Bengali festival · Night of Sunday 8 November, expected
Kali Puja night, with the family far away in it too.
Kali Puja is the night Bengal worships Maa Kali, on the new-moon night of the Diwali season. In 2026 that is expected to be the night of Sunday 8 November 2026. The puja runs late into the night, so for a family in several time zones it lands at very different hours.
The short answer
Kali Puja honours Maa Kali on the new-moon night of the Diwali season. In 2026 that is expected to be the night of Sunday 8 November 2026, the night of Diwali's Lakshmi Puja. We did not check Kali Puja on its own, so follow your Bengali panjika or puja committee. The main puja is kept at night, and families light lamps at home. Kunbaa gives a family spread across countries one plan for the night: who hosts, who brings what, when the call is, and one album for the photos.*
Expected from the date of Diwali's Lakshmi Puja on Drik Panchang for New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, New Delhi, Melbourne and Auckland, checked 1 October 2026. Kali Puja was not checked on its own.
When is Kali Puja in 2026?
- Expected
- The night of Sunday 8 November 2026
This is the night of Diwali's Lakshmi Puja, which is the same date in every region we checked. Kali Puja is usually kept that night, but we did not check it on its own, and Bengali panjikas can place it differently. Your puja committee's or panjika's date is the one to follow, and it can differ by region. We give no time for the puja: the hour comes from your panjika.
What the night is
Kali Puja, also called Shyama Puja, is the worship of Maa Kali, the fierce form of the Goddess. It is kept on the night of the new moon after Durga Puja, in Bengal and across parts of eastern India. This year Bijoya, which ends Durga Puja in Bengal, is on Wednesday 21 October.
While much of India lights lamps for Lakshmi that night, Bengali homes and neighbourhood pandals worship Kali. The main puja is held at night and often runs past midnight.
The day before is Bhoot Chaturdashi, when many families light fourteen lamps at home and eat fourteen kinds of leafy greens.
How families keep the night
Every family keeps it in its own way. Many do some of this:
- worship Kali at home or at the neighbourhood pandal, with red hibiscus flowers and bhog
- offer flowers together and share the prasad
- light lamps and candles at the door and through the house
- gather the family for the puja and a meal afterwards
- mark Bhai Phonta, the Bengali Bhai Dooj, a couple of days later
Sharing Kali Puja across time zones
A puja late on Sunday night in Kolkata is Sunday afternoon in Toronto and Monday morning in Sydney. Kunbaa gives the family one place for the plan, on kunbaa.com.
Start the plan
Start an event and pick Diwali for its starter checklist: the host, the meal, lamps, the call with family far away and everyone's photos. Name it Kali Puja and pick the night your puja committee or panjika gives. Reword or remove any task that does not fit: the starter tasks use Diwali's words, such as puja time. It is your family's plan.
Share out the food
Add the dishes for the family meal and let each person tick the one they are bringing, so the table is planned before the day.
Choose a time for the call
The checklist has a task for the call with family far away, so one person owns it. The puja is late at night for some of the family and in the afternoon for others, so decide which hour suits the most people, or whether to call after the puja.
Put the photos in one album
On the day, everyone adds their photos to the event's album, from every home. Only the relatives you invite can open it.
Planning the call? How to plan Diwali with family in three time zones shows how.
A card with your family's name
Kunbaa's card maker makes a Diwali card with your family's name, free, with nothing to sign up for. Its Diyas and rangoli style has no deity art. The card says Diwali, not Kali Puja, and some of its lines name Lakshmi, so read the line before you send it. Send it if that suits your family.
Make a Diwali cardMore from the Diwali season
- Diwali
Plan Diwali with family in other cities and countries: who hosts, the puja time, who brings what, and one album for everyone's photos.
- Diwali 2026 dates
Navratri to Bhai Dooj in order, with the date for India, the US and Canada, and Australia and New Zealand, and why each day matters.
- Bandi Chhor Divas
The Sikh festival of release, on Sunday 8 November 2026: what it remembers, how families keep it, and how to share it across countries.
- Jain Diwali (Mahavir Nirvan)
The day Jain families remember Bhagwan Mahavir's nirvana, on 8 or 9 November 2026 by the sources we checked: what to check with your community and how to keep it together.
- Gujarati New Year (Bestu Varas)
The first day of the Gujarati year, on 9 or 10 November 2026 depending on where you live: Saal Mubarak, Annakut, and keeping the day with family abroad.
Some families do not keep this season, for example in the first year after a loss. Nothing here asks you to.
Frequently asked questions
More questions? Read the full FAQ or the help centre.
When is Kali Puja in 2026?
Expected on the night of Sunday 8 November 2026, the night of Diwali's Lakshmi Puja. We did not check Kali Puja on its own, so follow your Bengali panjika or puja committee. The date can differ by region. See the Diwali 2026 dates.
What is Kali Puja?
Kali Puja, also called Shyama Puja, is the worship of Maa Kali on the night of the new moon after Durga Puja. It is kept across Bengal and in parts of eastern India, with the main puja at night.
Is Kali Puja the same as Diwali?
They share a night in most years. In Bengal and parts of eastern India that night belongs to Kali, and in much of the rest of India it is Lakshmi Puja. Each family keeps the night as it always has.
What is Bhoot Chaturdashi?
The day before Kali Puja in Bengal. Many families light fourteen lamps and eat fourteen kinds of leafy greens. Check your panjika for the day.
How can we plan Kali Puja with relatives in other countries?
Put the plan where everyone can see it: who hosts, who brings what, and a time for the call that suits the most people. On Kunbaa you start an event, pick Diwali for its starter checklist, rename it and pick the night your puja committee or panjika gives. On the day, everyone adds their photos to one album.
Does Kunbaa have a Kali Puja template?
Not a separate one. The starter checklist is Diwali's: the host, the meal, lamps, the call with family far away and the photos. You rename the event, pick the night your puja committee or panjika gives, and reword or remove any task that does not fit.
Who can see our Kali Puja photos?
Only the relatives you invite. Kunbaa is invite-only, has no ads and sells nobody's data. See exactly how private Kunbaa is.
Does it cost anything?
Starting a family, the tree, events and the album are free, and everyone in the family joins free. Kunbaa Plus is an optional paid plan for keeping more of the family archive. See pricing.