Durga Puja Calendar

Durga Puja Calendar 2031

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 2031, from Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya on 15 October through Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on 29 October. October holds the most with 9 dates. The year runs through Shaka Samvat 1952 – 1953. 2031 carries an Adhik Maas (Bhadrapada (Adhik)), the extra lunar month that pushes several dates later than usual.

October 2031

  • Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya

    Wednesday, 15 October 2031 Krishna Chaturdashi

    Tithi 2:12 PM, Oct 14 2:15 PM, Oct 15

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

  • Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana)

    Friday, 17 October 2031 Shukla Pratipada

    Tithi 1:57 PM, Oct 16 1:00 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

    Tuesday, 21 October 2031 Shukla Panchami

    Tithi 8:29 AM, Oct 20 6:26 AM, Oct 21

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

  • Durga Puja — Maha Saptami

    Wednesday, 22 October 2031 Shukla Saptami

    Tithi 4:21 AM, Oct 22 2:13 AM, Oct 23

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

  • Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami

    Thursday, 23 October 2031 Shukla Ashtami

    Tithi 2:12 AM, Oct 23 12:00 AM, Oct 24

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

  • Durga Puja — Maha Navami

    Friday, 24 October 2031 Shukla Navami

    Tithi 12:00 AM, Oct 24 9:50 PM, Oct 24

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

  • Dussehra / Dasara (Vijayadashami)

    Saturday, 25 October 2031 Shukla Dashami

    Tithi 9:50 PM, Oct 24 7:45 PM, Oct 25

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

  • Ayudha Puja / Saraswati Puja

    Saturday, 25 October 2031 Shukla Dashami

    Tithi 9:50 PM, Oct 24 7:45 PM, Oct 25

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

  • Kojagari Lakshmi Puja

    Wednesday, 29 October 2031 Shukla Chaturdashi

    Tithi 2:34 PM, Oct 28 1:36 PM, 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 the sky brings in 2031

Beyond the dates the Durga Puja Calendar lists, 2031 brings 5 eclipses - 2 solar and 3 lunar - of which 2 are above the horizon somewhere in India. The year also carries an Adhik Maas, the extra lunar month of Bhadrapada, running from 19 August 2031 to 16 September 2031. Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi falls on 21 October, 19 days later in the year than in 2030 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.

Eclipses of 2031

Date (IST) Eclipse Hindu date Seen from India
7 May 9:20 AM Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Vaishakha Purnima Not visible
21 May 12:44 PM Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) Jyeshtha Amavasya Yes - Sutak observed
5 Jun 5:14 PM Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) Jyeshtha Purnima Penumbral only
30 Oct 1:15 PM Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) 1 day after Kojagari Lakshmi Puja Kartika Purnima Not visible
15 Nov 2:36 AM Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) Kartika Shukla Pratipada Not visible

Sutak Kaal is observed for 1 of these. A penumbral (Upachhaya) eclipse is not counted as a grahan.

Guru and Shani in 2031

Date Graha Sign change
17 Feb 3:10 PM Guru (Jupiter) Vrishchika → Dhanu
14 Jun 3:30 AM Guru (Jupiter) Dhanu → Vrishchika re-entry while retrograde
15 Oct 4:20 PM Guru (Jupiter) Vrishchika → Dhanu

Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half. Rahu enters Tula on 31 July 2031, carrying the eclipse axis with it.

Frequently asked questions about the Durga Puja Calendar 2031

How many festivals and vrats does the Durga Puja Calendar list in 2031?

The Durga Puja Calendar lists 9 dates in 2031. The first is Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya on Wednesday, 15 October 2031, and the last is Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on Wednesday, 29 October 2031.

What are the main festival dates in the Durga Puja Calendar for 2031?

The first major observances of 2031 are:

  • Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya - Wednesday, 15 October 2031
  • Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana) - Friday, 17 October 2031
  • Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi - Tuesday, 21 October 2031
  • Durga Puja — Maha Saptami - Wednesday, 22 October 2031
  • Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami - Thursday, 23 October 2031
  • Durga Puja — Maha Navami - Friday, 24 October 2031
Which month of 2031 has the most observances in the Durga Puja Calendar?

October 2031 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 2031 correspond to in the Durga Puja Calendar?

The Gregorian year 2031 spans Shaka Samvat 1952 – 1953. 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.

Will there be an Adhik Maas in 2031?

Yes. 2031 carries an Adhik Maas (Bhadrapada (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 2031 dates can look out of place beside a neighbouring year.

Will there be any eclipses in 2031?

2031 has 5 eclipses:

  • 7 May 2031 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India
  • 21 May 2031 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal will be observed
  • 5 June 2031 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak will be observed
  • 30 October 2031 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), not visible from India
  • 15 November 2031 - Partial solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), not visible from India

Sutak Kaal is observed only for an eclipse actually visible where you are, so 1 of these will be kept in India.

Will Guru or Shani change sign in 2031?

Yes - 3 sign changes among the slow grahas in 2031:

  • Guru (Jupiter) enters Dhanu on 17 February 2031
  • Guru (Jupiter) enters Vrishchika on 14 June 2031, moving retrograde
  • Guru (Jupiter) enters Dhanu on 15 October 2031

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 2031 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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