Durga Puja Calendar 1956
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 1956, from Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya on 3 October through Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on 18 October. October holds the most with 9 dates. The year runs through Shaka Samvat 1877 – 1878.
October 1956
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Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya
Tithi 2:48 PM, Oct 2 – 12:13 PM, Oct 3
The last day of Pitru Paksha for ancestral tarpan, and the herald of Durga Puja.
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Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana)
Tithi 9:40 AM, Oct 4 – 8:02 AM, Oct 5
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.
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Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi
Tithi 6:03 AM, Oct 8 – 7:19 AM, Oct 9
Bodhon and Kalparambha — the formal welcome of Goddess Durga that opens the puja.
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Durga Puja — Maha Saptami
Tithi 8:47 AM, Oct 10 – 11:02 AM, Oct 11
Nabapatrika is bathed and Goddess Durga is worshipped on the seventh day of the puja.
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Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami
Tithi 8:47 AM, Oct 10 – 11:02 AM, Oct 11
The grandest day of Durga Puja, with Kumari Puja and the Sandhi Puja at dusk.
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Durga Puja — Maha Navami
Tithi 1:28 PM, Oct 12 – 3:58 PM, Oct 13
The ninth day of Durga Puja, marked by Navami Homa and the final grand worship.
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Dussehra / Dasara (Vijayadashami)
Tithi 4:00 PM, Oct 13 – 6:19 PM, Oct 14
The victory of good over evil — effigies of Ravana are burnt and Durga is bid farewell.
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Ayudha Puja / Saraswati Puja
Tithi 4:00 PM, Oct 13 – 6:19 PM, Oct 14
Tools, instruments and books are placed before Goddess Saraswati and worshipped on Vijayadashami.
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Kojagari Lakshmi Puja
Tithi 10:41 PM, Oct 17 – 11:10 PM, Oct 18
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 1956
Beyond the dates the Durga Puja Calendar lists, 1956 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 2 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi fell on 9 October, 11 days earlier in the year than in 1955 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1956
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Hindu date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 May 9:01 PM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Jyeshtha Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 9 Jun 2:50 AM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Jyeshtha Shukla Pratipada | Not visible |
| 18 Nov 12:17 PM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Margashirsha Purnima | Not visible |
| 2 Dec 1:30 PM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Margashirsha Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these.
Guru and Shani in 1956
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 14 Mar 4:00 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Simha → Karka re-entry while retrograde |
| 22 May 9:40 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Karka → Simha |
| 28 Oct 10:30 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Simha → Kanya |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Durga Puja Calendar 1956
How many festivals and vrats does the Durga Puja Calendar list in 1956?
The Durga Puja Calendar lists 9 dates in 1956. The first is Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya on Wednesday, 3 October 1956, and the last is Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on Thursday, 18 October 1956.
What are the main festival dates in the Durga Puja Calendar for 1956?
The first major observances of 1956 are:
- Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya - Wednesday, 3 October 1956
- Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana) - Friday, 5 October 1956
- Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi - Tuesday, 9 October 1956
- Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami - Thursday, 11 October 1956
- Durga Puja — Maha Saptami - Thursday, 11 October 1956
- Durga Puja — Maha Navami - Saturday, 13 October 1956
Which month of 1956 has the most observances in the Durga Puja Calendar?
October 1956 is the fullest month with 9 dates, including Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya, Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana), Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi, Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami, Durga Puja — Maha Saptami, Durga Puja — Maha Navami, Ayudha Puja / Saraswati Puja, Dussehra / Dasara (Vijayadashami).
Which traditional year does 1956 correspond to in the Durga Puja Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1956 spans Shaka Samvat 1877 – 1878. 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 1956 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 1956 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 1956?
1956 had 4 eclipses:
- 24 May 1956 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 9 June 1956 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 18 November 1956 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India
- 2 December 1956 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya 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 1956?
Yes - 3 sign changes among the slow grahas in 1956:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Karka on 14 March 1956, moving retrograde
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Simha on 22 May 1956
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Kanya on 28 October 1956
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 1956 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.
