Durga Puja Calendar

Durga Puja Calendar 2010

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 2010, from Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya on 7 October through Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on 22 October. October holds the most with 9 dates. The year runs through Shaka Samvat 1931 – 1932. 2010 carries an Adhik Maas (Vaishakha (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several dates later than usual.

October 2010

  • Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya

    Thursday, 7 October 2010 Krishna Amavasya

    Tithi 3:49 AM, Oct 7 12:11 AM, Oct 8

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

  • Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana)

    Friday, 8 October 2010 Shukla Pratipada

    Tithi 12:13 AM, Oct 8 8:48 PM, Oct 8

    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

    Wednesday, 13 October 2010 Shukla Shashthi

    Tithi 1:00 PM, Oct 12 1:16 PM, Oct 13

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

  • Durga Puja — Maha Saptami

    Thursday, 14 October 2010 Shukla Saptami

    Tithi 1:07 PM, Oct 13 2:11 PM, Oct 14

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

  • Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami

    Friday, 15 October 2010 Shukla Ashtami

    Tithi 2:05 PM, Oct 14 3:48 PM, Oct 15

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

  • Durga Puja — Maha Navami

    Saturday, 16 October 2010 Shukla Navami

    Tithi 3:46 PM, Oct 15 5:58 PM, Oct 16

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

  • Dussehra / Dasara (Vijayadashami)

    Sunday, 17 October 2010 Shukla Dashami

    Tithi 5:58 PM, Oct 16 8:26 PM, Oct 17

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

  • Ayudha Puja / Saraswati Puja

    Sunday, 17 October 2010 Shukla Dashami

    Tithi 5:58 PM, Oct 16 8:26 PM, Oct 17

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

  • Kojagari Lakshmi Puja

    Friday, 22 October 2010 Shukla Purnima

    Tithi 5:35 AM, Oct 22 7:16 AM, Oct 23

    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 2010

Beyond the dates the Durga Puja Calendar lists, 2010 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 Vaishakha, running from 15 April 2010 to 14 May 2010. Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi fell on 13 October, 19 days later in the year than in 2009 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.

Eclipses of 2010

Date (IST) Eclipse Hindu date Seen from India
1 Jan 12:52 AM Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Pausha Krishna Pratipada Yes - Sutak observed
15 Jan 12:36 PM Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) Magha Amavasya Yes - Sutak observed
26 Jun 5:08 PM Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Ashadha Purnima Yes - Sutak observed
12 Jul 1:03 AM Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) Ashadha Shukla Pratipada Not visible
21 Dec 1:46 PM Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Pausha Purnima Not visible

Sutak Kaal was observed for 3 of these.

Guru and Shani in 2010

Date Graha Sign change
2 May 8:10 AM Guru (Jupiter) Kumbha → Meena
1 Nov 1:00 PM Guru (Jupiter) Meena → Kumbha re-entry while retrograde
6 Dec 9:20 AM Guru (Jupiter) Kumbha → Meena

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

Frequently asked questions about the Durga Puja Calendar 2010

How many festivals and vrats does the Durga Puja Calendar list in 2010?

The Durga Puja Calendar lists 9 dates in 2010. The first is Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya on Thursday, 7 October 2010, and the last is Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on Friday, 22 October 2010.

What are the main festival dates in the Durga Puja Calendar for 2010?

The first major observances of 2010 are:

  • Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya - Thursday, 7 October 2010
  • Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana) - Friday, 8 October 2010
  • Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi - Wednesday, 13 October 2010
  • Durga Puja — Maha Saptami - Thursday, 14 October 2010
  • Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami - Friday, 15 October 2010
  • Durga Puja — Maha Navami - Saturday, 16 October 2010
Which month of 2010 has the most observances in the Durga Puja Calendar?

October 2010 is the fullest month with 9 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, Ayudha Puja / Saraswati Puja, Dussehra / Dasara (Vijayadashami).

Which traditional year does 2010 correspond to in the Durga Puja Calendar?

The Gregorian year 2010 spans Shaka Samvat 1931 – 1932. 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 2010 have an Adhik Maas?

Yes. 2010 carried an Adhik Maas (Vaishakha (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 2010 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.

Were there any eclipses in 2010?

2010 had 5 eclipses:

  • 1 January 2010 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
  • 15 January 2010 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
  • 26 June 2010 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
  • 12 July 2010 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
  • 21 December 2010 - Total lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India

Sutak Kaal is observed only for an eclipse actually visible where you are, so 3 of these were kept in India.

Did Guru or Shani change sign in 2010?

Yes - 3 sign changes among the slow grahas in 2010:

  • Guru (Jupiter) entered Meena on 2 May 2010
  • Guru (Jupiter) entered Kumbha on 1 November 2010, moving retrograde
  • Guru (Jupiter) entered Meena on 6 December 2010

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 2010 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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