Mahalaya 2026 Date, Countdown & Bank Holiday Status

Bank Holidays, October 2026 

Note: Mahalaya itself (11 October) is not a separately gazetted bank holiday, banks are closed because it is a Sunday. The Durga Puja gazetted bank closures begin from Maha Ashtami (19 October) in West Bengal and Assam. Always verify final dates against the RBI's annual holiday circular and your state government's notifications.

Festive Personal Loan

Durga Puja is the largest festive season in Eastern India. New clothes, pandal visits, gifts, travel home to Kolkata or Guwahati, the expenses add up quickly. A personal loan from CreditMitra lets you plan the Puja spending without depleting your savings.

Why apply before Mahalaya?
Loan processing takes 2–5 working days at most lenders. Applying around Mahalaya (11 October) means funds are ready well before Maha Ashtami (19 October), when Puja spending peaks.

Festival Descriptions

Mahalaya
Mahalaya is the new-moon day (Amavasya) of the Hindu month of Ashwin that ends Pitru Paksha and opens Devi Paksha. Observant Hindus, especially in West Bengal, Assam, and Odisha, perform Tarpan, a ritual offering of water and sesame seeds to departed ancestors, at dawn beside a river, tank, or any water body. The day is equally famous across Bengal for the pre-dawn broadcast of Mahishasura Mardini on All India Radio, a choral-and-narration composition first recorded in 1931 that retells the story of Goddess Durga's victory over the demon Mahishasura. Hearing it at 4 AM on AIR is considered the unofficial start of the Durga Puja season.

Pitru Paksha / Shradh Paksha
The 15-day lunar fortnight that ends on Mahalaya is called Pitru Paksha (also Shradh Paksha or Kanagat in North India). During this period, families perform Shradh rituals, offerings of food, water, and prayer, to honour deceased ancestors. No auspicious ceremonies like weddings or housewarmings are held during Pitru Paksha. The fortnight concludes on Sarvapitru Amavasya (Mahalaya), when offerings are made for all ancestors regardless of their individual Shradh date.

Devi Paksha and Durga Puja
The day after Mahalaya opens Devi Paksha, the fortnight of the Goddess. Durga Puja festivities formally begin with Shashthi (sixth day of Shukla Paksha), in 2026, that is 17 October. The main celebration runs Saptami (18 Oct) through Vijaya Dashami (20 Oct). In Kolkata and across Bengali communities worldwide, Durga Puja is the largest annual cultural event, pandal installations, thematic idol art, community feasts, and sindoor khela on the final day.

Mahalaya 2026 Countdown, Year-Wise Date Reference