Durga Puja Calendar 2006
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 2006, from Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya on 22 September through Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on 6 October. September holds the most with 5 dates. The year runs through Shaka Samvat 1927 – 1928.
September 2006
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Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya
Tithi 2:35 PM, Sep 21 – 5:15 PM, Sep 22
The last day of Pitru Paksha for ancestral tarpan, and the herald of Durga Puja.
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Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana)
Tithi 5:15 PM, Sep 22 – 7:53 PM, Sep 23
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 3:47 AM, Sep 28 – 4:50 AM, Sep 29
Bodhon and Kalparambha — the formal welcome of Goddess Durga that opens the puja.
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Durga Puja — Maha Saptami
Tithi 4:35 AM, Sep 29 – 5:02 AM, Sep 30
Nabapatrika is bathed and Goddess Durga is worshipped on the seventh day of the puja.
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Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami
Tithi 4:44 AM, Sep 30 – 4:30 AM, Oct 1
The grandest day of Durga Puja, with Kumari Puja and the Sandhi Puja at dusk.
October 2006
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Durga Puja — Maha Navami
Tithi 4:12 AM, Oct 1 – 3:14 AM, Oct 2
The ninth day of Durga Puja, marked by Navami Homa and the final grand worship.
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Dussehra / Dasara (Vijayadashami)
Tithi 2:57 AM, Oct 2 – 1:16 AM, Oct 3
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 2:57 AM, Oct 2 – 1:16 AM, Oct 3
Tools, instruments and books are placed before Goddess Saraswati and worshipped on Vijayadashami.
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Kojagari Lakshmi Puja
Tithi 4:07 PM, Oct 5 – 12:26 PM, 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 2006
Beyond the dates the Durga Puja Calendar lists, 2006 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 3 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi fell on 28 September, 11 days earlier in the year than in 2005 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 2006
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Hindu date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Mar 5:17 AM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Chaitra Krishna Pratipada | Penumbral only |
| 29 Mar 3:41 PM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Chaitra Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 8 Sep 12:21 AM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Bhadrapada Krishna Pratipada | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 22 Sep 5:10 PM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) on Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya | Ashwina Amavasya | Not visible |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 2 of these. A penumbral (Upachhaya) eclipse is not counted as a grahan.
Guru and Shani in 2006
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Oct 10:30 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Tula → Vrishchika |
| 1 Nov 7:20 AM | Shani (Saturn) | Karka → Simha |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Kumbha on 12 October 2006, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Durga Puja Calendar 2006
How many festivals and vrats does the Durga Puja Calendar list in 2006?
The Durga Puja Calendar lists 9 dates in 2006. The first is Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya on Friday, 22 September 2006, and the last is Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on Friday, 6 October 2006.
What are the main festival dates in the Durga Puja Calendar for 2006?
The first major observances of 2006 are:
- Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya - Friday, 22 September 2006
- Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana) - Saturday, 23 September 2006
- Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi - Thursday, 28 September 2006
- Durga Puja — Maha Saptami - Friday, 29 September 2006
- Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami - Saturday, 30 September 2006
- Durga Puja — Maha Navami - Sunday, 1 October 2006
Which month of 2006 has the most observances in the Durga Puja Calendar?
September 2006 is the fullest month with 5 dates, including Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya, Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana), Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi, Durga Puja — Maha Saptami, Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami.
Which traditional year does 2006 correspond to in the Durga Puja Calendar?
The Gregorian year 2006 spans Shaka Samvat 1927 – 1928. 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 2006 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 2006 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 2006?
2006 had 4 eclipses:
- 15 March 2006 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
- 29 March 2006 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 8 September 2006 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 22 September 2006 - Annular 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 2006?
Yes - 2 sign changes among the slow grahas in 2006:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Vrishchika on 27 October 2006
- Shani (Saturn) entered Simha on 1 November 2006
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 2006 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.
