The worship actually starts from the day after ‘Mahalaya’ – those who celebrate ‘Navaratri’worship goddess Durga for 9 days and the celebration ends on ‘Dussera’. In Bengal the festival starts from ‘Shashthi’ – the sixth day in the lunar cycle after the ‘Mahalaya’.
Durga Puja is generally celebrated for 5 days in Bengal -‘Shashthi’, ‘Saptami’, ‘Ashtami’ , ‘Nabami’ and ‘Dashami’, the last day. All these days are knows as ‘Tithi’. The names of the ‘Tithis’ have come from Sanskrit – these are the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th day of the lunar cycle before the full moon in the month of ‘Aashwin’, the sixth month in Bengali Calendar. The exact time of worship depends on the position of the moon.
A special worship, known as ‘Sandhi Puja’, is offered to the goddess – the term ‘Sandhi’ means connection here. This special prayer is offered when the moon shifts from ‘Ashtami’ to ‘Nabami’ Tithi. The last 25 minutes of ‘Ashtami’ and first 25 minutes of ‘Nabami’ are marked as the ‘Sandhi Tithi’. During this ‘Sandhi Puja’ the devotees light up 108 candles and offer 108 lotuses to the goddess.
As a ‘Tithi’ is always calculated based on the movements of the moon, sometimes Durga Puja may take place in the month of ‘Karthik’, i.e., the 7th month in the Bengali Calendar.
This year the puja timings are as follows:
Durga Puja 2011 Timing Schedule Based on Indian Standard Time
PANCHAMI – 1st October Saturday (13th Aashwin 1418): From that day 7.52 am-Next day 5.45am
SHASHTI – 2nd October Sunday (14th Aashwin 1418): “Kalparambho” within 9.28am Durga Devi “BODHON” “Amantran” and “Adhibas” in the evening. From that day 5.46am-Next day 3.54am
SAPTAMI – 3rd October Monday (15th Aashwin 1418): “Nabo Patrika” Within 9.28am Predawn bathing of “Kola Bow”. From that day 3.55am-Next day 2.22am
ASHTAMI – 4th October Tuesday (16th Aashwin 1418): SANDHI PUJA 12.51am-1.39am SACRIFICE- 1.15am. From that day 2.23am-Next day 1.15am
NABAMI – 5th October Wednesday (17th Aashwin 1418): From that day 1.16am-Next day 12.35am
DASHAMI – 6th October Thursday (18th Aashwin 1418): Bhasan (Immersion) within 9:27am. From that day 12.36am-Next day 12.23am
