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About Durga Puja
Durga Puja celebrates the goddess Durga, who in Hindu belief defeated the buffalo demon Mahishasura, a story told as the victory of good over evil. In Bengal she is also welcomed as a daughter returning home for a few days with her children Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesh and Kartik, which is why the festival feels as much like a family reunion as a religious observance. The countdown begins with Mahalaya, about a week before, when many families wake before dawn to hear the traditional recitation.
The main festival runs from Shashthi, the sixth day of the bright lunar fortnight, to Bijoya Dashami, the tenth. Saptami, Ashtami and Navami are the days of worship in the middle. Because the Hindu calendar follows the moon, the dates move each year and usually fall between late September and late October. In 2027 Bijoya Dashami is expected around 9 October, and in 2028 around 28 September; the puja committees and the government confirm the exact days nearer the time.
Durga Puja is celebrated across Bangladesh, from the Dhakeshwari National Temple and the old neighbourhoods of Shankhari Bazar and Tanti Bazar in Dhaka to towns and villages in every division. In recent years the count of public and private mandaps nationwide has passed thirty thousand. It is a public occasion too: friends and neighbours of every faith visit the mandaps, admire the images and share the festive mood.
How it is celebrated
Each mandap displays clay images shaped by local artisans over weeks, and visiting as many as possible, often late into the evening, is part of the fun. Dhak drummers, conch shells and evening arati fill the air. On Ashtami many temples hold Kumari Puja, honouring a young girl as a form of the goddess; the Ramakrishna Mission in Dhaka draws large crowds for it. Families cook special vegetarian dishes, khichuri bhog is shared at many mandaps, and homes fill with naru, moa and other sweets.
On Bijoya Dashami married women play sindur khela, smearing vermilion on the goddess and on one another, before the images are carried in procession to rivers and ponds, such as the Buriganga in Dhaka, for immersion. Afterwards people visit relatives to exchange Bijoya greetings and sweets. Navami and Dashami are government holidays, and the period is marked by heightened security arrangements around the mandaps.
What people buy
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New saris
A new sari for each of the main days is a cherished tradition. Cotton tant saris suit the warm afternoons, while silk and Jamdani are saved for Ashtami and Dashami.
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Panjabi and dhoti
Men and boys usually wear a panjabi, often in festive colours, and many choose a traditional dhoti for the puja itself.
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Children's outfits
Children typically get several new sets of clothes, one for each day they go pandal-hopping with the family.
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Shankha, bangles and jewellery
Conch-shell bangles, glass churi and light imitation jewellery complete the festive look, and they are popular small gifts.
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Puja essentials
Incense, earthen lamps, wicks, ghee, conch shells, brass plates and decorations are bought for home worship and for the neighbourhood mandap.
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Sweets and gift boxes
Boxes of sandesh, roshogolla and homemade-style naru are needed for guests and for the round of visits after Dashami.
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Home decoration
Fairy lights, alpana stencils and fresh covers or cushions help get the house ready for a stream of visitors.
Gift ideas
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A sari or panjabi
Clothing remains the classic puja gift for parents, in-laws and close relatives.
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Sweets for Bijoya
A box of good sweets is the expected gift when visiting after Dashami.
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Jewellery or bangles
Bangles, earrings or a pendant make a thoughtful gift for a sister, daughter or friend.
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Puja annual issues and books
Sharadiya special issues and new novels are a long Bengali tradition for the holiday reading season.
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Brass or copper puja ware
A lamp, plate or bell will be used year after year at home.
Shopping tips
Most families start buying puja clothes three to four weeks before Shashthi, and tailoring for blouses and children's outfits needs extra time, so order early. Courier companies get very busy in the last week before the festival and again before Eid, and many sellers stop taking orders a few days before Shashthi.
On Midmart each shop packs and delivers its own orders, and delivery is charged per shop. If you buy a sari from one shop, sweets from another and puja items from a third, expect three parcels and three delivery charges. Midmart never handles payment or delivery: each seller agrees the payment method and courier with you directly, so confirm the delivery date with the seller before you order anything you need for a particular day.
Shop for Durga Puja
Every shop on Midmart collects payment its own way and arranges its own delivery — Midmart never handles your money or your parcel. Delivery is charged per shop: order from three shops and you pay three delivery charges.
Estimate a delivery chargeDurga Puja dates
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 17 October – 21 October 2026 (expected) |
| 2027 | 5 October – 9 October 2027 (expected) |
| 2028 | 24 September – 28 September 2028 (expected) |
| 2029 | 12 October – 16 October 2029 (expected) |
Dates marked “expected” depend on the moon sighting or the official calendar and are confirmed close to the day.
Questions about Durga Puja
Festival calendar
Sources and photo credits
- Govt announces official list of public holidays for 2026 — The Daily Star
- Bangladesh public holidays 2027 — Bangla Date Today
- Bangladesh public holidays 2028 — Bangla Date Today
- Durga Puja — Banglapedia
- Durga Puja at the Ramakrishna Mission, Dhaka. — Photo: Pratyya Ghosh · CC BY-SA 3.0 (source, CC BY-SA 3.0)