Kojagari Lakshmi Puja 2026: Date (25 October), Bengali Puja Vidhi, Alpana, Bhog and Lakshmir Panchali

Quick answer: Kojagari Lakshmi Puja 2026 will be performed on the night of Sunday 25 October 2026, which is Ashwin (Sharad) Purnima. Purnima tithi runs from about 11:57 AM IST on 25 October to about 9:42 AM IST on 26 October (calculated), and Drik Panchang lists Sharad Purnima on 25 October. In Bengali homes this is the main Lakshmi Puja of the year. Families draw alpana with Lakshmi's footprints, place a painted Lakshmi sara or a pot (ghot), offer khichuri and sweets, read the Lakshmir Panchali, and try to stay awake through the moonlit night.

This guide has been restored at its original hindutone.com address. It explains the date, the meaning of the name, a simple home vidhi in the Bengali style, and how Bengali families abroad can keep the tradition.

Kojagari Lakshmi Puja 2026 date and Purnima timings

Kojagari Lakshmi Puja comes five days after Bijoya Dashami in Bengal. In 2026 the Bengal Durga Puja ends with Bijoya Dashami on Wednesday 21 October (Drik, Kolkata), and Lokkhi Puja follows on Sunday 25 October. The table below lists the nearby dates. All times are India Standard Time and apply to India only.

The puja is normally done in the evening or at night, after the full moon has risen, while Purnima tithi is running. Families who use a specific Bengali panjika, or whose priest gives a particular time window, should follow that. For the wider festival calendar, see October 2026 Hindu festivals.

What 'Ko jagarti' means

The name Kojagari comes from the Sanskrit words 'Ko jagarti?', which mean 'Who is awake?'. As commonly told, Goddess Lakshmi travels across the earth on this bright full-moon night. She looks for homes that are clean, lit and awake, and she blesses them with prosperity and peace. A home where everyone is asleep, or where there is quarrelling and dirt, is said to miss her blessing.

This is why many Bengali families keep the lamps burning, sit together, sing, play games or read devotional texts late into the night. The vigil is also understood in a deeper way. To be 'awake' means to be alert, honest and careful with the wealth and food that the household has received.

Why Lakshmi Puja comes after Durga Puja in Bengal

In Bengali tradition, Lakshmi is honoured as one of the children of Durga, who visits her parental home with her mother during the Pujas. When the festival ends, the household turns to Lakshmi on the next full moon. Bengal also has a strong farming tradition. The Ashwin full moon arrives as the paddy is growing, so the puja is also a prayer for a good harvest and full grain stores.

This is different from much of North and West India, where Lakshmi Puja is done on the Diwali new moon. In Bengal, the Diwali night is better known for Kali Puja. For the Durga Puja side of the season, see Durga Puja and Bijoya Dashami 2026 in West Bengal.

Preparing the home: cleaning and alpana

Preparation usually begins in the morning. The house is cleaned thoroughly, because Lakshmi is believed to stay only where there is cleanliness. Many women of the house bathe, wear fresh clothes and keep a light fast until the puja is done.

• Alpana: Floor designs are drawn with a paste of soaked, ground rice (often called pituli) using the fingers. Common motifs are lotuses, creepers, conch shells, sheaves of paddy and the owl, Lakshmi's vahana.
• Lakshmi's footprints: A line of small footprints is drawn from the main door towards the puja place. It shows the Goddess walking into the home. The footprints always point inwards.
• Lamps: Earthen lamps or diyas are lit at the door, the tulsi plant and the puja place, so that the house is bright when the moon rises.

The Lakshmi sara, ghot and puja items

Bengali families worship Lakshmi in different forms. Some use a clay or brass murti. Many use a Lakshmi sara, a round, shallow clay plate painted with the image of Lakshmi, sometimes with her owl and other deities. Lakshmi saras are a traditional folk art of Bengal, and styles differ from district to district. Other families worship a ghot (a water pot) topped with mango leaves, or a small basket of paddy, as the presence of the Goddess.

Common items for the puja include:

• A clean low stool or seat for the Goddess, covered with a red or yellow cloth
• Vermilion, turmeric, sandal paste and fresh flowers, especially lotus if available
• A pot with water and mango leaves, and a small heap of paddy or rice
• A conch shell (shankha) and a bell
• Lamp, incense and camphor
• Bhog, fruits and sweets on clean plates or banana leaves
• A copy of the Lakshmir Panchali

Simple Bengali puja vidhi at home

A family priest may perform a full Sanskrit puja. Many families, however, do a simple home puja led by the women of the house. The outline below is a common pattern. Follow your own family practice where it differs.

• 1. Sankalpa: Sit before the Goddess, take a little water in the right palm, and state your name, family and intention to worship Lakshmi on Kojagari Purnima.
• 2. Invocation: Invite Lakshmi into the sara, murti or ghot with folded hands. Blow the conch and offer ululation (ulu), which is the auspicious sound of Bengali worship.
• 3. Offerings: Offer water, sandal paste, vermilion, flowers, incense and the lamp. Many families also offer paddy and durva grass.
• 4. Bhog: Place the bhog before the Goddess and offer it with a prayer.
• 5. Panchali path: Read the Lakshmir Panchali aloud while the family listens.
• 6. Aarti and pushpanjali: Do the aarti with the lamp, then offer flowers with folded hands. Close with the conch and ulu.
• 7. Prasad: Share the prasad with family, neighbours and guests.

Common family customs include keeping the home peaceful during the evening, avoiding loud quarrels, and not sweeping the house after the puja has begun.

Khichuri bhog and other offerings

Kojagari bhog is simple, home-cooked food made with care. A widely loved menu is khichuri (rice and lentils cooked together), labra (mixed vegetables), fried vegetables, and payesh (rice cooked in milk). Sweets made at home are very important, especially narkel naru (coconut balls) and til naru (sesame balls), along with muri or khoi preparations and seasonal fruits.

Many families offer only vegetarian food to Lakshmi. Some households prepare a full lunch-style bhog, while others keep it to fruits, sweets and flattened or puffed rice. In many homes, neighbours and friends drop in after the puja to receive prasad. This open-house spirit is a cherished part of Lokkhi Puja in Bengal.

The Lakshmir Panchali (bratakatha)

The Lakshmir Panchali is a Bengali text in simple verse that is read aloud during the puja. It is the bratakatha, or vow story, of Lakshmi worship. As commonly told, its stories describe households that fell into poverty when they became careless, lazy or quarrelsome, and that regained prosperity when they worshipped Lakshmi with devotion and kept their homes clean and peaceful.

The Panchali also gives practical advice for family life: respect for elders, care with food and money, kindness to guests and honesty in speech. Many printed editions are available in Bengali. Families who do not read Bengali can read a translation, or ask an elder to read while the children listen.

Staying awake on Kojagari night

After the puja, many families stay awake for as long as they can. People sit in the moonlight, sing devotional songs, tell stories and play traditional games. In some homes, sweets or flattened rice with milk are kept in the moonlight and eaten later as prasad. The full moon of Ashwin is also celebrated across India as Sharad Purnima. For the wider pan-Indian customs, see Sharad Purnima 2026 Kojagari puja guide.

Kojagari Lakshmi Puja for Bengali families abroad

Bengali families in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, the Gulf and elsewhere keep Lokkhi Puja at home, and many Bengali community associations hold a puja after their Durga Puja. Check your association's or temple's own announcements for its plans.

• Use a local calendar: The India timings above apply to India only. Do not convert them. Use a panchang made for your city to find when Purnima runs on your local evening.
• Keep it simple: A small sara or framed picture, a lamp, flowers, fruit and home-made naru are enough for a heartfelt puja.
• Alpana indoors: Rice paste or rangoli powder on a board or tray works well in flats where floor drawing is not possible.
• Teach the children: Let children draw the footprints, blow the conch and hear one story from the Panchali. These small acts help the tradition continue.

Frequently asked questions

When is Kojagari Lakshmi Puja 2026?

Kojagari Lakshmi Puja 2026 is on the night of Sunday 25 October 2026. Purnima tithi runs from about 11:57 AM IST on 25 October to about 9:42 AM IST on 26 October (calculated), and Drik Panchang lists Sharad Purnima on 25 October. Families who follow a particular Bengali panjika should confirm with it or with their priest.

What does 'Kojagari' mean?

It comes from the Sanskrit question 'Ko jagarti?', meaning 'Who is awake?'. As commonly told, Goddess Lakshmi moves across the earth on this full-moon night and asks this question. She blesses the homes where people are awake, clean and devoted. This is why many Bengali families keep a night vigil.

Why do Bengalis worship Lakshmi on Kojagari Purnima and not on Diwali?

In most Bengali homes the main Lakshmi Puja is done on Kojagari Purnima, a few days after Bijoya Dashami. On the Diwali new-moon night, Bengal is better known for Kali Puja. Some Bengali business families also worship Lakshmi at Diwali, so customs vary by family.

What bhog is offered at Kojagari Lakshmi Puja?

Common offerings include khichuri, labra (mixed vegetables), fried items, payesh (rice pudding), coconut naru, puffed or flattened rice preparations, sweets and seasonal fruits. Many families offer only vegetarian food. Each family follows its own list, often passed down from grandmothers.

What is the Lakshmir Panchali?

It is a Bengali devotional text in verse that is read aloud during Lakshmi Puja, usually by the women of the house. It tells stories, as commonly told, of homes that lost prosperity when they neglected Lakshmi and regained it through devotion, cleanliness and good conduct.

Can we do Kojagari Lakshmi Puja at home abroad?

Yes. Many Bengali families in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia and elsewhere do the puja at home on the local evening of the Purnima. Follow a calendar made for your city, because India's clock times should not be used abroad. Many Bengali community associations also hold a Lakshmi Puja; check their announcements.

Editor's note

Editor's note (6 October 2026): This guide has been restored at its original address after the earlier version was lost. The date is from Drik Panchang (Sharad Purnima, 25 October 2026). The Purnima start and end times are calculated India Standard Time values and are approximate, so confirm with your family's Bengali panjika or priest. Puja steps, bhog and customs vary widely between families and districts; follow your own family tradition where it differs.

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• Sharad Purnima 2026: Kojagari puja vidhi and NRI guide
• Durga Puja 2026 dates in Kolkata: Mahalaya to Sindoor Khela
• Durga Puja and Bijoya Dashami 2026 in West Bengal
• Kumar Purnima 2026 in Odisha
• October 2026 Hindu festivals
• Durga Puja in West Bengal