About Subho Bijoya
Subho Bijoya is the greeting Bengalis exchange from Bijoya Dashami, the day Durga leaves her parents' home and the images are immersed. In 2026 Bengal's Bijoya Dashami falls on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, sometimes a day after Dussehra elsewhere. The greetings go on for weeks, with pronam to elders, embraces between friends, and sweets in every house.
Bijoya means victory, and the tenth day is named for the goddess's win over Mahishasura. But ask a Bengali what Bijoya Dashami feels like and the answer is a farewell. For four days Durga has been a married daughter home on a visit; on Dashami she goes back to Kailash, and the house, the para and the pandal feel empty. The greeting changes the same day. Until Navami people say Shubho Sharodiya; from Dashami they say Shubho Bijoya, and they keep saying it for weeks.
The last morning in the pandal
- Dashami pujaA short final puja
The priest completes the rites in the morning, within the Dashami tithi. Some pujas also worship Aparajita, the undefeated goddess.
- Darpan bisarjanThe goddess in the mirror
A mirror is held so that the image is reflected in a bowl of water, and that reflection is immersed first. In the tradition, this is the moment she has left.
- Debi baranMarried women say goodbye
Women carry a baran dala, a tray of sweets, sindoor, betel leaf and nut, turmeric, durva grass and rice. They touch sweets to the goddess's lips, wipe her face, and whisper "come again next year".
- Sindoor khelaVermilion, then everyone
After offering sindoor to the goddess, women smear it on each other's foreheads, cheeks and conch-shell bangles, and sweets go round.
- BisarjanDown to the river
The image is lifted onto a truck or shoulders and taken with the dhak to a river, pond or ghat. The cry is "Asche bochhor abar hobe", it will happen again next year.
- Shanti jalWater for the family
The priest brings back water from the immersion and sprinkles it on everyone, and the round of pronam begins.
Sindoor khela was traditionally for married women. In many Kolkata pujas that has loosened, and widows, unmarried women and trans women now take part, though plenty of family pujas keep the older rule. If you are a guest, wait to be invited. The Durga Puja page covers the earlier days.
Why Bengal's Dashami can be a day late
Bengali almanacs assign the tenth lunar day to the calendar differently from most north Indian panchangs. In some years that puts Bengal's Bijoya Dashami a day after Dussehra in Delhi or Mumbai, and state holidays follow. If you are wishing someone in Kolkata, Agartala or Dhaka, go by their date, not the national one.
Pronam, kolakuli and mishti mukh
What makes Bijoya a greeting occasion is the custom that follows the immersion. Everyone makes the rounds, and what you do depends on who you meet.
| Who you are greeting | What you do | What you say |
|---|---|---|
| Someone older | Pronam: bend and touch their feet | "Shubho Bijoya", and they reply with ashirbad, a blessing, and usually a sweet |
| Someone your own age | Kolakuli: an embrace, often a shoulder hug on each side | "Shubho Bijoya", or among close friends just the hug |
| Someone younger | A hand on the head, a blessing, sweets or a little money | "Bhalo theko", stay well |
| Anyone in the house you visit | Mishti mukh: you are fed something sweet before you leave | Refusing is rude; take a small piece |
The visiting goes on until Kojagari Lakshmi Puja five days later, and in many families until Kali Puja on the night of Diwali. Every house keeps a stock: narkel naru, coconut balls rolled with jaggery; nimki, crisp salted flour diamonds; ghugni, yellow peas with spices; and sandesh, rosogolla and chandrapuli from the local shop.
People who could not visit used to write. A Bijoyar chithi, a Bijoya letter, opened with "Sricharaneshu" for an elder and "Kalyaniyeshu" for someone younger, and carried the pronam by post. Today it is a phone call, a voice note, or a video call in which a nephew in Bengaluru bends down towards the screen while his grandmother in Barasat laughs and gives her blessing anyway.
Clubs and housing societies hold Bijoya Sammilani, Bijoya get-togethers with songs, recitation and food, through October and November. Bengali associations abroad do the same on the nearest weekend.
Beyond West Bengal
In Bangladesh, Bijoya Dashami is a public holiday, and the day is marked with darpan bisarjan, sindoor khela and immersions in rivers such as the Buriganga in Dhaka. Tripura and the Barak Valley of Assam keep the same customs. In Odisha, Dussehra is called Bijaya Dashami and people greet each other with "Subha Bijaya". Everywhere, the day is followed by visits to elders.
What to write
Shubho Bijoya, Maa-Baba. Amar pronam niyo. Asche bochhor ek songe thakbo. (Shubho Bijoya, Maa and Baba. Take my pronam. Next year we will be together.)
Shubho Bijoya. Anek bhalobasha ar ashirbad. Mishti ta kintu pathiye dish. (Shubho Bijoya. Lots of love and blessings. But do send the sweets.)
Shubho Bijoya. Kolakuli ta pawna roilo, dekha holei. (Shubho Bijoya. I owe you a hug the moment we meet.)
Shubho Bijoya. Apnader shokol ke amar pronam janai. Shighroi dekha korte ashbo. (Shubho Bijoya. My pronam to all of you. I will come to see you soon.)
Shubho Bijoya to you and your family. Hope the Pujo was everything you wanted, and the sweets last till Lakshmi Puja.
Shubho Bijoya. Sending my pronam to Mashima by video, bending as low as the phone allows.
Shubho Bijoya! Maa Durga ki vidaai ke saath aapke ghar khushiyan aur mithaas bani rahe. (Shubho Bijoya! As Maa Durga leaves, may happiness and sweetness stay in your home.)
Bijoyar xubhechha aru morom lobo. Ahiba bosoru aru dekha hobo. (Bijoya greetings and love. We will meet again next year.)
Subha Bijaya. Maa Durga nka ashirbad sabubele aapana sathire rahu. (Subha Bijaya. May Maa Durga's blessing always be with you.)
Do
- Touch the feet of elders if that is your family's custom, or at least call them on Dashami.
- Accept the sweet you are offered, even if it is your fifth house of the evening.
- Say Shubho Bijoya from Dashami onwards, through to Lakshmi Puja and beyond.
Avoid
- Don't say Shubho Bijoya before Dashami; until then it is Shubho Sharodiya.
- Don't add "Happy" in front of Subho Bijoya; "subho" already means it.
- Don't join sindoor khela or photograph it closely unless the women there invite you.
How to wish someone on Subho Bijoya
Bijoya greetings follow age. Younger people send pronam, elders send ashirbad, and friends of the same age share kolakuli, a hug. "Subho Bijoya" or "Shubho Bijoya" is the line on its own; "Happy Subho Bijoya" says the same thing twice. Mention the sweets, the visit you owe, or the elder whose feet you are touching over the phone. A family in mourning that year skips Bijoya, so write to them quietly.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, Bengali + Odia or Assamese.
When is Subho Bijoya in 2026 and 2027?
Subho Bijoya is set by the Hindu lunisolar calendar, so it falls on a different date each year. In 2027 it falls 11 days earlier than in 2026.
- 2026
- 2027
Frequently asked questions
When is Subho Bijoya in 2026?
Subho Bijoya 2026 falls on Wednesday, 21 October 2026.
What does Subho Bijoya mean?
Subho, or shubho, means auspicious or happy, and Bijoya means victory, after the goddess's win over Mahishasura on the tenth day. Bengalis use it as the greeting from Bijoya Dashami onwards, paired with pronam to elders and an embrace for friends.
Is it correct to say "Happy Subho Bijoya"?
It is understood, but it repeats itself, since "subho" already means happy or auspicious. Bengalis simply say "Subho Bijoya" or "Shubho Bijoya", and in writing often add a pronam for an elder or "bhalobasha", love, for someone younger.
How long after Dashami can you say Subho Bijoya?
For several weeks. Bijoya visits and greetings carry on until Kojagari Lakshmi Puja, five days later, and in many families until Kali Puja at Diwali. Clubs hold Bijoya Sammilani gatherings well into November.
What is kolakuli?
Kolakuli is the Bijoya embrace between people of the same age, usually a hug on one shoulder and then the other, with "Shubho Bijoya". Younger people touch the feet of elders instead, and elders bless the young and offer sweets.
Why is Bijoya Dashami sometimes a day after Dussehra?
Bengali almanacs assign the tenth lunar day to the calendar differently from most north Indian panchangs. In some years that puts Bijoya Dashami, the immersions and sindoor khela in Bengal a day after Dussehra and Ravan Dahan in the rest of India.
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