Durga Puja Calendar 2023
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 2023, from Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya on 14 October through Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on 28 October. October holds the most with 9 dates. The year runs through Shaka Samvat 1944 – 1945. 2023 carries an Adhik Maas (Shravana (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several dates later than usual.
October 2023
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Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya
Tithi 9:52 PM, Oct 13 – 11:30 PM, Oct 14
The last day of Pitru Paksha for ancestral tarpan, and the herald of Durga Puja.
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Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana)
Tithi 11:26 PM, Oct 14 – 12:39 AM, Oct 16
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 12:33 AM, Oct 20 – 11:32 PM, Oct 20
Bodhon and Kalparambha — the formal welcome of Goddess Durga that opens the puja.
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Durga Puja — Maha Saptami
Tithi 11:26 PM, Oct 20 – 9:59 PM, Oct 21
Nabapatrika is bathed and Goddess Durga is worshipped on the seventh day of the puja.
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Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami
Tithi 9:55 PM, Oct 21 – 8:03 PM, Oct 22
The grandest day of Durga Puja, with Kumari Puja and the Sandhi Puja at dusk.
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Durga Puja — Maha Navami
Tithi 8:01 PM, Oct 22 – 5:47 PM, Oct 23
The ninth day of Durga Puja, marked by Navami Homa and the final grand worship.
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Dussehra / Dasara (Vijayadashami)
Tithi 5:47 PM, Oct 23 – 3:15 PM, Oct 24
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 5:47 PM, Oct 23 – 3:15 PM, Oct 24
Tools, instruments and books are placed before Goddess Saraswati and worshipped on Vijayadashami.
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Kojagari Lakshmi Puja
Tithi 4:17 AM, Oct 28 – 1:46 AM, Oct 29
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 2023
Beyond the dates the Durga Puja Calendar lists, 2023 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 2 were above the horizon somewhere in India. The year also carried an Adhik Maas, the extra lunar month of Shravana, running from 18 July 2023 to 16 August 2023. Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi fell on 20 October, 19 days later in the year than in 2022 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 2023
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Hindu date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Apr 9:46 AM | Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Vaishakha Amavasya | Not visible |
| 5 May 10:53 PM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Vaishakha Purnima | Penumbral only |
| 14 Oct 11:29 PM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) on Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya | Ashwina Amavasya | Not visible |
| 29 Oct 1:44 AM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 1 day after Kojagari Lakshmi Puja | Kartika Krishna Pratipada | Yes - Sutak observed |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 1 of these. A penumbral (Upachhaya) eclipse is not counted as a grahan.
Guru and Shani in 2023
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 17 Jan 6:10 PM | Shani (Saturn) | Makara → Kumbha |
| 22 Apr 5:20 AM | Guru (Jupiter) | Meena → Mesha |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu entered Meena on 30 October 2023, carrying the eclipse axis with it.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Durga Puja Calendar 2023
How many festivals and vrats does the Durga Puja Calendar list in 2023?
The Durga Puja Calendar lists 9 dates in 2023. The first is Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya on Saturday, 14 October 2023, and the last is Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on Saturday, 28 October 2023.
What are the main festival dates in the Durga Puja Calendar for 2023?
The first major observances of 2023 are:
- Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya - Saturday, 14 October 2023
- Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana) - Sunday, 15 October 2023
- Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi - Friday, 20 October 2023
- Durga Puja — Maha Saptami - Saturday, 21 October 2023
- Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami - Sunday, 22 October 2023
- Durga Puja — Maha Navami - Monday, 23 October 2023
Which month of 2023 has the most observances in the Durga Puja Calendar?
October 2023 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 2023 correspond to in the Durga Puja Calendar?
The Gregorian year 2023 spans Shaka Samvat 1944 – 1945. 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 2023 have an Adhik Maas?
Yes. 2023 carried an Adhik Maas (Shravana (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 2023 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.
Were there any eclipses in 2023?
2023 had 4 eclipses:
- 20 April 2023 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 5 May 2023 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
- 14 October 2023 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India
- 29 October 2023 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra 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 2023?
Yes - 2 sign changes among the slow grahas in 2023:
- Shani (Saturn) entered Kumbha on 17 January 2023
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Mesha on 22 April 2023
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 2023 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.
