Bengali Calendar - Panjika 2017
The Bengali festival calendar (Panjika). Bengali festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
November 2017
Bangabda 1424
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 2017 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Bengali Calendar lists 36 dates in 2017, 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). September is the fullest month with 7 dates. The year runs through Bangabda 1423 – 1424.
January 2017 Poush – Magh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jan | Sat |
Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) The Bengali harvest festival on the Sun's entry into Makara, with pithe-puli. |
Krishna Dwitiya |
February 2017 Magh – Falgun
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Feb | Wed |
Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami)
The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
| 24 Feb | Fri |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
March 2017 Falgun – Choitro
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Mar | Sun |
Dol Yatra (Holi) The swing festival of Krishna on Phalguna Purnima, Bengal's Holi. |
Shukla Purnima |
April 2017 Choitro – Boishakh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Apr | Tue |
Ashokashtami On Chaitra Shukla Ashtami, Goddess Durga is worshipped and ashoka flower buds are taken to ward off grief. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 4 Apr | Tue |
Basanti Puja The springtime Durga Puja of Chaitra — the original worship of Durga — culminating on Maha Navami. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 14 Apr | Fri |
Charak Puja & Gajan On the last day of the Bengali year, devotees of Shiva perform the Gajan austerities and the spinning Charak rite. |
Krishna Tritiya |
| 15 Apr | Sat |
Poila Boishakh (Bengali New Year) The Bengali solar new year, welcomed with Halkhata, sweets and visits to family and temples. |
Krishna Chaturthi |
| 28 Apr | Fri |
Akshay Tritiya Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya, an auspicious day for new ventures and Jagannath's Chandan Yatra. |
Shukla Dwitiya |
May 2017 Boishakh – Joishtho
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 May | Wed |
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 2017 Joishtho – Asharh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Jun | Fri |
Snana Yatra On Deva Snana Purnima, Lord Jagannath is given a grand ceremonial bath before retiring into seclusion ahead of Rath Yatra. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 25 Jun | Sun |
Ratha Yatra The chariot festival of Lord Jagannath. |
Shukla Dwitiya |
July 2017 Asharh – Shrabon
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jul | Sat | Bipodtarini Vrata Vrat | Shukla Ashtami |
| 3 Jul | Mon |
Ulto Rath Yatra The return chariot festival (Bahuda Yatra), when Lord Jagannath journeys back to his temple. |
Shukla Dashami |
August 2017 Shrabon – Bhadro
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 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 |
| 7 Aug | Mon |
Rakhi Bandhan Sisters tie the rakhi on Shravana Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 15 Aug | Tue |
Janmashtami
The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
| 16 Aug | Wed |
Nandotsav The day after Janmashtami, celebrating Nanda Maharaj's joy at the birth of baby Krishna with sweets and revelry. |
Krishna Navami |
| 17 Aug | Thu |
Manasa Puja
The serpent goddess Manasa is worshipped on the last day of Shravan for protection from snakes and for fertility. |
Krishna Dashami |
| 29 Aug | Tue |
Radhashtami The birth of Radha, Krishna's beloved, celebrated with worship and fasting fifteen days after Janmashtami. |
Shukla Ashtami |
September 2017 Bhadro – Ashshin
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Sep | Sun |
Vishwakarma Puja The divine architect is worshipped as the Sun enters Kanya. |
Krishna Dwadashi |
| 19 Sep | Tue |
Mahalaya The new moon closing Pitru Paksha, when Devi is invoked at dawn. |
Krishna Chaturdashi |
| 26 Sep | Tue |
Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi
Bodhon and Kalparambha — the formal welcome of Goddess Durga that opens the puja. |
Shukla Shashthi |
| 27 Sep | Wed |
Durga Puja — Maha Saptami Nabapatrika is bathed and Goddess Durga is worshipped on the seventh day of the puja. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 28 Sep | Thu |
Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami The grandest day of Durga Puja, with Kumari Puja and the Sandhi Puja at dusk. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 29 Sep | Fri |
Durga Puja — Maha Navami The ninth day of Durga Puja, marked by Navami Homa and the final grand worship. |
Shukla Navami |
| 30 Sep | Sat |
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 |
October 2017 Ashshin – Kartik
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Oct | Thu |
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 |
| 18 Oct | Wed |
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 |
| 19 Oct | Thu |
Kali Puja
On Diwali's new-moon night, Goddess Kali is worshipped through the night across Bengal. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 21 Oct | Sat |
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 |
| 28 Oct | Sat |
Goshthashtami On Kartik Shukla Ashtami, cows and Lord Krishna as Gopala are honoured for their nurture and protection. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 29 Oct | Sun |
Jagaddhatri Puja Goddess Jagaddhatri, a serene form of Durga, is worshipped on Kartik Shukla Navami. |
Shukla Navami |
November 2017 Kartik – Ogrohayon
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Nov | Thu |
Kartik Puja On the last day of the Bengali month of Kartik, Lord Kartikeya is worshipped, especially by families praying for sons. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
| 28 Nov | Tue |
Nabanna The Bengali harvest festival of the new rice in Agrahayan. |
Shukla Navami |
December 2017 Ogrohayon – Poush
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Dec | Sat | Itu Puja (Itur Vrata) Vrat | Krishna Trayodashi |
Months of the Bengali Calendar in 2017
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 2017, covering Bangabda 1423 – 1424. 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 2017 | 14 Jan 2017 | 14 |
| Magh | 15 Jan 2017 | 12 Feb 2017 | 29 |
| Falgun | 13 Feb 2017 | 14 Mar 2017 | 30 |
| Choitro | 15 Mar 2017 | 14 Apr 2017 | 31 |
| Boishakh | 15 Apr 2017 | 14 May 2017 | 30 |
| Joishtho | 15 May 2017 | 15 Jun 2017 | 32 |
| Asharh | 16 Jun 2017 | 16 Jul 2017 | 31 |
| Shrabon | 17 Jul 2017 | 17 Aug 2017 | 32 |
| Bhadro | 18 Aug 2017 | 17 Sep 2017 | 31 |
| Ashshin | 18 Sep 2017 | 17 Oct 2017 | 30 |
| Kartik | 18 Oct 2017 | 16 Nov 2017 | 30 |
| Ogrohayon | 17 Nov 2017 | 16 Dec 2017 | 30 |
| Poush part | 17 Dec 2017 | 31 Dec 2017 | 15 |
What happened in the sky in 2017
Beyond the dates the Bengali Calendar lists, 2017 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 2 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) fell on 14 January, 1 day earlier in the year than in 2016 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 2017
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Bengali date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Feb 6:13 AM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Magh Krishna Pratipada | Penumbral only |
| 26 Feb 8:23 PM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) 2 days after Maha Shivaratri | Falgun Amavasya | Not visible |
| 7 Aug 11:50 PM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) on Rakhi Bandhan | Shrabon Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 21 Aug 11:55 PM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Bhadro Amavasya | Not visible |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 1 of these. A penumbral (Upachhaya) eclipse is not counted as a grahan.
Guru and Shani in 2017
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 26 Jan 7:40 PM | Shani (Saturn) | Vrishchika → Dhanu |
| 21 Jun 4:40 AM | Shani (Saturn) | Dhanu → Vrishchika re-entry while retrograde |
| 12 Sep 7:00 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Kanya → Tula |
| 26 Oct 3:30 PM | Shani (Saturn) | Vrishchika → Dhanu |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Karka on 18 August 2017, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Bengali Calendar 2017
How many festivals and vrats does the Bengali Calendar list in 2017?
The Bengali Calendar lists 36 dates in 2017, of which 2 are vrats. The first is Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) on Saturday, 14 January 2017, and the last is Itu Puja (Itur Vrata) on Saturday, 16 December 2017.
What are the main festival dates in the Bengali Calendar for 2017?
The first major observances of 2017 are:
- Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) - Saturday, 14 January 2017
- Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami) - Wednesday, 1 February 2017
- Maha Shivaratri - Friday, 24 February 2017
- Dol Yatra (Holi) - Sunday, 12 March 2017
- Ashokashtami - Tuesday, 4 April 2017
- Basanti Puja - Tuesday, 4 April 2017
Which month of 2017 has the most observances in the Bengali Calendar?
September 2017 is the fullest month with 7 dates, including Vishwakarma Puja, Mahalaya, Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi, Durga Puja — Maha Saptami, Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami, Durga Puja — Maha Navami, Bijoya Dashami (Sindur Khela).
Which traditional year does 2017 correspond to in the Bengali Calendar?
The Gregorian year 2017 spans Bangabda 1423 – 1424. 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 2017 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 2017 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 2017?
2017 had 4 eclipses:
- 11 February 2017 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
- 26 February 2017 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 7 August 2017 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 21 August 2017 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
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 2017?
Yes - 4 sign changes among the slow grahas in 2017:
- Shani (Saturn) entered Dhanu on 26 January 2017
- Shani (Saturn) entered Vrishchika on 21 June 2017, moving retrograde
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Tula on 12 September 2017
- Shani (Saturn) entered Dhanu on 26 October 2017
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 2017?
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.
