Top 10 Popular Festivals of West Bengal with 2024 Dates Guide

By - August 26, 2024 - Festivals, India

West Bengal is an incredible state in terms of festivals, culture, attire, and lifestyle. This region has been glorified in several facets of the photographic and print media. A plethora of celebrations and festivities is one of the features that highlight the state and make it worth a visit. There are several different festivals organized in West Bengal that keep the residents busy all around the year.

Some of them are Durga Puja, Saraswati Puja, Kali Puja, and many more. The entire atmosphere gets elevated and charged up during the festival season. Being a part of these popular celebrations is a memory for a lifetime. So, let us get started with the list of festivals in West Bengal that take place in a year.

List of Popular Festivals in West Bengal You Should Not Miss:

1. Saraswati Puja

This festival happens in the period between January and February. Saraswati Puja is considered to be one of the distinctive celebrations held in West Bengal. Bengalis celebrate this day as the homecoming of the Goddess Saraswati. This festival is celebrated on the 5thday of Magha month. It is also called Vasant Panchami in the Northern areas of the country.

Bengalis have a special significance on this day. They believe this day is an auspicious occasion for education and learning related things. It is considered to be a highly fortunate occasion for their children to begin their academic learning. On this day, girls wear colorful saris and take darshan of the nicely decorated Goddess Saraswatipandals.

Saraswati Puja (Basant Panchami): Wednesday, February 14, 2024.

2. Durga Puja

This festival happens in the period between September and October. Durga Puja is one of the major festivals of West Bengal. The massive celebration that happens during the festival is famous throughout the world. It commemorates the triumph of Good over Evil. People have this belief that Goddess Durga defeated the demon “Mahishasura” after a fierce battle that lasted for ten days. The last day or tenth day is called Vijay Dashmi.

This festival is marked by offering prayers to the Goddess Durga, rejoicing, feasts, dance, drama, and music. On this auspicious day, people dress up in new colorful clothes. They visit puja pandals of different communities and pay reverence to the ten-armed goddess Durga. In the pandals, Goddess Saraswati, Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Ganesha, and Kartikeya are beautifully ornated and decorated. The priests do the prayers at prearranged times whereas the devotees visit pandals during the day. Read More: Durga Puja in Kolkata – Why You Should Never Miss

Durga Puja: Thursday, October 10 – Sunday, October 13, 2024.

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3. Lakshmi Puja

Lakshmi Puja is another very significant Hindu festival celebrated by Bengalis in October.  It is celebrated throughout the state with great enthusiasm and passion. During this festival, people from different parts of the world come to visit the state to be a part of this grand festivity. Lakshmi Puja takes place a week later Vijay Dashmi.

People devote their respect and gratitude towards Maa Lakshmi who is believed to be the Goddess of prosperity, and wealth. Lakshmi Pooja is the festival of lights. People celebrate it at home by either performing all the rituals by a priest or on their own. Prayers are made to bestow prosperity and wealth to their homes.

Lakshmi Puja: Thursday, October 17, 2024.

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4. Kali Puja

Kali Puja is another noteworthy festival that takes place in West Bengal in October or November. This is a long festival that goes on for about twenty days. It happens after Durga Puja. Besides Durga Puja, it is one of the largest festivals in Kolkata. The Kali Puja festival is celebrated in the honor of Goddess Kali.

It is recognized by the chanting of mantras in the nighttime that goes till dawn. The Goddess is ornated with beautiful garlands made of hibiscuses. All the sacred chanting of mantras is carried out in the presence of the holy fire. Devotees offer several types of offerings to the Goddess that includes sweets, lentils, and rice.

Kali Puja: Thursday, October 31, 2024.

Read Also: How to reach Sundarban from Kolkata

5. Bhai Phota

Bhai Phota is celebrated throughout West Bengal in the month of November. It is similar to the major Hindu festival “Raksha Bandhan”. This festival denotes the affection between the brother and the sister. In other words, Bhai Phota is the Bengali version of Raksha Bandhan. The rituals performed in both festivals are more or less similar.

Here also, the sister puts “Kumkum Teeka” on the forehead of the brother along with some chantings. Later she offers him sweets and wishes for long life. Brother gets the strength to stay on the righteous path. This festival relishes the tie between a sister and a brother.

Bhai Phota: Thursday, November 14, 2024.

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6. Id-Ul-Fitr

Eid is another very significant festival in West Bengal. It is celebrated mostly by Muslims in the state. The date of the occurrence of this festival isn’t fixed. Id-Ul-Fitr is celebrated in May. It comes after the break of the auspicious Ramzan month. This festival memorializes the commencement of a joyful-communion post a month of fasting and prayer.

Also Read: Popular Islamic Religious Places to Visit in India

After 70 days of this festival, comes another important festival for Muslims “Eid-al-Juha”. This festival is also celebrated statewide, but with great splendor in West Bengal. Both non-Muslims and Muslims gather in large numbers in the Kolkata Maidan to witness and enjoy this festival.

Id-Ul-Fitr: Sunday, April 10, 2024.

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7. Chhat Puja

Chhath is a primitive Hindu festival. It is the only Vedic festival that is dedicated to the Surya Dev, Sun God, and ChhathiMaiya (Goddess Usha mentioned in Vedic scriptures). The Chhath Puja is performed to pay gratitude to Lord Surya to sustain life on earth.

While performing the rituals of this festival, people request the Lord to grant them a few wishes. In Hindu scriptures, it is mentioned that worship of the Lord Sun helps in curing various types of ailments that include leprosy. It also assists in ensuring the prosperity and longevity of friends, family members, and elders.

Chhat Puja: Sunday, November 24 – Tuesday, November 26, 2024.

 

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8. Dol Purnima

Another Hindu festival that is celebrated with a different name in West Bengal state is “Dol Purnima “. This is the Bengali version of the Holi festival. Dol Purnima is celebrated by men and women in a very dignified manner. It is done by placing the statues of Krishna and Radha on an appealingly adorned palanquin that is taken around the major streets of the village or the city.

On the early morning of the Dol Purnima day, the students get themselves dressed up in pure white clothes or saffron-colored dresses. They also wear fresh garlands of scented flowers. Everyone enjoys this occasion by immersing themselves completely in singing and dancing to the beats of musical instruments.

Different types of musical instruments are used such as debris, ektara, veena, etc. The devotees swing the idols and women sing devotional songs and dance around the swing. During these activities, the men spray colored powder, abir, and colored water at them.

Dol Purnima (Holi): Monday, March 25, 2024.

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9. Poush Sankranti

In West Bengal, Makar Sankranti is celebrated as“Poush Sankranti”. The name of the festival is derived from the Bengali month “Poush”. It is the month when this harvest festival is celebrated. The newly collected paddy along with the date palm syrup as Pataliand Khejurer Gur is used to prepare a rich variety of conventional Bengali sweets. These sweets are made with coconut, rice flour, date palm jaggery, and milk.

All the different sections of society contribute to a 3 days event that starts on the day prior to Sankranti and culminates on the next day. The Goddess Lakshmi is adorned on the auspicious occasion of Sankranti. This festival is celebrated in Darjeeling as “Magey Sankranti”. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva. As a ritual, devotees take a bath before the rising of the sun and then start their pooja. The food consumed during the festival comprises yams and sweet potatoes.

Poush Sankranti: Sunday, January 14, 2024.

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10. Jamai Shoshti

This is a beautiful and distinctive festival that commemorates the relationship between a son-in-law and a mother-in-law. This day brings the warmness back to their relationship. Jamai is a term that refers to the “son-in-law”. The Jamai Shoshti festival is celebrated in May or June.  On this day, the son-in-law goes to her mother-in-law and seeks her blessing for a prosperous future.

A grand celebration is organized on this day to welcome the arrival of a son-in-law at their house. The ritual happens in the presence of close members of the household.  As per tradition, the mother-in-law prepares a variety of mouth-watering and delectable Bengali dishes and gives gifts to her son-in-law.

Jamai Shoshti: Sunday, February 11, 2024.

West Bengal Festival Dates in 2024

  1. Saraswati Puja (Basant Panchami): Wednesday, February 14, 2024.
  2. Durga Puja: Thursday, October 10 – Sunday, October 13, 2024.
  3. Lakshmi Puja: Thursday, October 17, 2024.
  4. Kali Puja: Thursday, October 31, 2024.
  5. Bhai Phota: Thursday, November 14, 2024.
  6. Id-Ul-Fitr: Sunday, April 10, 2024.
  7. Chhat Puja: Sunday, November 24 – Tuesday, November 26, 2024.
  8. Dol Purnima (Holi): Monday, March 25, 2024.
  9. Poush Sankranti: Sunday, January 14, 2024.
  10. Jamai Shoshti: Sunday, February 11, 2024.

Conclusion

Life in West Bengal is full of enthusiasm, and delight. It is an incredible place to experience the different colors, energy, and beauty of festivals. These are the festivals that are immensely popular in Kolkata. Learning about them helps in realizing their significance in a Bengali household. These celebrations are just evidence of the never-ending and eternal spirit of the people present at this place.

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