Shubho Mahalaya is a Hindu festival that marks the beginning of the Durga Puja festivities. It is celebrated on the seventh day of the lunar month of Ashwin, which usually falls in September or October. Mahalaya means the arrival of Goddess Durga and is celebrated by the devotees of Maa Durga a week before the Durga Puja celebrations begin. On this day, Hindus wake up early to listen to the Mahalaya broadcast on All India Radio. The broadcast features a recitation of the Chandi Path, a sacred Hindu text that tells the story of Durga’s battle against the demon Mahishasura. The broadcast is also accompanied by traditional Bengali music and hymns. Additionally, elders of the family pay tributes to their ancestors by performing Tarpan - a ritual in which they offer water to the ancestors souls on the banks of the Ganga.