Mahalaya is an auspicious day in the Hindu calendar, celebrated with great fervor and devotion in the Indian subcontinent, especially in West Bengal, India, and Bangladesh. It is celebrated roughly seven days before Durga Puja, a festival that honors the power and strength of Goddess Durga. Here are some key facts about Mahalaya:

• Significance: Mahalaya marks the beginning of Devi Paksha and the end of the Pitri Paksha, which is a period of mourning. Hindus consider Pitri Paksha to be inauspicious because shradhh or death rites are performed during this period. It is a 16-day lunar period during which people remember and pay homage to their ancestors using food and water offerings. Mahalaya is a happy occasion that signifies the arrival of the new moon and the formal start of preparations and festivities for Durga Puja.

• History: The central theme of Mahalaya is based on a legend from the “Devi Mahatmya” (The Glory of the Goddess), an ancient Sanskrit text that is a part of the Markandeya Purana. This text narrates the story of the goddess Durga and her battle against the demon Mahishasura, a buffalo demon who terrorized the heavens and Earth. The war between Durga and Mahishasura lasted for nine days, and then she killed him on the 10th day. Durga Puja is celebrated all over the country with much pomp and fervor, and devotees pray to the goddess during these ten days as it is believed she comes to Earth to bless her people.

• Customs and traditions: Every Bengali household wakes up early in the morning, even before the sun, to customarily listen to a collection of songs and mantras called “Mahishasura Mardini,” in the sonorous voice of Birendra Krishna Bhadra. These mantras invoke the Goddess, and the most famous one is Jago Tumi Jago. In Eastern India, a common tradition on Mahalaya is to perform tarpan, a ritual of offering water and other items to dead ancestors. By performing tarpan on Mahalaya, Hindus believe that they are helping their ancestors cross over to the afterlife.

Mahalaya is celebrated with great enthusiasm and devotion in India, especially in the state of West Bengal, where it holds tremendous cultural and religious significance. In different parts of India, Mahalaya might be celebrated with variations in customs and traditions, but the common thread is the reverence for goddess Durga and the triumph of good over evil.