List of Festivals/Important Days of West Bengal:
- Bengali New Year (the first day of Bengali calendar, also known as Poila Baishakh or Nabo Barsho) — falls around April 14
- Rabindra Jayanti (Birth anniversary of Kaviguru Rabindranath Tagore) — celebrated on May 7 or May 8
- Birthday of poet Kazi Nazrul Islam – celebrated on May 25
- Buddha Purnima – observed in the month of May
- Rathayatra or chariot festival in the Bengali month of Ashadh — celebrated in June or July
- Death Anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore – observed on August 8
- Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi Purnima – in August
- Independence Day – August 15
- Janmashtami – in August
- Eid-ul-Fitr – in August or September
- Mahalaya (the invocation of goddess Durga) — in September or October
- Durga Puja or Sharodiya Utsav – celebrated in September or October
- Kojagari Lakhsmi Puja – falls on the next full Moon day after Durga Puja
- Kali Puja and Deepavali – in October
- Bhai Phonta (Bhai Duj) – just after Deepavali
- Jagadhhatri Puja – in the Bengali month of Kartik (October-November)
- Christmas – December 25
- Eid-uj-Zoha – in October
- Paush Parban or Paush Sankranti – in January
- Saraswati Puja – in February
- Maghotsav (the main festival of Brahmo Samaj) — in February
- Muharram – on the 10th day of the first month of the Islamic lunar calendar.
- Birthday of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose – January 23
- Republic Day – January 26
- Shivaratri – February or March
- Sri Ramakrishna Jayanti – in March
- Doljatra (Holi) – in March
- Bhasha Dibas (International Mother Language Day) — February 21
Some Other Festivals
- Akshay Tritiya – A Hindu holy day, generally falls in May
- Gangasagar Mela Snanjatra – holy dip in the Ganges on Makar Sankranti in January
- Jhulanyatra of Lord Krishna – in the month of August
- Shab-e-Barat – A Muslim festival observed in the month of July or August
- Viswakarma Puja – September or October
- Kartik Puja – October or November
- Basanti Puja or Basant Navratri Durga Puja – March or April
- Charak Puja (folk festival) – March or April
- Rathayatra of Mahesh – the second oldest chariot festival of India held in June-July
- Gajan – local Hindu festival held in April
List of Fairs of West Bengal (District-wise):
- Cooch Behar – ‘Rash Mela’ is held on the occasion of ‘Rashyatra’ of Madan Mohan Thakur in Cooch Behar district in November-December.
- Darjeeling – Teesta Tea & Tourism Festival is held in Darjeeling and other northern districts in November-December.
- Jalpaiguri – The month-long Jalpesh Mela is organised on the occasion of Shivratri in the months of February and March at Mainaguri in the district of Jalpaiguri.
- Malda – Mango and Tourism Festival is held in July in the district, famous for its mangoes.
- South Dinajpur – ‘Mokha Nach’, a dance with wooden masks and folk opera ‘Halna-Halnani’ are performed during Teesta Ganga festival in February.
- Bankura – Bishnupur Festival is held in temple town of Bishnupur in Bankura district between December 27 and 31. Santhal festival of ‘Tusu Parab’ is celebrated in January.
- Bardhaman – Mahishmardini Puja in Kalna is a special attraction during Autumn.
- Birbhum — Kenduli Mela is held at Kenduli in Birbhum district in January, known for congregation of ‘bauls’ or wandering minstrels of Bengal. Poush Mela is organised from 7th Paush every year (month of January) at Shantiniketan, where the Visva-Bharati university founded by Rabindranath Tagore is situated. Vasanta Utsav (Spring Festival) is held at Shantiniketan in the month of March.
- Purba Medinipur – Bhim Mela on 11th day of Bengali month Magha and Charak Mela (both local festivals).
- Paschim Medinipur – Gajan Festival is celebrated in Chaitra Sankranti (Bengali year-ending).
- Hooghly – Rathyatra of Mahesh, the second oldest chariot festival of India after that of Puri, is held in June-July.
- Purulia – Tusu Parab is celebrated throughout the district in December-January.
- Howrah – A special festival is held in March-April at the Ram temple very near Santragachhi Jheel, known for visit of migratory birds.
- Murshidabad – In the Bengali month of Bhadra, Bera Utsav is celebrated at Lalbagh on the bank of river Bhagirathi.
- Nadia – Rash Mela is held at Shantipur and Nabadwip. Sotimar Mela at Ghoshpara Kalyani and Lalan Mela at Kadamkhali village at Asannagar are also well-known.
- South 24 Parganas — Gangasagar Mela is held in mid-January in Sagar Islands (South 24 Parganas) on the Bay of Bengal on the occasion of Makar Sankranti
- Kolkata – Various fairs and festivals like Kolkata Book Fair (January-February), Kolkata Film Festival (November), Little Magazine Mela (January or February ), Natya Mela (Theatre Festival), Bangla Sangeet Mela and Paschim Banga Jatra Utsav are organised throughout the year.
- Among other festivals, Jhapan is a local festival for goddess Manasa celebrated in western districts of the state in mid-August while Hul Dibas is marked throughout the state in memory of martyrs of the 1885 Santhal uprising against the British rule.