Mamata Banerjee greets Bengal on Maha Saptami
Synopsis
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee extended Maha Saptami greetings on October 17, invoking Goddess Durga's blessings for courage, health, and happiness, as the state's grandest cultural festival entered its most sacred phase.
Key Takeaways
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee posted Maha Saptami greetings on Saturday, October 17, 2026 .
She invoked Goddess Durga's blessings for 'courage, good health and happiness' for all.
Maha Saptami marks the formal opening of Durga Puja's most sacred phase.
Durga Puja holds UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage recognition since 2021.
The festival continues through Mahashtami , Mahanavami , and concludes with Vijayadashami .
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee extended warm wishes to the people of Bengal and beyond on the occasion of Maha Saptami, invoking the divine blessings of Goddess Durga for courage, good health, and happiness.
Posting on Saturday morning, Mamata Banerjee wrote: 'May the divine mother bless all with courage, good health and happiness. Shubho Maha Saptami, to one and all. Joy Maa Durga.' The message, brief and devotional, captures the spirit of a festival that is far more than a religious occasion in West Bengal — it is the heartbeat of Bengali cultural identity.
Durga Puja is the state's most prominent annual celebration, honouring the ten-armed goddess across days of elaborate pandal-hopping, community feasting, and artistic spectacle. Maha Saptami marks the seventh day of the lunar fortnight and is considered the formal opening of the festival's most sacred phase — the divine mother is ritually awakened, and the city comes fully alive.
For Bengal's political leadership, public greetings on each day of Durga Puja are a long-standing practice, one that reflects the festival's unifying hold across communities and geographies. The celebration now draws millions of visitors to Kolkata alone, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization recognised the tradition for its intangible cultural heritage in 2021 — a milestone that underscored how the festival had grown from a community ritual into a globally acknowledged cultural phenomenon.
With Mahashtami, Mahanavami, and the grand conclusion of Vijayadashami still ahead, the state's festivities are only building toward their crescendo.
Point of View
Public devotion to Durga Puja is both an expression of personal faith and a perennial act of cultural alignment with the state's dominant identity. Banerjee's greetings follow a pattern consistent across all major Bengali festivals, reinforcing Trinamool Congress's positioning as the custodian of Bengal's traditions. The brevity and warmth of the message signal no political undertone — only the rhythm of an annual ritual that no leader of Bengal can afford to leave unmarked.
NationPress
17 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Maha Saptami in Durga Puja?
Maha Saptami is the seventh day of the Durga Puja festival and marks the formal ritual awakening of the goddess, opening the most sacred phase of the celebration.
What did Mamata Banerjee say on Maha Saptami 2026?
Mamata Banerjee wished everyone 'Shubho Maha Saptami' and prayed that the divine mother bless all with courage, good health, and happiness.
When is Maha Saptami celebrated?
Maha Saptami falls on the seventh day of the bright lunar fortnight in the Bengali month of Ashwin, preceding Mahashtami and Mahanavami.
Is Durga Puja a UNESCO heritage event?
Yes, Durga Puja in Kolkata was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2021.
What comes after Maha Saptami in Durga Puja?
After Maha Saptami, the festival progresses through Mahashtami and Mahanavami before culminating in Vijayadashami, the day of the goddess's symbolic departure.
