Bengali Calendar - Panjika 2021
The Bengali festival calendar (Panjika). Bengali festivals and vrats month by month, with the date and tithi timing of each observance.
May 2021
Bangabda 1428
Boishakh – Joishtho
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 2021 - festivals and vrats through the year
The Bengali Calendar lists 36 dates in 2021, 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 1427 – 1428.
January 2021 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. |
Shukla Pratipada |
February 2021 Magh – Falgun
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Feb | Tue |
Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami)
The worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami. |
Shukla Panchami |
March 2021 Falgun – Choitro
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Mar | Thu |
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Lord Shiva. |
Krishna Trayodashi |
| 28 Mar | Sun |
Dol Yatra (Holi) The swing festival of Krishna on Phalguna Purnima, Bengal's Holi. |
Shukla Purnima |
April 2021 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. |
Shukla Dwitiya |
| 15 Apr | Thu |
Poila Boishakh (Bengali New Year) The Bengali solar new year, welcomed with Halkhata, sweets and visits to family and temples. |
Shukla Tritiya |
| 20 Apr | Tue |
Ashokashtami On Chaitra Shukla Ashtami, Goddess Durga is worshipped and ashoka flower buds are taken to ward off grief. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 21 Apr | Wed |
Basanti Puja The springtime Durga Puja of Chaitra — the original worship of Durga — culminating on Maha Navami. |
Shukla Navami |
May 2021 Boishakh – Joishtho
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 May | Fri |
Akshay Tritiya Vaishakha Shukla Tritiya, an auspicious day for new ventures and Jagannath's Chandan Yatra. |
Shukla Dwitiya |
June 2021 Joishtho – Asharh
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Jun | 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 |
| 24 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 |
July 2021 Asharh – Shrabon
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Jul | Mon |
Ratha Yatra The chariot festival of Lord Jagannath. |
Shukla Dwitiya |
| 17 Jul | Sat | Bipodtarini Vrata Vrat | Shukla Ashtami |
| 19 Jul | Mon |
Ulto Rath Yatra The return chariot festival (Bahuda Yatra), when Lord Jagannath journeys back to his temple. |
Shukla Dashami |
August 2021 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 Dashami |
| 18 Aug | Wed |
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 |
| 22 Aug | Sun |
Rakhi Bandhan Sisters tie the rakhi on Shravana Purnima. |
Shukla Purnima |
| 30 Aug | Mon |
Janmashtami
The midnight birth of Lord Krishna. |
Krishna Ashtami |
| 31 Aug | Tue |
Nandotsav The day after Janmashtami, celebrating Nanda Maharaj's joy at the birth of baby Krishna with sweets and revelry. |
Krishna Navami |
September 2021 Bhadro – Ashshin
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Sep | Tue |
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 Ekadashi |
October 2021 Ashshin – Kartik
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Oct | Wed |
Mahalaya The new moon closing Pitru Paksha, when Devi is invoked at dawn. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 11 Oct | Mon |
Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi
Bodhon and Kalparambha — the formal welcome of Goddess Durga that opens the puja. |
Shukla Shashthi |
| 12 Oct | Tue |
Durga Puja — Maha Saptami Nabapatrika is bathed and Goddess Durga is worshipped on the seventh day of the puja. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 13 Oct | Wed |
Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami The grandest day of Durga Puja, with Kumari Puja and the Sandhi Puja at dusk. |
Shukla Ashtami |
| 14 Oct | Thu |
Durga Puja — Maha Navami The ninth day of Durga Puja, marked by Navami Homa and the final grand worship. |
Shukla Navami |
| 15 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 Dashami |
| 19 Oct | Tue |
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 2021 Kartik – Ogrohayon
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Nov | 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 Trayodashi |
| 4 Nov | Thu |
Kali Puja
On Diwali's new-moon night, Goddess Kali is worshipped through the night across Bengal. |
Krishna Amavasya |
| 6 Nov | 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 |
| 11 Nov | Thu |
Goshthashtami On Kartik Shukla Ashtami, cows and Lord Krishna as Gopala are honoured for their nurture and protection. |
Shukla Saptami |
| 12 Nov | Fri |
Jagaddhatri Puja Goddess Jagaddhatri, a serene form of Durga, is worshipped on Kartik Shukla Navami. |
Shukla Navami |
| 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 Dwadashi |
December 2021 Ogrohayon – Poush
| Date | Day | Festival / Vrat | Tithi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Dec | Sun |
Nabanna The Bengali harvest festival of the new rice in Agrahayan. |
Shukla Navami |
| 16 Dec | Thu | Itu Puja (Itur Vrata) Vrat | Shukla Trayodashi |
Months of the Bengali Calendar in 2021
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 2021, covering Bangabda 1427 – 1428. 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 2021 | 14 Jan 2021 | 14 |
| Magh | 15 Jan 2021 | 12 Feb 2021 | 29 |
| Falgun | 13 Feb 2021 | 14 Mar 2021 | 30 |
| Choitro | 15 Mar 2021 | 14 Apr 2021 | 31 |
| Boishakh | 15 Apr 2021 | 14 May 2021 | 30 |
| Joishtho | 15 May 2021 | 15 Jun 2021 | 32 |
| Asharh | 16 Jun 2021 | 16 Jul 2021 | 31 |
| Shrabon | 17 Jul 2021 | 17 Aug 2021 | 32 |
| Bhadro | 18 Aug 2021 | 17 Sep 2021 | 31 |
| Ashshin | 18 Sep 2021 | 17 Oct 2021 | 30 |
| Kartik | 18 Oct 2021 | 16 Nov 2021 | 30 |
| Ogrohayon | 17 Nov 2021 | 16 Dec 2021 | 30 |
| Poush part | 17 Dec 2021 | 31 Dec 2021 | 15 |
What happened in the sky in 2021
Beyond the dates the Bengali Calendar lists, 2021 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 2020 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 2021
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Bengali date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 May 4:48 PM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Joishtho Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 10 Jun 4:11 PM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Joishtho Amavasya | Not visible |
| 19 Nov 2:32 PM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 3 days after Kartik Puja | Ogrohayon Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 4 Dec 1:03 PM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Ogrohayon Amavasya | Not visible |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these.
Guru and Shani in 2021
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Apr 12:30 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Makara → Kumbha |
| 14 Sep 2:30 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Kumbha → Makara re-entry while retrograde |
| 20 Nov 11:40 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Makara → Kumbha |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Bengali Calendar 2021
How many festivals and vrats does the Bengali Calendar list in 2021?
The Bengali Calendar lists 36 dates in 2021, of which 2 are vrats. The first is Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) on Thursday, 14 January 2021, and the last is Itu Puja (Itur Vrata) on Thursday, 16 December 2021.
What are the main festival dates in the Bengali Calendar for 2021?
The first major observances of 2021 are:
- Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) - Thursday, 14 January 2021
- Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami) - Tuesday, 16 February 2021
- Maha Shivaratri - Thursday, 11 March 2021
- Dol Yatra (Holi) - Sunday, 28 March 2021
- Charak Puja & Gajan - Wednesday, 14 April 2021
- Poila Boishakh (Bengali New Year) - Thursday, 15 April 2021
Which month of 2021 has the most observances in the Bengali Calendar?
October 2021 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 2021 correspond to in the Bengali Calendar?
The Gregorian year 2021 spans Bangabda 1427 – 1428. 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 2021 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 2021 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 2021?
2021 had 4 eclipses:
- 26 May 2021 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 10 June 2021 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 19 November 2021 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 4 December 2021 - 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 2021?
Yes - 3 sign changes among the slow grahas in 2021:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Kumbha on 6 April 2021
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Makara on 14 September 2021, moving retrograde
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Kumbha on 20 November 2021
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 2021?
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.
