Durga Puja 2026: Check Puja dates, bank holidays and state-wise closures in October

Kolkata: Durga Puja 2026 is set to bring a long stretch of festive holidays in October, with banks remaining closed on key Puja days in West Bengal and several other states.

The main celebrations will begin with Maha Shashti on October 16 and culminate with Vijayadashami on October 20.

The festival season formally begins with Mahalaya on September 26. However, Mahalaya is not generally observed as a bank holiday.

The major Puja festivities begin with Maha Panchami and continue through Shashti, Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Dashami.

Durga Puja 2026: Important dates

• Mahalaya: September 26, Saturday — marks the beginning of the Puja season.
• Maha Panchami: October 15, Thursday — holiday status varies across states.
• Maha Shashti: October 16, Friday — bank holiday in West Bengal, Assam, Odisha, Bihar and Jharkhand.
• Maha Saptami: October 17, Saturday — holiday in several states; also falls on the third Saturday.
• Maha Ashtami: October 18, Sunday — Sunday holiday as well as the festival day.
• Sandhi Puja: October 18–19, Sunday–Monday — observed at the Ashtami-Navami junction.
• Maha Navami: October 19, Monday — bank holiday in West Bengal, Assam, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
• Vijayadashami/Bijoya Dashami: October 20, Tuesday — Dussehra holiday in most states.
• Visarjan: October 20–21, Tuesday–Wednesday — idol immersion takes place during this period, with local closures varying by region.

Bank Holidays:

For bank customers, the most significant closures will fall between October 16 and October 20.

In West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Odisha, Bihar and Jharkhand, banks will remain closed on several major Puja days. October 18 is a Sunday, while October 17 also coincides with the third Saturday of the month.

Customers planning branch visits during the Puja period should therefore check the holiday calendar applicable to their state and bank.

While physical branches will remain shut on notified holidays, digital banking facilities such as UPI, mobile banking, internet banking and ATMs are generally expected to remain available.

Since bank holidays are determined partly by state-wise calendars, the exact closure pattern can differ across locations.