Durga Puja Calendar 1961
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 1961, from Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya on 9 October through Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on 23 October. October holds the most with 9 dates. The year runs through Shaka Samvat 1882 – 1883. 1961 carries an Adhik Maas (Jyeshtha (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several dates later than usual.
October 1961
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Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya
Tithi 10:52 PM, Oct 8 – 12:29 AM, Oct 10
The last day of Pitru Paksha for ancestral tarpan, and the herald of Durga Puja.
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Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana)
Tithi 12:23 AM, Oct 10 – 1:33 AM, Oct 11
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 1:17 AM, Oct 15 – 12:22 AM, Oct 16
Bodhon and Kalparambha — the formal welcome of Goddess Durga that opens the puja.
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Durga Puja — Maha Saptami
Tithi 12:16 AM, Oct 16 – 10:59 PM, Oct 16
Nabapatrika is bathed and Goddess Durga is worshipped on the seventh day of the puja.
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Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami
Tithi 10:54 PM, Oct 16 – 9:14 PM, Oct 17
The grandest day of Durga Puja, with Kumari Puja and the Sandhi Puja at dusk.
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Durga Puja — Maha Navami
Tithi 9:11 PM, Oct 17 – 7:09 PM, Oct 18
The ninth day of Durga Puja, marked by Navami Homa and the final grand worship.
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Dussehra / Dasara (Vijayadashami)
Tithi 7:08 PM, Oct 18 – 4:45 PM, Oct 19
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 7:08 PM, Oct 18 – 4:45 PM, Oct 19
Tools, instruments and books are placed before Goddess Saraswati and worshipped on Vijayadashami.
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Kojagari Lakshmi Puja
Tithi 5:37 AM, Oct 23 – 2:53 AM, Oct 24
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 1961
Beyond the dates the Durga Puja Calendar lists, 1961 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 3 were above the horizon somewhere in India. The year also carried an Adhik Maas, the extra lunar month of Jyeshtha, running from 15 May 1961 to 13 June 1961. Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi fell on 15 October, 18 days later in the year than in 1960 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1961
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Hindu date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Feb 1:49 PM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Phalguna Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 2 Mar 6:58 PM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Phalguna Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 11 Aug 4:16 PM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Shravana Amavasya | Not visible |
| 26 Aug 8:38 AM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Bhadrapada Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 3 of these.
Guru and Shani in 1961
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Feb 12:10 AM | Shani (Saturn) | Dhanu → Makara |
| 10 Feb 11:40 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Dhanu → Makara |
| 17 Sep 10:30 PM | Shani (Saturn) | Makara → Dhanu re-entry while retrograde |
| 8 Oct 2:50 AM | Shani (Saturn) | Dhanu → Makara |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Karka on 30 October 1961, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Durga Puja Calendar 1961
How many festivals and vrats does the Durga Puja Calendar list in 1961?
The Durga Puja Calendar lists 9 dates in 1961. The first is Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya on Monday, 9 October 1961, and the last is Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on Monday, 23 October 1961.
What are the main festival dates in the Durga Puja Calendar for 1961?
The first major observances of 1961 are:
- Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya - Monday, 9 October 1961
- Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana) - Tuesday, 10 October 1961
- Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi - Sunday, 15 October 1961
- Durga Puja — Maha Saptami - Monday, 16 October 1961
- Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami - Tuesday, 17 October 1961
- Durga Puja — Maha Navami - Wednesday, 18 October 1961
Which month of 1961 has the most observances in the Durga Puja Calendar?
October 1961 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 1961 correspond to in the Durga Puja Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1961 spans Shaka Samvat 1882 – 1883. 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 1961 have an Adhik Maas?
Yes. 1961 carried an Adhik Maas (Jyeshtha (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 1961 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.
Were there any eclipses in 1961?
1961 had 4 eclipses:
- 15 February 1961 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 2 March 1961 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 11 August 1961 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 26 August 1961 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
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 1961?
Yes - 4 sign changes among the slow grahas in 1961:
- Shani (Saturn) entered Makara on 2 February 1961
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Makara on 10 February 1961
- Shani (Saturn) entered Dhanu on 17 September 1961, moving retrograde
- Shani (Saturn) entered Makara on 8 October 1961
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 1961 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.
