Durga Puja Calendar 2003
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 2003, from Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya on 25 September through Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on 9 October. October holds the most with 7 dates. The year runs through Shaka Samvat 1924 – 1925.
September 2003
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Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya
Tithi 1:34 PM, Sep 24 – 11:16 AM, Sep 25
The last day of Pitru Paksha for ancestral tarpan, and the herald of Durga Puja.
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Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana)
Tithi 11:24 AM, Sep 25 – 8:39 AM, Sep 26
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 2003
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Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi
Tithi 5:53 PM, Sep 30 – 3:30 PM, Oct 1
Bodhon and Kalparambha — the formal welcome of Goddess Durga that opens the puja.
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Durga Puja — Maha Saptami
Tithi 3:27 PM, Oct 1 – 1:29 PM, Oct 2
Nabapatrika is bathed and Goddess Durga is worshipped on the seventh day of the puja.
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Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami
Tithi 1:23 PM, Oct 2 – 11:53 AM, Oct 3
The grandest day of Durga Puja, with Kumari Puja and the Sandhi Puja at dusk.
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Durga Puja — Maha Navami
Tithi 1:23 PM, Oct 2 – 11:53 AM, Oct 3
The ninth day of Durga Puja, marked by Navami Homa and the final grand worship.
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Dussehra / Dasara (Vijayadashami)
Tithi 11:45 AM, Oct 3 – 10:42 AM, Oct 4
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 11:45 AM, Oct 3 – 10:42 AM, Oct 4
Tools, instruments and books are placed before Goddess Saraswati and worshipped on Vijayadashami.
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Kojagari Lakshmi Puja
Tithi 10:15 AM, Oct 8 – 11:26 AM, Oct 9
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 2003
Beyond the dates the Durga Puja Calendar lists, 2003 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 2 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi fell on 1 October, 10 days earlier in the year than in 2002 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 2003
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Hindu date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 May 9:10 AM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Jyeshtha Purnima | Not visible |
| 31 May 9:38 AM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Jyeshtha Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 9 Nov 6:48 AM | Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Kartika Purnima | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 24 Nov 4:19 AM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Margashirsha Shukla Pratipada | Not visible |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these.
Guru and Shani in 2003
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 8 Jan 2:00 PM | Shani (Saturn) | Mithuna → Vrishabha re-entry while retrograde |
| 7 Apr 8:20 PM | Shani (Saturn) | Vrishabha → Mithuna |
| 30 Jul 12:00 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Karka → Simha |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Mesha on 6 September 2003, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Durga Puja Calendar 2003
How many festivals and vrats does the Durga Puja Calendar list in 2003?
The Durga Puja Calendar lists 9 dates in 2003. The first is Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya on Thursday, 25 September 2003, and the last is Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on Thursday, 9 October 2003.
What are the main festival dates in the Durga Puja Calendar for 2003?
The first major observances of 2003 are:
- Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya - Thursday, 25 September 2003
- Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana) - Friday, 26 September 2003
- Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi - Wednesday, 1 October 2003
- Durga Puja — Maha Saptami - Thursday, 2 October 2003
- Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami - Friday, 3 October 2003
- Durga Puja — Maha Navami - Friday, 3 October 2003
Which month of 2003 has the most observances in the Durga Puja Calendar?
October 2003 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 2003 correspond to in the Durga Puja Calendar?
The Gregorian year 2003 spans Shaka Samvat 1924 – 1925. 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 2003 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 2003 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 2003?
2003 had 4 eclipses:
- 16 May 2003 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India
- 31 May 2003 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 9 November 2003 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 24 November 2003 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
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 2003?
Yes - 3 sign changes among the slow grahas in 2003:
- Shani (Saturn) entered Vrishabha on 8 January 2003, moving retrograde
- Shani (Saturn) entered Mithuna on 7 April 2003
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Simha on 30 July 2003
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 2003 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.
