Durga Puja Calendar

Durga Puja Calendar 2001

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 2001, from Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya on 17 September through Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on 31 October. October holds the most with 8 dates. The year runs through Shaka Samvat 1922 – 1923. 2001 carries an Adhik Maas (Ashwina (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several dates later than usual.

September 2001

  • Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya

    Monday, 17 September 2001 Krishna Amavasya

    Tithi 7:44 PM, Sep 16 3:56 PM, Sep 17

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

October 2001

  • Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana)

    Wednesday, 17 October 2001 Shukla Pratipada

    Tithi 12:52 AM, Oct 17 9:57 PM, Oct 17

    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, 22 October 2001 Shukla Shashthi

    Tithi 5:05 PM, Oct 21 5:54 PM, Oct 22

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

  • Durga Puja — Maha Saptami

    Tuesday, 23 October 2001 Shukla Saptami

    Tithi 5:53 PM, Oct 22 7:24 PM, Oct 23

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

  • Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami

    Wednesday, 24 October 2001 Shukla Ashtami

    Tithi 7:26 PM, Oct 23 9:29 PM, Oct 24

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

  • Durga Puja — Maha Navami

    Thursday, 25 October 2001 Shukla Navami

    Tithi 9:33 PM, Oct 24 11:57 PM, Oct 25

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

  • Dussehra / Dasara (Vijayadashami)

    Friday, 26 October 2001 Shukla Dashami

    Tithi 11:59 PM, Oct 25 2:32 AM, Oct 27

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

  • Ayudha Puja / Saraswati Puja

    Friday, 26 October 2001 Shukla Dashami

    Tithi 11:59 PM, Oct 25 2:32 AM, Oct 27

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

  • Kojagari Lakshmi Puja

    Wednesday, 31 October 2001 Shukla Chaturdashi

    Tithi 9:06 AM, Oct 30 10:17 AM, Oct 31

    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 2001

Beyond the dates the Durga Puja Calendar lists, 2001 brought 5 eclipses - 2 solar and 3 lunar - of which 3 were above the horizon somewhere in India. The year also carried an Adhik Maas, the extra lunar month of Ashwina, running from 18 September 2001 to 16 October 2001. Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi fell on 22 October, 18 days later in the year than in 2000 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.

Eclipses of 2001

Date (IST) Eclipse Hindu date Seen from India
10 Jan 1:50 AM Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Pausha Krishna Pratipada Yes - Sutak observed
21 Jun 5:33 PM Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) Ashadha Amavasya Not visible
5 Jul 8:25 PM Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Ashadha Purnima Yes - Sutak observed
15 Dec 2:21 AM Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) Margashirsha Shukla Pratipada Not visible
30 Dec 3:59 PM Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Pausha Purnima Penumbral only

Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these. A penumbral (Upachhaya) eclipse is not counted as a grahan.

Guru and Shani in 2001

Date Graha Sign change
16 Jun 7:30 AM Guru (Jupiter) Vrishabha → Mithuna

Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half.

Frequently asked questions about the Durga Puja Calendar 2001

How many festivals and vrats does the Durga Puja Calendar list in 2001?

The Durga Puja Calendar lists 9 dates in 2001. The first is Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya on Monday, 17 September 2001, and the last is Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on Wednesday, 31 October 2001.

What are the main festival dates in the Durga Puja Calendar for 2001?

The first major observances of 2001 are:

  • Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya - Monday, 17 September 2001
  • Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana) - Wednesday, 17 October 2001
  • Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi - Monday, 22 October 2001
  • Durga Puja — Maha Saptami - Tuesday, 23 October 2001
  • Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami - Wednesday, 24 October 2001
  • Durga Puja — Maha Navami - Thursday, 25 October 2001
Which month of 2001 has the most observances in the Durga Puja Calendar?

October 2001 is the fullest month with 8 dates, including 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), Kojagari Lakshmi Puja.

Which traditional year does 2001 correspond to in the Durga Puja Calendar?

The Gregorian year 2001 spans Shaka Samvat 1922 – 1923. 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 2001 have an Adhik Maas?

Yes. 2001 carried an Adhik Maas (Ashwina (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 2001 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.

Were there any eclipses in 2001?

2001 had 5 eclipses:

  • 10 January 2001 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
  • 21 June 2001 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
  • 5 July 2001 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
  • 15 December 2001 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
  • 30 December 2001 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak 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 2001?

Yes - 1 sign change among the slow grahas in 2001:

  • Guru (Jupiter) entered Mithuna on 16 June 2001

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 2001 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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