Kali Puja 2026 in Kolkata
Kali Puja falls on Sun 8 Nov 2026, and the puja that counts happens late: in Kolkata the midnight window opens just before 11 pm. Below is the whole week from Bhoot Chaturdashi to Bhai Phota, eight temples from Kalighat out to Tarapith and how to reach them, and a plain account of what has not been announced for the night itself.
Sunday, 8 November
Kali Puja is on Sun 8 Nov 2026. The rite is timed to the middle of the night, so it falls on whichever night the new moon is still running at midnight, and this year that is Sunday. Drikpanchang's nishita window for Kolkata runs from 10.55 to 11.46 pm, 51 minutes in all. Another almanac starts it a minute earlier, at 10.54. Notice that it ends before the clock strikes twelve. By drikpanchang the amavasya (new moon tithi) begins at 11.27 am on Sunday and ends at 12.31 pm on Mon 9 Nov. The Bisuddha Siddhanta panjika has it a minute or two later, 11.29 am to 12.32 pm.
From Bhoot Chaturdashi to Bhai Phota
Saturday, 7 November
Bhoot Chaturdashi
Chaturdashi begins at 10.47 am on Saturday, by drikpanchang. Fourteen greens on the plate, fourteen lamps after dark.
Sunday, 8 November
Kali Puja and Dipabali
The nishita puja runs 10.55 to 11.46 pm by drikpanchang. The rest of India keeps Diwali and Lakshmi Puja the same day.
Wednesday, 11 November
Bhai Phota
Dwitiya begins at 2 pm on Tuesday, yet Bhai Phota is on Wednesday. Bhai Phota goes by the tithi at sunrise, and Wednesday's sunrise falls inside dwitiya.
Thursday, 19 November
Jagaddhatri Puja (Navami)
Drikpanchang and the Bisuddha Siddhanta panjika both put the Navami puja on Thursday 19 November. The Bisuddha panjika also lists Tuesday 17 November, the Ashtami. Chandannagar's 2026 schedule is not announced yet.
The fourteen greens and fourteen lamps of Bhoot Chaturdashi
On Bhoot Chaturdashi, Bengali homes eat fourteen kinds of greens (choddo shak) and light fourteen lamps (choddo prodip) after dark. One common list of the greens runs: ol, keo, beto, kalkasunda, neem, mustard, shalincha, jayanti, gulancha, palta, ghentu, hinche, shushni and shelu. Why fourteen lamps has more than one answer. One belief holds that each lamp is for one of fourteen generations of forebears. Another ties the number to the fourteenth day of the moon and says the lamps keep ill forces away.
Eight temples and how to reach them
Distances are in a straight line from the station, not walking distances.
Kalighat Kali Temple
Kali Temple Road, off Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Road, south Kolkata
By tradition one of the Shakti Peethas, where the toes of Sati's right foot fell. Two Blue Line stations are close, Kalighat and Jatin Das Park, each a little over half a kilometre away in a straight line.
Nearest Metro: Kalighat (Blue Line), 0.55 km
Dakshineswar Kali Temple
Dakshineswar, on the east bank of the Hooghly
Rani Rashmoni built the temple and it was consecrated in 1855. Kali is worshipped here as Bhavatarini in a navaratna (nine-pinnacled) temple, the one linked with Sri Ramakrishna.
Nearest Metro: Dakshineshwar (Blue Line), 0.62 km
Darshan 6.30 am to 12.30 pm and 3.30 to 7.30 pm, as published by the temple's board of trustees, which says the timings can change if required. Arrangements for Kali Puja night are not announced yet.
Thanthania Kalibari
Bidhan Sarani, a short way from the College Street crossing
The goddess here is Siddheswari, in clay. According to Wikipedia the image is restored every year, and on the Kartik new moon she is worshipped as Adikali.
Nearest Metro: Mahatma Gandhi Road (Blue Line), 0.45 km
Firinghee Kalibari
244 Bipin Behari Ganguly Street (B.B. Ganguly Street), Bowbazar
By tradition the kabiyal poet Hensman Anthony, Anthony Firingee, came here, and the temple takes its name from him. English Wikipedia notes that the historian Radharaman Mitra rejected that link. There is no agreed year for the founding either.
Lake Kalibari
Southern Avenue, by Rabindra Sarobar (Dhakuria Lake)
Its full name is Sree Sree 108 Karunamoyee Kalimata Mandir, founded by Haripada Chakraborty. Do not confuse it with the Karunamoyee Kali Mandir in Tollygunge or with Karunamoyee Metro station in Salt Lake. By Metro, Kalighat and Rabindra Sarobar stations are each about a kilometre away in a straight line.
Nearest Metro: Kalighat (Blue Line), 1 km
Adyapeath (Dakshineswar Ramkrishna Sangha Adyapeath)
50 D.D. Mondal Ghat Road, Dakshineswar
The trust's own history traces Adyapeath to Annada Charan Bhattacharya, known as Annada Thakur, and a small black Kali image in 1915. The white-marble temple was consecrated on 14 January 1967.
The trust's website says the temple opens three times a day: early morning, 10.30 to 11 am, and 7 to 7.30 pm. It gives the early-morning time two different ways, so check with the office. The trust adds that summer timings shift by half an hour. Kali Puja night arrangements are not announced yet.
Naihati Boro Maa
Arabinda Road, Naihati
Bhavesh Chakraborty began this puja after seeing the towering images at Nabadwip's Rash festival. English Wikipedia dates it to 1923. The image of Boro Maa is more than 20 feet tall.
Nearest railway station: Naihati Junction (Sealdah main line), 0.38 km
Tarapith
Outside KolkataBirbhum, outside Kolkata
The temple of the goddess Tara stands by the Dwaraka river, beside its cremation ground, and by tradition it is a Shakti Peetha. English Wikipedia ties the saint Bamakhepa to this shrine, and notes that Tarapith's own great night is Kaushiki Amavasya, not Kali Puja.
Nearest railway station: Rampurhat, 7.49 km
Getting about on Kali Puja night
Metro Railway Kolkata has not announced a special timetable for Kali Puja night. 8 Nov falls on a Sunday, so unless Metro says otherwise, the regular Sunday timetable applies. Eastern Railway has not announced Kali Puja specials either. The 2026 firecracker hours are not announced yet. Last year's rule, for 2025, came from Kolkata Police and the state Pollution Control Board: only authorised green crackers on Kali Puja and Diwali night, from 8 pm to 10 pm. That was last year's rule, not this year's. The state holiday list gives Mon 9 Nov and Tue 10 Nov as additional Kali Puja holidays, and Wed 11 Nov (Bhai Phota) and Thu 12 Nov as holidays too. We will add each notice here when it is announced.
Questions people ask
When is Kali Puja in 2026?
Kali Puja is on Sunday 8 November 2026. The rest of India keeps Diwali and Lakshmi Puja the same day.
What time is the Kali Puja midnight puja in Kolkata?
The nishita puja in Kolkata runs from 10.55 to 11.46 pm on Sunday 8 November, by drikpanchang. Another almanac starts it a minute earlier, at 10.54 pm.
When is Bhoot Chaturdashi in 2026?
Bhoot Chaturdashi is on Saturday 7 November, the day before Kali Puja. By drikpanchang the chaturdashi begins at 10.47 am on Saturday and ends at 11.27 am on Sunday.
Which Metro station is nearest to Kalighat temple?
Kalighat station on the Blue Line is the nearest, a little over half a kilometre from the temple in a straight line. Jatin Das Park, also on the Blue Line, is only slightly further.
Which Metro station do I use for Dakshineswar temple?
Dakshineswar station on the Blue Line is about 600 metres from the temple in a straight line.
When is Bhai Phota in 2026?
Bhai Phota is on Wednesday 11 November. Dwitiya begins at 2 pm on Tuesday, but Bhai Phota goes by the tithi at sunrise, so the day is Wednesday.
What are the firecracker hours on Kali Puja night?
The 2026 hours are not announced yet. In 2025 Kolkata Police allowed only authorised green crackers, from 8 pm to 10 pm. We will add this year's rule here when it is announced.
Dates and times read on 13 October 2026; we add the Metro, rail and firecracker notices here when they are published. Bangla Panjika · Puja Guide
Durga Puja in Kolkata · UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, 2021
Locations and Metro stations © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.