Short answer: Durga Puja 2027 begins with Mahalaya on Wednesday 29 September. The five main days run from Maha Shashthi on Tuesday 5 October to Bijoya Dashami on Saturday 9 October, with Maha Ashtami on Thursday 7 October and Sandhi Puja early on Friday 8 October, at about 6:03 to 6:51 am IST.
Updated 8 November 2026
Durga Puja 2027 dates at a glance
Durga Puja comes early in 2027, in the first ten days of October. Here are the days with the tithi times in Indian Standard Time. Tithis do not start at midnight, so a tithi often begins on one date and ends on the next.
| Day | Date | Tithi runs (IST, about) | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mahalaya | Wed 29 Sep | Amavasya, 10:55 am 29 Sep to 8:06 am 30 Sep | Tarpan for ancestors; Devi Paksha begins |
| Maha Shashthi | Tue 5 Oct | 1:36 am 5 Oct to 2:33 am 6 Oct | Bodhon, Kalparambha, Amantran and Adhivas |
| Maha Saptami | Wed 6 Oct | 2:33 am 6 Oct to 4:13 am 7 Oct | Nabapatrika (Kola Bou) bathed and installed |
| Maha Ashtami | Thu 7 Oct | 4:13 am 7 Oct to 6:27 am 8 Oct | Pushpanjali, Kumari Puja |
| Sandhi Puja | Fri 8 Oct | About 6:03 am to 6:51 am | 108 lamps and lotuses at the Ashtami to Navami junction |
| Maha Navami | Fri 8 Oct | 6:27 am 8 Oct to 9:02 am 9 Oct | Navami puja and homa, bhog |
| Bijoya Dashami | Sat 9 Oct | 9:02 am 9 Oct to 11:41 am 10 Oct | Sindoor khela, immersion, Bijoya greetings |
Two dates after the Puja are worth adding to the calendar. Kojagari Lakshmi Puja falls on the evening of Thursday 14 October, when the Purnima begins at about 6:49 pm. And Kali Puja falls on the night of Thursday 28 October, which I cover on its own Kali Puja 2027 page.
Why some calendars show Ashtami on 8 October
In 2027 the Ashtami tithi starts before sunrise on Thursday 7 October and is still running at sunrise on Friday 8 October, ending at about 6:27 am. In Kolkata the Sun comes up around 5:30 am that week, so Ashtami touches two sunrises. Most panchangs I checked keep Maha Ashtami on Thursday and Navami on Friday, with Sandhi Puja in the early hours of Friday. At least one holiday list moves everything after Saptami a day later: Ashtami on Friday 8, Navami on Saturday 9 and Dashami on Sunday 10 October.
The printed Bengali panjika your para committee follows will settle it. If you are planning travel home to Kolkata, book around 5 to 10 October and you are covered either way.
Mahalaya 2027: 29 September
Mahalaya is the new Moon that closes Pitri Paksha, the fortnight for ancestors. In 2027 the amavasya begins at about 10:55 am on Wednesday 29 September and ends at about 8:06 am on Thursday 30 September. Tarpan is done on the 29th by most families, and Devi Paksha, the goddess’s fortnight, begins from there. For many Bengalis, Mahalaya still means waking before dawn for Mahishasuramardini on the radio, and then counting six days to Shashthi. The full list of 2027 new and full Moons, with the shraddha timing rules, is on my Purnima and Amavasya 2027 page.
Sandhi Puja 2027 time
Sandhi Puja is held at the meeting point of Ashtami and Navami: the last 24 minutes of Ashtami and the first 24 minutes of Navami, 48 minutes in all. With Ashtami ending at about 6:27 am IST on Friday 8 October, the window runs from about 6:03 am to 6:51 am. The tradition remembers it as the moment Chamunda killed Chanda and Munda, and it is the most closely timed ritual of the whole Puja.
This is one of the rare years when Sandhi Puja falls just after sunrise rather than in the middle of the day or the night. Expect pandals to fill very early on Friday morning. A local panjika may differ from these figures by a few minutes, since Bengali almanacs do not all use the same method of calculation.
The Devi’s arrival and departure in 2027
Kolkata families always ask how Ma Durga comes and goes each year. By the usual rule, the weekday of Saptami gives the vahana of her arrival and the weekday of Dashami gives the one for her departure. Sunday or Monday means an elephant, Tuesday or Saturday a horse, Wednesday a boat, and Thursday or Friday a palanquin.
On the dates above, Saptami falls on a Wednesday and Dashami on a Saturday. That would mean arrival by boat and departure on horseback. The sayings attached to each vahana are folk sayings, and I enjoy them as part of the season rather than reading them as a forecast. If your panjika places Dashami on Sunday 10 October, the departure changes to an elephant, which is one more reason to check the printed almanac.
Durga Puja 2027 and the sky
The Puja falls in a busy stretch for the slow planets. Saturn will be in Aries from 3 June 2027, moving back into Pisces on 20 October, just after the Puja. Jupiter will be in Leo, and Rahu in Capricorn with Ketu in Cancer. For Bengali readers who want to know what this means sign by sign, my Bengali rashifal 2027 covers all twelve Moon signs in Bengali.
Bijoya Dashami is also counted among the three and a half self-auspicious days of the year, when many families start a business, buy gold or begin study without looking for a separate muhurat. I still check the day against the person’s own chart for anything large, but the custom is a good one.
Durga Puja 2027 outside Kolkata
Pujas in Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai and abroad mostly follow the Bengal timings, adjusted for the local Sun. In Bengaluru the big community pujas usually take their dates from a Kolkata panjika and then work out the Sandhi Puja minute for the city. For a puja outside India, the tithi can shift to a different calendar day altogether, so check with your puja committee. The wider calendar of 2027 is in my Hindu festivals 2027 list.
A reading around the Puja
Many families use the Puja break, when everyone is home, to look at the year ahead together. If you would like a reading in Bengali, Hindi or English around these dates, send the birth details and the questions on your mind, whether that is a child’s studies, a wedding next winter or a move. The call is 45 minutes by video or phone, and my written notes follow within 48 hours. My Kolkata astrology page explains how I work with Bengali families. When you are ready, book a time here.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Durga Puja 2027 Maha Ashtami?
Most panchangs place Maha Ashtami on Thursday 7 October 2027. The tithi runs from about 4:13 am on 7 October to about 6:27 am on 8 October IST. Some lists show it on 8 October, so check the Bengali panjika your puja follows.
What is the Sandhi Puja time in 2027?
About 6:03 am to 6:51 am IST on Friday 8 October 2027, built around the end of Ashtami at about 6:27 am. Your local panjika may vary by a few minutes.
When is Mahalaya in 2027?
Wednesday 29 September 2027. The amavasya runs from about 10:55 am that day to about 8:06 am on 30 September, and Durga Puja’s Shashthi follows six days later.
When is Bijoya Dashami and sindoor khela in 2027?
Saturday 9 October 2027, with the Dashami tithi from about 9:02 am that day to about 11:41 am on 10 October. Dussehra falls on the same Saturday across most of India.
Is Durga Puja 2027 a good time for a griha pravesh or a wedding?
Weddings and griha pravesh are generally not held during the Puja days and fall within Chaturmas in any case. Purchases and new starts are popular, especially on Dashami, but for anything large I would still check your own chart.
