For millions of Bengali families in West Bengal, Tripura, Assam, Bangladesh, and Bengali communities around the world, the Bengali Calendar is much more than a way to track days. It decides when a wedding should be held, when a new business ledger should open, when a fast should be kept, and when the whole community comes together to welcome the Goddess. This guide explains the Bengali Calendar 2026 in simple language — how the calendar works, the full list of festivals and holidays, Ekadashi and Vrat dates, and the auspicious Shubho Bibaho (wedding) dates for the year.
How to Download the Bengali Calendar 2026 PDF
If you would like to keep this calendar handy, you can download a free, printable Bengali Calendar 2026 PDF. It includes all twelve months, festival dates, Ekadashi and Vrat days, and Shubho Bibaho dates in one place, so you don’t have to look them up separately. It works well for home use, office notice boards, and for sharing with family members who are planning a Puja or a wedding this year.
The 12 Months of the Bengali Calendar
The Bengali year has twelve months, and each one roughly matches a Gregorian month but starts a few weeks into it.
| Bengali Month | Approximate Gregorian Period |
|---|---|
| Boishakh | Mid-April – Mid-May |
| Joishtho | Mid-May – Mid-June |
| Asharh | Mid-June – Mid-July |
| Shrabon | Mid-July – Mid-August |
| Bhadro | Mid-August – Mid-September |
| Ashwin | Mid-September – Mid-October |
| Kartik | Mid-October – Mid-November |
| Agrahayan | Mid-November – Mid-December |
| Poush | Mid-December – Mid-January |
| Magh | Mid-January – Mid-February |
| Falgun | Mid-February – Mid-March |
| Choitro | Mid-March – Mid-April |
This structure explains why Durga Puja always falls in Ashwin or Kartik (around September–October), and why Poila Boishakh always lands close to April 14–15 every year.
Bengali Calendar 2026: Festivals and Public Holidays
Below is a month-wise list of the major festivals, government holidays, and cultural dates in the Bengali Calendar 2026. Dates for Eid and a few lunar festivals may shift by a day depending on moon sighting and regional panchang.
| Date (2026) | Festival / Occasion |
|---|---|
| January 1 | New Year’s Day |
| January 12 | Swami Vivekananda Jayanti |
| January 14 | Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) |
| January 23 | Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti |
| January 26 | Republic Day |
| February 21 | International Mother Language Day |
| March 4 | Dol Purnima / Holi (Bengal) |
| March 21 | Eid-ul-Fitr* |
| March 27 | Ram Navami |
| April 15 | Poila Boishakh — Bengali New Year 1433 |
| May 1 | May Day |
| May 8 | Rabindra Jayanti |
| May 27 | Eid-ul-Adha* |
| June 26 | Rath Yatra |
| July 29 | Guru Purnima |
| August 15 | Independence Day |
| August 28 | Rakhi Purnima (Raksha Bandhan) |
| September 4 | Janmashtami |
| September 17 | Vishwakarma Puja |
| October 10 | Mahalaya |
| October 17–20 | Durga Puja (Shashthi to Vijaya Dashami) |
| October 20 | Vijaya Dashami / Dussehra |
| October 24 | Kojagari Lakshmi Puja |
| November 8 | Kali Puja / Diwali |
| November 10 | Bhai Phonta (Bhai Dooj) |
| November 15 | Chhath Puja |
| November 24 | Rash Yatra |
| December 25 | Christmas |
*Islamic dates depend on the sighting of the moon and can move by a day.
Ekadashi Dates in the Bengali Panjika 2026
Ekadashi falls twice a month — once in the waxing phase and once in the waning phase of the moon. Many Bengali households observe a partial or full fast on this day.
| Date (2026) | Ekadashi |
|---|---|
| January 13 | Shattila Ekadashi |
| January 28 | Jaya Ekadashi |
| February 12 | Vijaya Ekadashi |
| February 27 | Amalaki Ekadashi |
| March 14 | Papamochani Ekadashi |
| March 28 | Kamada Ekadashi |
| April 13 | Varuthini Ekadashi |
| April 27 | Mohini Ekadashi |
| May 13 | Apara Ekadashi |
| May 27 | Padmini Ekadashi |
| June 11 | Parama Ekadashi |
| June 25 | Nirjala Ekadashi |
| July 10 | Yogini Ekadashi |
| July 25 | Devshayani Ekadashi |
| August 9 | Kamika Ekadashi |
| August 23 | Shravana Putrada Ekadashi |
| September 7 | Aja Ekadashi |
| September 22 | Parsva Ekadashi |
| October 7 | Indira Ekadashi |
| October 21 | Pasankusa Ekadashi |
| November 5 | Rama Ekadashi |
| November 20 | Devutthana Ekadashi |
| December 5 | Utpanna Ekadashi |
| December 20 | Mokshada Ekadashi |
Purnima and Amavasya (Major Vrats) 2026
Purnima (full moon) and Amavasya (new moon) days carry special meaning in the Bengali Panjika, especially for Puja and Vrat planning.
| Date (2026) | Occasion |
|---|---|
| January 3 | Paush Purnima |
| January 18 | Magha Amavasya (Mauni Amavasya) |
| February 1 | Magha Purnima |
| February 15 | Maha Shivaratri |
| March 3 | Falgun Purnima (Dol Purnima) |
| April 2 | Chaitra Purnima |
| May 1 | Buddha Purnima |
| May 16 | Jyeshtha Amavasya |
| June 29 | Jyeshtha Purnima |
| July 14 | Ashadha Amavasya |
| August 28 | Shravana Purnima |
| October 10 | Mahalaya Amavasya |
| October 24 | Kojagari Lakshmi Puja |
| November 8 | Kali Puja Amavasya |
| November 24 | Kartik Purnima (Rash Purnima) |
Shubho Bibaho: Auspicious Wedding Dates 2026
In Bengali culture, weddings are planned only after checking the Panjika. The idea is simple — the stars, the tithi, and the couple’s own horoscope should line up to bring good fortune to the marriage. Below are tentative Shubho Bibaho windows for 2026. These are indicative only; a family priest should confirm the exact date and time using the couple’s horoscope.
| Bengali Month | Tentative Shubho Bibaho Dates |
|---|---|
| Magh (January) | 16, 18, 23, 24, 25 |
| Falgun (February) | 2, 4, 5, 12, 14, 16, 26 |
| Boishakh (April–May) | 18, 20, 21, 22 |
| Jaistha (June) | 1, 3, 5, 7, 11, 15 |
| Asharh (July) | 2, 6, 8, 10, 14 |
| Agrahayan (November) | 20, 21, 23, 27, 29 |
| Poush (December) | Very few auspicious slots; mostly avoided for weddings |
What Is the Bengali Calendar?
The Bengali Calendar, known as Bangabda, is a solar calendar that has been followed across Bengal for centuries. Unlike the Gregorian calendar that most of the world uses, the Bengali year does not start on January 1. It begins in mid-April, on a day called Poila Boishakh, and the year number is also different. The Gregorian year 2026 overlaps mainly with Bengali year 1432–1433.
Historians link the modern structure of this calendar to the Mughal period. Emperor Akbar is widely credited with introducing a calendar that combined solar and lunar traditions, so that land revenue and tax collection could line up with the harvest season. Over time, this administrative tool grew into the cultural and religious calendar that Bengali households still rely on for festivals, fasting days, and wedding planning.
Today, the Bengali Panjika (almanac) combines this solar month structure with lunar tithis (lunar days) to work out Ekadashi, Purnima, Amavasya, and other religious observances. That is why some dates shift slightly every year, even though the underlying calendar itself is solar.
Why the Panjika Still Matters Today
Even with smartphones and calendar apps, the printed and digital Panjika has not lost its place in Bengali homes. Elders still consult it before fixing a wedding date, opening a new shop, or starting a journey. Priests use it to calculate the exact muhurat for a Puja. And every year, without fail, Bengali families check it to know exactly when Durga Puja, Poila Boishakh, and Kali Puja will fall.
Part of the reason is trust built over generations — the same tithi-based method has been used to calculate these dates for hundreds of years. Part of it is practical — festival travel, leave applications, and family gatherings all depend on knowing these dates well in advance. Whether you are in Kolkata, Dhaka, Tripura, or living abroad, the Bengali Calendar remains one of the few things that keeps the community’s rhythm in sync.
The diaspora angle has only grown stronger in recent years. Bengali associations in cities across the world now plan their Durga Puja and Poila Boishakh events months in advance, and they rely on an accurate calendar to fix venue bookings, cultural programmes, and community feasts. A single wrong date can throw off travel plans for families flying in specially for the festival, which is why an updated, well-checked Panjika matters just as much online as it does in printed form.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Bangabda? Bangabda is the Bengali calendar era, the traditional solar year count used in Bengal. It runs alongside the Gregorian calendar but starts in mid-April instead of January.
When is the Bengali New Year in 2026? Poila Boishakh, the Bengali New Year, falls on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, marking the start of Bengali year 1433.
Does the Bengali calendar follow the sun or the moon? It is mainly a solar calendar for the months, but festivals like Ekadashi, Purnima, and Amavasya are calculated using the lunar tithi, which is why those dates change slightly every year.
Why are Shubho Bibaho dates important in Bengali weddings? Bengali families check the Panjika before fixing a wedding date because the tithi and planetary position are believed to affect the couple’s future. A priest usually confirms the final date using the couple’s horoscope.
Are Ekadashi dates the same across all of India? Ekadashi dates are largely the same across Hindu calendars in India, though the exact start and end time (and occasionally the observed day) can vary slightly by region and by the specific panchang followed.
Can I plan a wedding or Griha Pravesh without checking the Muhurat? You can, but it goes against long-standing Bengali tradition. For major life events, most families still prefer to confirm an auspicious date with a local priest or panjika expert.
Conclusion
We hope this complete guide to the Bengali Calendar 2026 helps you stay on top of every festival, fasting day, and auspicious occasion throughout the year. From Poila Boishakh to Durga Puja, and from Ekadashi fasts to Shubho Bibaho wedding dates, this page is designed to be your single reference point for the Bengali Panjika. Download the free PDF using the button above, and check back regularly, as we update this calendar with the latest information throughout the year.