Bijoya Dashami 2026: date, sindur khela, immersion and traffic in Kolkata

Which day: the two panjikas

• Dashami is a West Bengal public holiday on Wednesday 21 October; 22, 23 and 24 October are additional Puja holidays.

  OfficialGovernment of West Bengal, notification 4188-F(P2)

• By the Gupta Press panjika, Dashami puja and darpan visarjan fall on the morning of Tuesday 20 October, by 8.30 am.

  Press reportAnandabazar, both panjikas

• Kolkata Police's Puja traffic notice treats Tuesday 20 October as Dashami and the first immersion day, with immersions continuing to 24 October, and Lakshmi Puja immersions on 26 and 27 October.

  OfficialKolkata Traffic Police, notice TP/47

Belur Math

• Wednesday 21 October: puja from 6.30 am, darpan visarjan by 8.30 am, immersion and shantibari after the evening arati.

  OfficialBelur Math programme

Sindur khela

• No 2026 sindur khela times have been published by Bagbazar Sarbojanin, Sovabazar Rajbari or Belur Math. It follows the darpan visarjan on Dashami morning.

  Not announced

• Krishnanagar Rajbari will hold no sindur khela this year, its first puja since the death of Raja Soumish Chandra Roy in March; the puja stays open to visitors.

  Press reportSangbad Pratidin

Immersion: ghats and rules

• The Kolkata Municipal Corporation area has 24 immersion ghats; Baje Kadamtala and Nimtala take the most idols.

  Press reportAsianet News Bangla

• This year idols go into the river on braked trolleys, not by crane: eight trolleys each at Baje Kadamtala and Nimtala.

  Press reportAsianet News Bangla

• DJs are banned through the festival, including at immersion.

  Press reportThe Times of India

Traffic on immersion days

• Goods vehicles that are not part of a procession are barred across Kolkata from 8 am to 5 am the next morning, 20 to 24 October.

  Press reportMillennium Post

• From 3 pm until the immersions end, traffic is diverted on more than 50 roads, including Strand Road, Nimtala Ghat Street, Beadon Street and Bagbazar Street; parking is banned on main roads.

  Press reportEi Samay

• Lorries carrying idols may not use the AJC Bose Road flyover or the Maa flyover.

  Press reportMillennium Post

• On 20 October the Kalighat temple area (Hazra Road, Nepal Bhattacharya Street, Sadananda Road, Kalighat Road) is closed to vehicles from 2 pm to 7 pm.

  Press reportEi Samay

Metro on Dashami, 21 October

• Blue Line 1 pm to 10.30 pm, Green Line 1.30 pm to 10.30 pm, Yellow Line 3 pm to 9.38 pm, Purple Line 3 pm to 10.55 pm. No Orange Line trains from 17 to 21 October.

  Press reportThe Statesman (Metro Railway's notice)

Questions people ask