More About Celebration

Shubho Mahalaya – 3 October 2024

Mahalaya is a festival that takes place the day before the first day of Durga Puja. During this time, people gather to listen to the famed Mohishasur Mordini on the radio and watch children let off firecrackers early in the morning. It is thought that the goddess comes down from the sky on this day. A crucial rite known as Chokkhudaan also takes place on this day, during which a skilled artist completes painting the deity’s eyes just as the sun’s rays are beginning to illuminate the world. On Mahalaya, it is customary to perform a ritual known as tarpan in which people present their deceased relatives with a variety of foods and drinks. The Devi Paksha gets started the next day.

Mahalaya will not fall seven days before Maha Shashti in 2020, as it typically does, but thirty-five days before! This unusual occurrence occurs during a ‘Mal Maash,’ or a month with two new moons.

Durga Puja festivities commence on Mahalaya. On this day, people prepare for the coming of the goddess and her family members, which include Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha, Goddess Saraswati, and Lord Kartikeya.