Durga Puja Calendar 1981
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 1981, from Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya on 27 September through Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on 12 October. October holds the most with 7 dates. The year runs through Shaka Samvat 1902 – 1903.
September 1981
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Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya
Tithi 8:21 AM, Sep 26 – 8:51 AM, Sep 27
The last day of Pitru Paksha for ancestral tarpan, and the herald of Durga Puja.
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Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana)
Tithi 9:28 AM, Sep 28 – 10:47 AM, Sep 29
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.
October 1981
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Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi
Tithi 7:19 PM, Oct 3 – 9:54 PM, Oct 4
Bodhon and Kalparambha — the formal welcome of Goddess Durga that opens the puja.
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Durga Puja — Maha Saptami
Tithi 9:53 PM, Oct 4 – 12:18 AM, Oct 6
Nabapatrika is bathed and Goddess Durga is worshipped on the seventh day of the puja.
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Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami
Tithi 12:14 AM, Oct 6 – 2:17 AM, Oct 7
The grandest day of Durga Puja, with Kumari Puja and the Sandhi Puja at dusk.
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Durga Puja — Maha Navami
Tithi 2:08 AM, Oct 7 – 3:37 AM, Oct 8
The ninth day of Durga Puja, marked by Navami Homa and the final grand worship.
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Dussehra / Dasara (Vijayadashami)
Tithi 3:22 AM, Oct 8 – 4:08 AM, Oct 9
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 3:22 AM, Oct 8 – 4:08 AM, Oct 9
Tools, instruments and books are placed before Goddess Saraswati and worshipped on Vijayadashami.
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Kojagari Lakshmi Puja
Tithi 12:07 AM, Oct 12 – 9:34 PM, Oct 12
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 1981
Beyond the dates the Durga Puja Calendar lists, 1981 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 1 was above the horizon somewhere in India. Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi fell on 4 October, 12 days earlier in the year than in 1980 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1981
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Hindu date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Jan 1:19 PM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Magha Purnima | Not visible |
| 5 Feb 3:38 AM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Magha Shukla Pratipada | Not visible |
| 17 Jul 10:16 AM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Shravana Purnima | Not visible |
| 31 Jul 9:15 AM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Shravana Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 1 of these.
Guru and Shani in 1981
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Oct 1:30 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Kanya → Tula |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Mithuna on 24 December 1981, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Durga Puja Calendar 1981
How many festivals and vrats does the Durga Puja Calendar list in 1981?
The Durga Puja Calendar lists 9 dates in 1981. The first is Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya on Sunday, 27 September 1981, and the last is Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on Monday, 12 October 1981.
What are the main festival dates in the Durga Puja Calendar for 1981?
The first major observances of 1981 are:
- Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya - Sunday, 27 September 1981
- Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana) - Tuesday, 29 September 1981
- Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi - Sunday, 4 October 1981
- Durga Puja — Maha Saptami - Monday, 5 October 1981
- Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami - Tuesday, 6 October 1981
- Durga Puja — Maha Navami - Wednesday, 7 October 1981
Which month of 1981 has the most observances in the Durga Puja Calendar?
October 1981 is the fullest month with 7 dates, including Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi, Durga Puja — Maha Saptami, Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami, Durga Puja — Maha Navami, Ayudha Puja / Saraswati Puja, Dussehra / Dasara (Vijayadashami), Kojagari Lakshmi Puja.
Which traditional year does 1981 correspond to in the Durga Puja Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1981 spans Shaka Samvat 1902 – 1903. 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 1981 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 1981 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 1981?
1981 had 4 eclipses:
- 20 January 1981 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India
- 5 February 1981 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 17 July 1981 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India
- 31 July 1981 - Total 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 1 of these was kept in India.
Did Guru or Shani change sign in 1981?
Yes - 1 sign change among the slow grahas in 1981:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Tula on 27 October 1981
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 1981 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.
