2023 Durga Pooja Date and Time

Located in the eastern part of India along the Hoogly river, Kolkata (old name, Calcutta) is seen by many as the cultural capital of the country. It has many things to boast about - grand colonial architecture, music and art forms, traditions, etc. Home to world-renowned artists like Rabindranath Tagore and Satyajit Ray, the city also stages a spectacular religious and cultural festival called Durga Pooja every year.

This festival is dedicated to the Supreme Mother Goddess, Durga. Not surprisingly, it is women who are at the forefront of the celebrations. As daughters of Durga, they lead the festivities, for it is the time of the year when feminine power receives due homage as the true Shakti behind the Universe.

Chanting the Goddess’ name, Bengali women in all their finery make their way towards the pandals for pujo, wishing for peace, joy, and prosperity. The sound of the dhak (a kind of drum) mixes with the fragrance of the dhunuchi (incense burner), filling the streets with devotion and fervor. It’s nine days of color and festivity when the Devi stays in her maternal home, along with her four children, Ganesha, Kartikeya, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. On the 10th day of Vijayadashami, she is united with her husband, Shiva.

The Story of Durga’s Birth

Hindu legends claim that Goddess Durga was born from the fusion of the energies of the Trimurtis of the Hindu pantheon – Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. The Devi Bhagavatam tells the story of her birth.

According to it, there was a demon called Mahishasura who wanted to achieve victory over the Devas. He performed a long penance to acquire a boon that would make him powerful. After many years, Brahma was pleased by his penance and decided to grant him a boon.

Mahishasura asked Brahma to bless him so that neither a man nor a God would be able to kill him. This meant that only a woman could slay him. In his mind, this was impossible. After getting the boon, Mahishasura, along with his army of demons, invaded the earth and went on a rampage. Soon, he decided to conquer heaven as well and become the ruler of all the three worlds.

The battle between the demons and the gods was fierce. Mashishasura managed to defeat the gods in Amravati. The Devas approached the Trimurtis for a solution. But only a woman could kill the demon. She had to be powerful enough to fight him, as well. So the Trimurtis combined their energies and powers and created Goddess Durga. All the gods gave their weapons to her to kill Mahishasura. Himavat, the God of the Himalayas, gave her a Lion as a mount.

When Durga confronted Mahishasura, he laughed as his adversary was a woman. But soon, he realized her powers and might. Though he kept changing his form to confuse her during the 10 days of battle, she didn’t tire. When he took his original form, a buffalo, she beheaded him in one swift move. Heaven and earth breathed a sigh of relief.

Durga came to be called Mahishasura Mardini (the slayer of Mahishasura). In most of the idols of the Goddess worshipped during the Durga puja, she is shown in the act of killing the demon.

Durga Pooja 2023 dates and time

Durga Pooja is also called Durgotsav or Sharadotsav. It is celebrated from the 6th to the 10th day of the waxing lunar fortnight (Shukla Paksha) in the Hindu month of Ashwin (Oct – Nov). This period is also called Devi Paksha and comes after Mahalaya, the last day of Pitru Paksha (the fortnight of the ancestors).

In 2023, Durga Pooja dates and timings are as follows:

Maha Panchami – Oct 19 – Thursday

Maha Shasti – Oct 20 – Friday

Maha Saptami – Oct 21 – Saturday

Maha Ashtami – Oct 22 – Sunday

Maha Navami – Oct 23 – Monday

Vijayadashami – Oct 24 – Tuesday

The festival culminates in the immersion of the idols of Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartikeya, and Ganesha in a water body. This is called Visarjan. The ritual of Visarjan, or immersion, symbolizes her return to her husband’s abode in Kailas. Durga Pooja celebrates the victory of good over evil and also the power and strength of the divine feminine.

In other parts of the country, the festival is called Navaratri. In West Bengal, however, it is Durga Pooja. It is the most important festival in the state, and the Kolkata Durga Pooja has now been accorded Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity status by the UNESCO in December 2021.

A Divine Experience

Kolkata’s Durga Pooja pandals are works of art that incorporate art, theater, and dance to create a visual delight. Each pandal has a theme that informs the decorations and exhibits fine craftsmanship. Both devotees and lovers of cultural art forms come to see the pandals.

The sound of the dhak, smells of freshly cooked bhog, and a mind-boggling variety of food, scenes of happy family reunions all combine to create the divine and unforgettable experience of Durga Pooja.