Durga Puja Calendar

Durga Puja Calendar 1950

The Durga Puja festival calendar - from Mahalaya through Maha Shashthi, Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Vijayadashami, with the tithi for each day.

The Durga Puja Calendar lists 9 dates in 1950, from Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya on 11 October through Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on 25 October. October holds the most with 9 dates. The year runs through Shaka Samvat 1871 – 1872. 1950 carries an Adhik Maas (Ashadha (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several dates later than usual.

October 1950

  • Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya

    Wednesday, 11 October 1950 Krishna Amavasya

    Tithi 9:58 PM, Oct 10 7:07 PM, Oct 11

    The last day of Pitru Paksha for ancestral tarpan, and the herald of Durga Puja.

  • Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana)

    Thursday, 12 October 1950 Shukla Pratipada

    Tithi 7:05 PM, Oct 11 3:52 PM, Oct 12

    Nine nights of worship of Goddess Durga begin on Ashwin Shukla Pratipada, opened by the Ghatasthapana (kalash) ritual in Maharashtra and the garba and dandiya-raas nights of Gujarat; in Rajasthan the Karni Mata fair at Deshnok and the Jeen Mata fair draw great crowds.

  • Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi

    Monday, 16 October 1950 Shukla Shashthi

    Tithi 3:02 AM, Oct 16 12:23 AM, Oct 17

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

  • Durga Puja — Maha Saptami

    Tuesday, 17 October 1950 Shukla Saptami

    Tithi 12:32 AM, Oct 17 10:25 PM, Oct 17

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

  • Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami

    Wednesday, 18 October 1950 Shukla Ashtami

    Tithi 10:32 PM, Oct 17 9:02 PM, Oct 18

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

  • Durga Puja — Maha Navami

    Thursday, 19 October 1950 Shukla Navami

    Tithi 9:07 PM, Oct 18 8:14 PM, Oct 19

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

  • Dussehra / Dasara (Vijayadashami)

    Friday, 20 October 1950 Shukla Dashami

    Tithi 8:18 PM, Oct 19 8:02 PM, Oct 20

    The victory of good over evil — effigies of Ravana are burnt and Durga is bid farewell.

  • Ayudha Puja / Saraswati Puja

    Friday, 20 October 1950 Shukla Dashami

    Tithi 8:18 PM, Oct 19 8:02 PM, Oct 20

    Tools, instruments and books are placed before Goddess Saraswati and worshipped on Vijayadashami.

  • Kojagari Lakshmi Puja

    Wednesday, 25 October 1950 Shukla Purnima

    Tithi 12:16 AM, Oct 25 2:11 AM, Oct 26

    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.

Tithi start and end times are shown in your local time. Festival dates follow the standard Indian (sunrise) calendar and may vary by a day in other regions, and may differ slightly from regional almanacs (especially around an Adhik Maas).

What happened in the sky in 1950

Beyond the dates the Durga Puja Calendar lists, 1950 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 1 was above the horizon somewhere in India. The year also carried an Adhik Maas, the extra lunar month of Ashadha, running from 16 June 1950 to 15 July 1950. Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi fell on 16 October, 19 days later in the year than in 1949 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.

Eclipses of 1950

Date (IST) Eclipse Hindu date Seen from India
18 Mar 9:01 PM Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) Chaitra Amavasya Not visible
3 Apr 2:14 AM Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Chaitra Krishna Pratipada Yes - Sutak observed
12 Sep 9:08 AM Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) Bhadrapada Amavasya Not visible
26 Sep 9:46 AM Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Ashwina Purnima Not visible

Sutak Kaal was observed for 1 of these.

Guru and Shani in 1950

Date Graha Sign change
13 Mar 10:20 AM Guru (Jupiter) Makara → Kumbha
20 Sep 6:10 AM Shani (Saturn) Simha → Kanya

Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Kumbha on 24 December 1950, carrying the eclipse axis with it.

Frequently asked questions about the Durga Puja Calendar 1950

How many festivals and vrats does the Durga Puja Calendar list in 1950?

The Durga Puja Calendar lists 9 dates in 1950. The first is Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya on Wednesday, 11 October 1950, and the last is Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on Wednesday, 25 October 1950.

What are the main festival dates in the Durga Puja Calendar for 1950?

The first major observances of 1950 are:

  • Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya - Wednesday, 11 October 1950
  • Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana) - Thursday, 12 October 1950
  • Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi - Monday, 16 October 1950
  • Durga Puja — Maha Saptami - Tuesday, 17 October 1950
  • Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami - Wednesday, 18 October 1950
  • Durga Puja — Maha Navami - Thursday, 19 October 1950
Which month of 1950 has the most observances in the Durga Puja Calendar?

October 1950 is the fullest month with 9 dates, including Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya, Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana), Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi, Durga Puja — Maha Saptami, Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami, Durga Puja — Maha Navami, Ayudha Puja / Saraswati Puja, Dussehra / Dasara (Vijayadashami).

Which traditional year does 1950 correspond to in the Durga Puja Calendar?

The Gregorian year 1950 spans Shaka Samvat 1871 – 1872. 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 1950 have an Adhik Maas?

Yes. 1950 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 1950 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.

Were there any eclipses in 1950?

1950 had 4 eclipses:

  • 18 March 1950 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
  • 3 April 1950 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
  • 12 September 1950 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
  • 26 September 1950 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra 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 1950?

Yes - 2 sign changes among the slow grahas in 1950:

  • Guru (Jupiter) entered Kumbha on 13 March 1950
  • Shani (Saturn) entered Kanya on 20 September 1950

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.

Are these 1950 dates the same everywhere?

The dates follow the standard Indian sunrise-based calendar. Because a tithi begins and ends at a fixed moment rather than at midnight, an observance can fall a day earlier or later where sunrise differs - most noticeably outside India. Set your city in the box at the top to see the start and end times in your own local time, and check the daily Panchang for the exact window on the day.

About the Durga Puja Calendar

The Durga Puja festival calendar - from Mahalaya through Maha Shashthi, Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Vijayadashami, with the tithi for each day.

Each entry lists the festival or vrat with its date, the prevailing tithi, and a short note on the observance. Use the year links to plan ahead into the coming years or to look up a date from the archive.

This list is the festival dates, not the daily five limbs. For sunrise, Rahu Kalam and the day's yoga, open the Panchang. Other calendars are on the Calendars index. The story of a fast is under Vrat Katha.

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