Durga Puja - Mithila Mahotsav 2026

Mithila Mahotsav 2026 - 'Mithila Welcomes Mahashakti' - is a three-day Durga Puja and cultural festival presented by the Mithila Cultural Society Australia (MCSA) at Quakers Hill Community Centre, 7 Lalor Rd, Quakers Hill. It runs from 8:00am on Saturday 17 October to 4:00pm on Monday 19 October 2026, and marks the first year MCSA welcomes Maa Bhagavati through three sacred days of Matrika Puja.

The published running order is: Saturday 17 October - arrival of Maa Durga and pran pratishtha, start of Durga Puja, aarti and pushpanjali, prasad distribution, formal opening of Mithila Mahotsav, evening aarti and pushpanjali, evening food and prasad distribution, and Mata ka Jagrata. Sunday 18 October - morning puja, Kanya Pujan, aarti and pushpanjali, prasad and food distribution, the start of Dandiya, a second pushpanjali and aarti, further food and prasad distribution, and Nisha Puja. Monday 19 October - puja, aarti and pushpanjali, and Visarjan. Clock times for the individual items are not published.

Around the puja there are Mithila cultural programmes covering dance, drama, music, poetry and folk traditions, Madhubani art and cultural exhibitions, traditional bhog and community darshan, family activities, open cultural slots for other communities and a ticketed cultural evening. The festival draws on the traditions of Mithila, the land of King Janaka and Goddess Sita, and is aimed at Maithils across Australia as well as the wider community.

Entry is free. The Humanitix listings are optional contributions: Puja Donation (from $0), Puja Contribution $51, Book your Puja - bring your own offerings for Maa Durga $201, and Become our Yajman, Sankalp to Matrika Puja $501, each plus booking fee. MCSA also runs a Mithila Haat market across the same three days and a separately ticketed Dandiya Night on the Sunday evening.