Durga Puja 2023 Full Calendar With Dates: Durga Puja, also known as Durgotsava, is an auspicious Hindu festival that is celebrated annually in India with great fervour and enthusiasm. Durgotsava refers to all five days of festivity, and these five days are observed as Subho Sasthi, Maha Saptami, Durga Ashtami, Maha Navami, and Vijayadashami. However, the Durga Puja 2023 celebrations will kick off from Mahalaya when Shradh Paksha ends, and Devi Paksha will begin.  Here's the full Durga Puja 2023 calendar with dates, puja rituals and more gear up for the grandest festival of the year.

The Durga Puja festival is dedicated to Goddess Durga and is also celebrated because of Durga's victory over Mahishasura. It is celebrated by the Hindu community all around the world but is particularly popular and traditionally celebrated in West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Tripura, Odisha, Jharkhand and several parts of Uttar Pradesh.

Durga Puja festival is observed in the month of Ashwin, which corresponds to September or October in the Gregorian calendar. This year, Durga Puja 2023 in Kolkata will begin on Friday, October 20 and culminate on Tuesday, October 24. It begins with Subho Sasthi, which will be celebrated on October 20, 2023, and will culminate on Vijayadashami, which will be celebrated on October 24.

Here's the Full Durga Pujo 2023 Calendar:

Day Date Puja and Rituals
Durga Puja Day 1 October 20, 2023, Friday  Subho Sasthi, Bilva Nimantran, Kalparambha, Akal Bodhon, Amantran and Adhivas
Durga Puja Day 2 October 21, 2023, Saturday Durga Maha Saptami, Kolabou Puja, Saraswati Puja
Durga Puja Day 3 October 22, 2023, Sunday Durga Ashtami, Kumari Puja, Sandhi Puja
Durga Puja Day 4 October 23, 2023, Monday Maha Navami, Durga Balidan, Navami Homa
Durga Puja Day 5 October 24, 2023, Tuesday Durga Visarjan, Vijayadashami, Sindoor Utsav

Durga Puja in Kolkata has been inscribed on the intangible cultural heritage list of UNESCO in December 2021.  During the festival, puja is performed in homes and pandals. The festival is also marked by scripture recitations, performance arts, revelry, gift-giving, family visits, feasting, and public processions. Several states in India do Ghatasthapana on Pratipada, which is the next day of Mahalaya Amavasya. Ghatasthapana is equivalent to Kalparambha during Durga Puja when Goddess Durga is invoked.

Durga Puja 2023: Know Start & End Date, Rituals, Significance & When To Perform Dhunuchi Naach

As per Hindu scriptures, the festival marks the victory of goddess Durga in her battle against the shape-shifting asura, Mahishasura. Thus, the festival epitomizes the victory of good over evil, though it is also, in part, a harvest festival celebrating the goddess as the motherly power behind all of life and creation. Apart from India, Durga Puja is also celebrated in countries like Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 10, 2023 04:46 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).