January 2026 is a month that carries tremendous cultural and spiritual energy for Bengali communities and Hindu families across India and Bangladesh. According to the Bengali Calendar (Bangla Panjika) for January 2026, this month brings together some of the most celebrated observances of the winter season — from the harvest joy of Makar Sankranti and Poush Sankranti to the goddess worship of Saraswati Puja, the national pride of Republic Day, and the sacred occasion of Bhishma Ekadashi.
If you are searching for the complete Bengali Calendar January 2026 with holidays, festivals, Tithi details, Nakshatra timings, and daily Panchang information, you have arrived at exactly the right place. This article gives you a thorough day-by-day breakdown of every important date in January 2026 so you can plan your religious observances, family events, and auspicious activities with full accuracy.
What Is the Bengali Calendar (Bangla Panjika)?
The Bengali Calendar, also known as the Bangla Panjika or Bongabdo calendar, is the traditional lunar-solar calendar followed by Bengali Hindu communities across West Bengal, Bangladesh, Assam, Tripura, and the Bengali diaspora worldwide. Like the Thakur Prasad Panchang, the Bengali Panjika provides detailed daily information including Tithi (lunar date), Nakshatra (star position), auspicious and inauspicious time windows, Sunrise and Sunset timings, and the complete schedule of festivals and fasting days throughout the year.
Bengali Calendar January 2026: Complete Day-by-Day Festival and Holiday Table
The following table covers every important festival, holiday, and observance in January 2026 as per the Bengali Calendar and Bangla Panjika. Use this as your primary reference for the entire month.
| Date | Day | Festival / Holiday | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1, 2026 | Thursday | New Year’s Day; Kalpataru Utsav | International New Year celebration. Kalpataru Utsav marks the day Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa granted spiritual experiences to devotees |
| Jan 2, 2026 | Friday | Mannam Jayanti | Birth anniversary of social reformer Shri Mannam Madhavan |
| Jan 3, 2026 | Saturday | Paush Purnima | Full Moon day of the Paush month. Auspicious for holy dips and charity |
| Jan 10, 2026 | Saturday | Second Saturday (Bank Holiday) | Banking holiday across India |
| Jan 11, 2026 | Sunday | Prithvi Jayanti | Observance honoring the Earth |
| Jan 12, 2026 | Monday | Swami Vivekananda Jayanti | Birth anniversary of the great spiritual leader and philosopher Swami Vivekananda |
| Jan 13, 2026 | Tuesday | Bhogali Bihu Uruka | The eve of Magh Bihu, celebrated in Assam with community bonfires and feasting |
| Jan 14, 2026 | Wednesday | Poush Sankranti; Makar Sankranti; Gangasagar Mela (Snan) | Sun enters Capricorn. One of the most sacred bathing days. The Gangasagar Mela draws hundreds of thousands of pilgrims |
| Jan 15, 2026 | Thursday | Magh Bihu; Vasi Uttarayan | Harvest festival of Assam. Celebrated with traditional food and community joy |
| Jan 16, 2026 | Friday | Thiruvalluvar Day; Mattu Pongal | Honoring the Tamil poet-saint Thiruvalluvar. Pongal festival continues with cattle worship |
| Jan 17, 2026 | Saturday | Uzhavar Thirunal; Kaanum Pongal | Final day of the Pongal festival, dedicated to farmers and the land |
| Jan 23, 2026 | Friday | Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami); Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti | Major goddess worship day for students and artists. Birth anniversary of the great freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose |
| Jan 24, 2026 | Saturday | Shravana Karte Begins; Fourth Saturday (Bank Holiday) | Beginning of a new sacred period. Banking holiday |
| Jan 26, 2026 | Monday | Republic Day (Prajatontra Dibas) | National holiday marking the day India’s Constitution came into force in 1950 |
| Jan 27, 2026 | Tuesday | Sri Madhvanavami | Sacred observance for followers of the Madhva Vaishnava tradition |
| Jan 28, 2026 | Wednesday | Sammakka Saralamma Jatara Begins | Beginning of the famous tribal fair held in Telangana |
| Jan 29, 2026 | Thursday | Bhishma Ekadashi; Antarvedi Theertham | Powerful Ekadashi dedicated to the memory of Bhishma Pitamah from the Mahabharata |
| Jan 30, 2026 | Friday | Sonam Lhosar | Tamang New Year celebration observed in Sikkim and Darjeeling |
How to Download Bengali Calendar January 2026 PDF for Free
The Bengali Calendar January 2026 PDF and high-definition image are available for free download online. Simply search for the official Bangla Panjika 2026 website and navigate to the January 2026 section to download the complete calendar in HD PDF format directly to your device.
Makar Sankranti and Gangasagar Mela 2026
Makar Sankranti 2026 falls on Wednesday, January 14, and this is by far the most significant date in the Bengali Calendar for January 2026. On this day, the Sun officially transitions into Capricorn (Makar Rashi), marking the end of the winter solstice period and the gradual lengthening of days. In Bengal, this day is called Poush Sankranti and is celebrated with traditional sweets made from nolen gur (date palm jaggery), sesame seeds, and rice flour.
The Gangasagar Mela, held at the confluence of the Ganges River and the Bay of Bengal at Sagar Island in West Bengal, reaches its peak on this date. This pilgrimage is considered the second largest human gathering in India after the Kumbh Mela. Hundreds of thousands of devotees travel to Sagar Island to take a holy bath on Makar Sankranti, believing that this single sacred dip washes away all the sins of a lifetime.
Saraswati Puja 2026 (Vasant Panchami)
Saraswati Puja 2026 falls on Friday, January 23. This is one of the most beloved and widely celebrated festivals in West Bengal and across the Bengali community worldwide. Students, artists, musicians, writers, and all those who pursue knowledge and learning worship Goddess Saraswati on this day, seeking her blessings for wisdom, creativity, and academic success.
In schools, colleges, and homes across Bengal, beautiful Saraswati idols are installed and decorated with flowers, especially the yellow petal flowers that are associated with the arrival of spring (Vasant). Young students traditionally place their books, pens, and instruments at the feet of the goddess as an offering. January 23 also coincides with Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti, making this a day of both spiritual devotion and national pride.
Swami Vivekananda Jayanti 2026
Swami Vivekananda Jayanti 2026 falls on Monday, January 12. This day marks the birth anniversary of one of India’s greatest spiritual leaders and philosophers, who introduced the teachings of Vedanta and Hindu philosophy to the western world at the 1893 Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago. In West Bengal, this day is observed as Youth Day (Yuva Diwas) and is marked by programs, speeches, and cultural events celebrating the ideals of self-reliance, service, and spiritual awakening that Swami Vivekananda stood for.
Magh Bihu 2026
Magh Bihu 2026 falls on Thursday, January 15. This harvest festival is primarily celebrated in Assam and marks the end of the harvest season. The evening before Magh Bihu (January 13) is called Uruka, when communities gather around bonfires called Meji, share traditional Assamese food, sing folk songs, and celebrate the abundance of the harvest. On the morning of Magh Bihu itself, the Meji bonfire is ceremonially burned as an offering to the fire god Agni.
Bhishma Ekadashi 2026
Bhishma Ekadashi 2026 falls on Thursday, January 29. This is a highly significant Ekadashi in the Hindu calendar, named after Bhishma Pitamah, the great warrior and elder from the Mahabharata. According to Hindu tradition, Bhishma had the power to choose his own time of death (Iccha Mrityu) and is said to have breathed his last on this Ekadashi during Uttarayana. Fasting on this day and offering prayers for one’s ancestors is considered extremely meritorious. This Ekadashi is also known as Jaya Ekadashi and falls in the Shukla Paksha of the Magh month.
Bengali Calendar January 2026: Daily Panchang Details
The Bengali Panjika provides precise daily Tithi, Nakshatra, Sunrise, Sunset, auspicious timings (Shubh Samay), inauspicious periods (Durmuhurt), and Amrit Kaal for every day of the month. Below are the key daily Panchang highlights for January 2026.
| Date | Tithi | Nakshatra | Sunrise | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | Dwadashi until 1:46am, then Trayodashi | Krittika until 1:27am, then Rohini | 6:17am | 5:03pm |
| Jan 3 | Purnima until 3:33pm, then Pratipada | Ardra until 5:28pm, then Punarvasu | 6:17am | 5:05pm |
| Jan 12 | Navami until 12:45pm, then Dashami | Swati until 9:06pm, then Vishakha | 6:19am | 5:11pm |
| Jan 14 | Ekadashi until 5:55pm, then Dwadashi | Vishakha until 12:07am, then Anuradha | 6:19am | 5:12pm |
| Jan 23 | Chaturthi until 2:25am, then Panchami | Purva Bhadrapada until 2:30pm, then Uttara Bhadrapada | 6:18am | 5:19pm |
| Jan 26 | Ashtami until 9:23pm, then Navami | Ashwini until 12:36pm, then Bharani | 6:18am | 5:21pm |
| Jan 29 | Ekadashi until 1:58pm, then Dwadashi | Rohini until 7:34am, then Mrigashira | 6:17am | 5:23pm |
For the complete daily Tithi, Nakshatra, Amrit Kaal, Durmuhurt, and Shubh Samay timings for every single day of January 2026, download the official Bengali Calendar PDF using the link below.
Ekadashi Dates in January 2026
January 2026 has one main Ekadashi fasting date of major importance.
| Date | Day | Ekadashi Name | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 29, 2026 | Thursday | Bhishma Ekadashi (Jaya Ekadashi) | Falls in the Shukla Paksha of Magh month. This Ekadashi is named in honor of Bhishma Pitamah and fasting on this day is believed to free the devotee from all accumulated sins. It is also considered powerful for performing ancestral rites and seeking liberation for departed souls |
Important Note: Devotees must observe the Ekadashi fast from the previous evening (Dashami night) and break it on the Dwadashi (January 30) within the Parana time window. Consult your local Bengali Panjika for the exact Parana timing in your city.
Republic Day 2026 in the Bengali Calendar
Republic Day 2026 falls on Monday, January 26. This national holiday holds special significance in West Bengal, which has a proud history of intellectual and political leadership in India’s freedom movement. On this day, parades, cultural programs, and flag hoisting ceremonies take place across schools, colleges, government offices, and community spaces throughout Bengal and the rest of India. The day commemorates January 26, 1950, when the Constitution of India officially came into force, making India a sovereign democratic republic.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. When is Saraswati Puja in January 2026? Saraswati Puja 2026 (Vasant Panchami) falls on Friday, January 23. This day also marks Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti.
Q2. When is Makar Sankranti in 2026? Makar Sankranti 2026 falls on Wednesday, January 14. In Bengal, it is known as Poush Sankranti and coincides with the Gangasagar Mela bathing festival.
Q3. When is Swami Vivekananda Jayanti in January 2026? Swami Vivekananda Jayanti 2026 falls on Monday, January 12. In West Bengal, this day is also observed as Youth Day.
Q4. When is Bhishma Ekadashi in January 2026? Bhishma Ekadashi 2026 falls on Thursday, January 29. It is also known as Jaya Ekadashi and falls in the Shukla Paksha of the Magh month.
Q5. When is Magh Bihu in 2026? Magh Bihu 2026 falls on Thursday, January 15. The eve of Bihu (Uruka) is celebrated on January 13.
Q6. When is Republic Day in 2026? Republic Day 2026 falls on Monday, January 26. It is a national public holiday across India.
Q7. When is Paush Purnima in January 2026? Paush Purnima falls on Saturday, January 3, 2026.
Q8. What is Gangasagar Mela and when does it take place in 2026? Gangasagar Mela is one of the largest Hindu pilgrimage gatherings in India, held at Sagar Island in West Bengal where the Ganges meets the Bay of Bengal. In 2026, the main bathing day falls on January 14, which is Makar Sankranti.
Conclusion
January 2026 is a wonderful month in the Bengali Calendar, full of harvest joy, goddess worship, national pride, and spiritual observances. From the grand Gangasagar Mela on Makar Sankranti to the beloved Saraswati Puja on Vasant Panchami, from the honoring of Swami Vivekananda and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose to the sacred fast of Bhishma Ekadashi, every week of January brings something meaningful and worth celebrating.