Durga Puja Calendar 1979
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 1979, from Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya on 21 September through Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on 5 October. September holds the most with 6 dates. The year runs through Shaka Samvat 1900 – 1901.
September 1979
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Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya
Tithi 12:48 PM, Sep 20 – 3:17 PM, Sep 21
The last day of Pitru Paksha for ancestral tarpan, and the herald of Durga Puja.
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Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana)
Tithi 3:19 PM, Sep 21 – 5:34 PM, Sep 22
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 10:47 PM, Sep 26 – 10:57 PM, Sep 27
Bodhon and Kalparambha — the formal welcome of Goddess Durga that opens the puja.
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Durga Puja — Maha Saptami
Tithi 10:51 PM, Sep 27 – 10:27 PM, Sep 28
Nabapatrika is bathed and Goddess Durga is worshipped on the seventh day of the puja.
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Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami
Tithi 10:20 PM, Sep 28 – 9:19 PM, Sep 29
The grandest day of Durga Puja, with Kumari Puja and the Sandhi Puja at dusk.
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Durga Puja — Maha Navami
Tithi 9:14 PM, Sep 29 – 7:36 PM, Sep 30
The ninth day of Durga Puja, marked by Navami Homa and the final grand worship.
October 1979
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Dussehra / Dasara (Vijayadashami)
Tithi 7:33 PM, Sep 30 – 5:19 PM, Oct 1
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 7:33 PM, Sep 30 – 5:19 PM, Oct 1
Tools, instruments and books are placed before Goddess Saraswati and worshipped on Vijayadashami.
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Kojagari Lakshmi Puja
Tithi 4:33 AM, Oct 5 – 1:03 AM, Oct 6
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 1979
Beyond the dates the Durga Puja Calendar lists, 1979 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 2 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi fell on 27 September, 10 days earlier in the year than in 1978 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1979
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Hindu date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Feb 10:24 PM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Phalguna Amavasya | Not visible |
| 14 Mar 2:38 AM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Phalguna Krishna Pratipada | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 22 Aug 10:51 PM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Bhadrapada Amavasya | Not visible |
| 6 Sep 4:24 PM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Bhadrapada Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these.
Guru and Shani in 1979
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Aug 7:20 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Karka → Simha |
| 4 Nov 1:20 AM | Shani (Saturn) | 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 1979
How many festivals and vrats does the Durga Puja Calendar list in 1979?
The Durga Puja Calendar lists 9 dates in 1979. The first is Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya on Friday, 21 September 1979, and the last is Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on Friday, 5 October 1979.
What are the main festival dates in the Durga Puja Calendar for 1979?
The first major observances of 1979 are:
- Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya - Friday, 21 September 1979
- Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana) - Saturday, 22 September 1979
- Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi - Thursday, 27 September 1979
- Durga Puja — Maha Saptami - Friday, 28 September 1979
- Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami - Saturday, 29 September 1979
- Durga Puja — Maha Navami - Sunday, 30 September 1979
Which month of 1979 has the most observances in the Durga Puja Calendar?
September 1979 is the fullest month with 6 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.
Which traditional year does 1979 correspond to in the Durga Puja Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1979 spans Shaka Samvat 1900 – 1901. 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 1979 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 1979 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 1979?
1979 had 4 eclipses:
- 26 February 1979 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 14 March 1979 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 22 August 1979 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 6 September 1979 - Total 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 2 of these were kept in India.
Did Guru or Shani change sign in 1979?
Yes - 2 sign changes among the slow grahas in 1979:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Simha on 29 August 1979
- Shani (Saturn) entered Kanya on 4 November 1979
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 1979 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.
