Durga Puja 2021: Why Is Mahalaya Special?

Durga Puja is one of the most important festivals in the Bengali calendar. Also known as Durgotsava, it is the festival of Goddess Durga. The festive fervour starts months before Puja commences.

In earlier times, the Puja was celebrated privately in houses. However, the zamindars made this festival a public affair. Slowly, this private Puja became very popular in the state and now you can find big to small pandals in every nook and corner of West Bengal.

The customs of the Durga Puja commence from Mahalaya. Mahalaya amavasya ends the Pitru Paksha (Shradh). Mahalaya is an auspicious day for Bengalis as shradh ends on this Amavasya and the Durga Puja starts. This year, Mahalaya falls on 6 October.

Why is Mahalaya a special day?

The dark fortnight of Aswayuja is known as Mahalaya Paksha (the fortnight specially sacred for offering to the departed ancestors). Pitra Paksha ends and Devipaksha starts. On this day, an invitation is sent to Goddess Durga. She is invited to land on Earth (maika) for 10 days. On the 10th day of the waxing moon, Durga returns back to her husband (Lord Shiva). Durga idols are immersed in the river Ganges (Ganga Nadi).

For decades, Mahalaya is started with a morning two-hour radio program named Mahishasura Mardini (The Annihilation of the Demon). In earlier times, the live broadcast was conducted on this day but with time, we now hear a recorded version.

Bengalis wake up early morning at 4 am to listen to the voice of late Birendra Krishna Bhadra and Pankaj Kumar Mullick on AIR (All India Radio). The radio program recites hymns from the scriptures from the Chandi Path/Kavya (Devi Mahatmyam).

The audio montage of the recitation is followed up by devotional Bengali songs, classical music and melodrama. The audio is done in Bengali and translated in Hindi for non-Bengali listeners.

The story behind the formation of Durga is said in this audio montage with drama and hymns. Even Vedic mantras are said. The program ends with the famous Durga sloka:

Ya Devi sarva bhuteshu Matri rupena samsthita
Ya Devi sarva bhuteshu Shakti rupena samsthita
Ya Devi sarva bhutesu Shanti rupena samsthita
Namestasyai Namestasyai Namestasyai Namoh Namah

Translation:

The goddess who is omnipresent as the personification of universal mother
The goddess who is omnipresent as the embodiment of power
The goddess who is omnipresent as the symbol of peace
I bow to her, I bow to her, I bow to her

Why Mahishasura Mardini?

In Hindu mythology, Mahishasura means asura (demon). Thus Mahishasura Mardini means annihilation of the demon. The story is about the rising cruelty of king Mahishasura against Gods. The Gods got worried as the demon was terrorizing heaven and Earth. They requested Lord Vishnu to annihilate the demon Mahishasura.

As the demon was very powerful, the Tridev (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva) combined together to create a powerful and strong female, Durga. The 'Mahamaya' or 'Mother of the universe' was created with 10 arms and 10 weapons, and she embeds a lot of power.

The trinity bestowed their blessings and weapons to the female warrior. Durga went to kill the demon on a lion. After 9 days of fight with the demon king, Durga finally killed Mahishasura on the 10th day of the waxing moon. She killed him with her trident. Since then, she was named Mahishasura Mardini (the slayer of the buffalo demon). You can see a demon under her trident in every idol.

After the victory, Durga Puja became a famous festival as it celebrates the win of good over evil.