Durga Puja is the sacred five day festival of the Bengali Hindu community held in honour of Goddess Durga and to celebrate her annual homecoming. This year, the occassion is to be observed from 23rd September (Shasthi) to 28th September (Dashami). Scroll down and have a look at the Puja schedule for the year 2009 based on the WST (Washington Standard Time). Sasthi is believed to be the day on which the Mother Goddess arrives on the earth with her children. This year the goddess arrives on a palanquin and departs on an elephant. Goddess Durga's arrival on palanquin signifies an outbreak of epidemic while her departure on elephant signifies good harvest. To pass on this page to your friends and near ones, just click here. Shubh Durgotsav!

Note: The Puja timings, being based on the lunar month, often spread over to the next day or night. Sashthi is the day for the inauguration, though the main part of the Puja spreads over four days from the day of Saptami to the day of the Bijoya Dashami on which the immersion takes place. So it may not match, as is the case this year, with the days of the Calendar we follow.
 

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