Mahalaya, a festival that marks the arrival of Goddess Durga, was observed by Hindus nationwide today with a variety of customs and ceremonies.
According to the Hindu calendar, Bangladesh celebrated Mahalaya, which marks the start of “Devi Paksha,” six days before Durga Puja this year. Beginning with the Mahalaya ceremony, the countdown to Durga Puja began.
Hindu devotees invite Goddess Durga and her children Laxmi, Saraswati, Ganesh, and Kartik from Kailash (heaven) to their paternal home on earth during the Mahalaya ceremony.
The chanting of Sri Sri Chandi’s mantras and the early morning singing of devotional songs at temples served as an extension of this invitation.
Marking the day, special programmes of Mahalaya were arranged at different temples across the country.
The Hindus remembered and paid homage to their late ancestors by performing puja, and offering the Brahmins clothes, food and sweets in their names.
Mahanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee leader Tapash Kumar Pal said programmes of the day at Dhakeswari temple began with puja, devotional songs and dance drama. Similar programmes were also arranged in different temples across the country.
Durga Puja will formally begin on October 9 with Maha Shasti. On October 13 it will come to an end with the immersion of the idols on the day of Bijoya Dashami.
The most well-known performance of Mahalaya is the predawn playing of Birendra Krishna Bhadra’s dulcet recorded voice, whose collection of mantras and melodies is known as Mahishasura Mardini.
The Hindu community has been celebrating the arrival of Goddess Durga with images, videos, and well wishes on social media. On social media, people of all religions also wished their Hindu friends a happy occasion.
Goddess Durga is expected to arrive this year on a palanquin and depart on an elephant. The goddess’s arrival in a palanquin is seen as a harbinger of illness and ailments, while her departure on an elephant denotes a massive harvest of food grains and crops.
