chaturdashi
28 Feb Sun Dol Yatra (Holi)

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

Shukla Purnima

March 2010 Falgun – Choitro

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
23 Mar Tue Ashokashtami

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

Shukla Ashtami
24 Mar Wed Basanti Puja

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

Shukla Navami

April 2010 Choitro – Boishakh

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
14 Apr Wed Charak Puja & Gajan

On the last day of the Bengali year, devotees of Shiva perform the Gajan austerities and the spinning Charak rite.

Krishna Amavasya
15 Apr Thu Poila Boishakh (Bengali New Year)

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

Shukla Pratipada

May 2010 Boishakh – Joishtho

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
16 May Sun Akshay Tritiya

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

Shukla Tritiya

June 2010 Joishtho – Asharh

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
17 Jun 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
26 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 2010 Asharh – Shrabon

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
13 Jul Tue Ratha Yatra

The chariot festival of Lord Jagannath.

Shukla Dwitiya
17 Jul Sat Bipodtarini Vrata Vrat Shukla Shashthi
20 Jul Tue Ulto Rath Yatra

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

Shukla Dashami

August 2010 Shrabon – Bhadro

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
17 Aug Tue Manasa Puja

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

Shukla Ashtami
20 Aug Fri 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
24 Aug Tue Rakhi Bandhan

Sisters tie the rakhi on Shravana Purnima.

Shukla Purnima

September 2010 Bhadro – Ashshin

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
2 Sep Thu Janmashtami

The midnight birth of Lord Krishna.

Krishna Ashtami
3 Sep Fri Nandotsav

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

Krishna Navami
15 Sep Wed Radhashtami

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

Shukla Ashtami
17 Sep Fri Vishwakarma Puja

The divine architect is worshipped as the Sun enters Kanya.

Shukla Dashami

October 2010 Ashshin – Kartik

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
7 Oct Thu Mahalaya

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

Krishna Amavasya
13 Oct Wed Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi

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

Shukla Shashthi
14 Oct Thu Durga Puja — Maha Saptami

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

Shukla Saptami
15 Oct Fri Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami

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

Shukla Ashtami
16 Oct Sat Durga Puja — Maha Navami

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

Shukla Navami
17 Oct Sun 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
22 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

November 2010 Kartik – Ogrohayon

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
4 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 Trayodashi
5 Nov Fri Kali Puja

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

Krishna Chaturdashi
7 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 Pratipada
14 Nov Sun Goshthashtami

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

Shukla Ashtami
14 Nov Sun Jagaddhatri Puja

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

Shukla Ashtami
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 Dashami

December 2010 Ogrohayon – Poush

Date Day Festival / Vrat Tithi
15 Dec Wed Nabanna

The Bengali harvest festival of the new rice in Agrahayan.

Shukla Navami
16 Dec Thu Itu Puja (Itur Vrata) Vrat Shukla Dashami

Months of the Bengali Calendar in 2010

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 2010, covering Bangabda 1416 – 1417. 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 2010 14 Jan 2010 14
Magh 15 Jan 2010 12 Feb 2010 29
Falgun 13 Feb 2010 14 Mar 2010 30
Choitro 15 Mar 2010 14 Apr 2010 31
Boishakh 15 Apr 2010 14 May 2010 30
Joishtho 15 May 2010 15 Jun 2010 32
Asharh 16 Jun 2010 16 Jul 2010 31
Shrabon 17 Jul 2010 16 Aug 2010 31
Bhadro 17 Aug 2010 16 Sep 2010 31
Ashshin 17 Sep 2010 17 Oct 2010 31
Kartik 18 Oct 2010 16 Nov 2010 30
Ogrohayon 17 Nov 2010 16 Dec 2010 30
Poush part 17 Dec 2010 31 Dec 2010 15

What happened in the sky in 2010

Beyond the dates the Bengali Calendar lists, 2010 brought 5 eclipses - 2 solar and 3 lunar - of which 3 were above the horizon somewhere in India. The year also carried an Adhik Maas, the extra lunar month of Vaishakha, running from 15 April 2010 to 14 May 2010. Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami) fell on 20 January, 11 days earlier in the year than in 2009 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.

Eclipses of 2010

Date (IST) Eclipse Bengali date Seen from India
1 Jan 12:52 AM Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Poush Krishna Pratipada Yes - Sutak observed
15 Jan 12:36 PM Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) 1 day after Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) Magh Amavasya Yes - Sutak observed
26 Jun 5:08 PM Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) on Snana Yatra Asharh Purnima Yes - Sutak observed
12 Jul 1:03 AM Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) 1 day before Ratha Yatra Asharh Shukla Pratipada Not visible
21 Dec 1:46 PM Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Poush Purnima Not visible

Sutak Kaal was observed for 3 of these.

Guru and Shani in 2010

Date Graha Sign change
2 May 8:10 AM Guru (Jupiter) Kumbha → Meena
1 Nov 1:00 PM Guru (Jupiter) Meena → Kumbha re-entry while retrograde
6 Dec 9:20 AM Guru (Jupiter) Kumbha → Meena

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

Frequently asked questions about the Bengali Calendar 2010

How many festivals and vrats does the Bengali Calendar list in 2010?

The Bengali Calendar lists 36 dates in 2010, of which 2 are vrats. The first is Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) on Thursday, 14 January 2010, and the last is Itu Puja (Itur Vrata) on Thursday, 16 December 2010.

What are the main festival dates in the Bengali Calendar for 2010?

The first major observances of 2010 are:

  • Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) - Thursday, 14 January 2010
  • Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami) - Wednesday, 20 January 2010
  • Maha Shivaratri - Friday, 12 February 2010
  • Dol Yatra (Holi) - Sunday, 28 February 2010
  • Ashokashtami - Tuesday, 23 March 2010
  • Basanti Puja - Wednesday, 24 March 2010
Which month of 2010 has the most observances in the Bengali Calendar?

October 2010 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 2010 correspond to in the Bengali Calendar?

The Gregorian year 2010 spans Bangabda 1416 – 1417. 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 2010 have an Adhik Maas?

Yes. 2010 carried an Adhik Maas (Vaishakha (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 2010 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.

Were there any eclipses in 2010?

2010 had 5 eclipses:

  • 1 January 2010 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
  • 15 January 2010 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
  • 26 June 2010 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
  • 12 July 2010 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
  • 21 December 2010 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India

Sutak Kaal is observed only for an eclipse actually visible where you are, so 3 of these were kept in India.

Did Guru or Shani change sign in 2010?

Yes - 3 sign changes among the slow grahas in 2010:

  • Guru (Jupiter) entered Meena on 2 May 2010
  • Guru (Jupiter) entered Kumbha on 1 November 2010, moving retrograde
  • Guru (Jupiter) entered Meena on 6 December 2010

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 2010?

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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