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FESTIVAL CALENDAR · WEST BENGAL · 010

Festivals in West Bengal.

10 festivals across West Bengal — organised by month.

January

Bonbibi Mela (Forest Goddess Festival)

Sundarbans

Annual festival honouring Bonbibi, the divine protector goddess of the Sundarbans mangrove forest. Celebrated with folk theatre, music, and dance performances narrating the legends of Bonbibi's protection of humans from tigers and forest dangers. Arranged with theatrics, music, and cultural programs.

February

Losar (Tibetan New Year)

Darjeeling

Tibetan Buddhist New Year celebrated with monastery prayers, traditional dances, feasting, and the hanging of new prayer flags.

Losar (Tibetan New Year)

Kalimpong

Tibetan New Year celebration marked by vibrant processions, masked dances, and cultural performances. Celebrated by the significant Tibetan Buddhist community in Kalimpong, featuring monastery prayers, traditional dress, and community gatherings.

March

Basanta Utsav (Spring Festival)

Shantiniketan

Spring festival celebrating the arrival of spring (Basanta = spring, Utsav = festival), established in 1923 at Visva-Bharati. Shantiniketan hosts the largest celebration, featuring Rabindra Sangeet (Tagore's compositions), group singing and dancing, coloured powder play (abir), traditional attire, and community processions. The festival blends Holi traditions with Bengali cultural elements.

April

Poila Boishakh (Bengali New Year)

Kolkata

Bengali New Year marking the first day of the Bengali calendar (Poila = first, Boishakh = first month). Celebrated across West Bengal with processions, fairs, traditional attire (women in saris, men in kurtas), family gatherings, and cultural performances. UNESCO recognised this festival as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (2016).

October

Durga Puja

Kolkata

UNESCO-inscribed Intangible Cultural Heritage festival celebrating the victory of Goddess Durga over evil. Kolkata hosts thousands of elaborate pandals (temporary structures), cultural performances, Dhunuchi Naach (incense stick dances), food stalls, and processions. The festival lasts 10 days, with the final five (Shashti to Vijaya Dashami) being most prominent. In 2022, the collective economy was ₹50,000 crores, employing three lakh people.

Tihar (Deepawali)

Darjeeling

The Nepali version of Diwali celebrated over 5 days with Kukur Tihar (dog worship), Gai Tihar (cow worship), and Bhai Tika.

November

Darjeeling Tea & Tourism Festival

Darjeeling

Week-long festival showcasing Darjeeling's world-famous tea culture, local cuisine, music, and adventure tourism with tea garden visits.

Kali Puja

Kolkata

Festival dedicated to the fierce goddess Kali, celebrated especially in Kolkata's cremation grounds where she is believed to dwell. The Kalighat Temple and Dakshineswar Kali Temple (associated with Sri Ramakrishna) are major centres of worship. Rituals at midnight, hymn singing, and offerings mark the celebration. Kali Puja coincides with Diwali night in Hindu tradition.

December

Poush Mela

Shantiniketan

Three-day fair (extended to six days from 2017 onwards) at Tagore's Visva-Bharati University, founded in 1894 to celebrate the establishment anniversary of Brahma Mandir temple. Features approximately 1,500 vendor stalls, live Bengali folk music (baul, kirtan, kobigan), local handicrafts, printed fabrics, and performances. Attracts ~10,000 tourists annually.

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