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Mahalaya is celebrated by Maa Durga devotees a week before Durga Puja begins around the world. It is observed on the last day of Pitru Paksha (the 16-day lunar day period when Hindus pay homage to their ancestors/Pitrs) and marks the beginning of Debi Paksha (the era of the goddess). Mahalaya thus denotes the arrival of Goddess Durga, as does the festival centered on her worship, Durga Puja.
During Mahalaya, family elders pay homage to their ancestors by performing Tarpan, a ritual in which water is offered to the souls of the ancestors on the banks of the Ganga.
Date:
This year Hindus will celebrate Mahalaya on Sunday, September 25 – the end of the Pitru Paksha, also known as Shradh or Shraddh.
Mahalaya 2022 Shubh Muhurat and Rituals:
On Mahalaya, Amavasya Tithi begins at 03:12 am on September 25 and ends at 03:23 am on September 26. According to Drik Panchang, Kutup Muhurat will last from 11:48 am to 12:37 pm, Rohina Muhurat from 12:37 pm to 01:25 pm, and Aparahna Kaal from 01:25 pm to 03:50 pm.
On Mahalaya, Bengalis and Maa Durga devotees get up early in the morning to perform Tarpan. They offer prayers to their ancestors’ departed souls, bhog to the Brahmins, and alms to the poor. Furthermore, on Mahalaya, sculptors only design Goddess Durga’s eyes, color them, and perform a special puja before doing so. People also recite Chandipath and other devotional mantras while listening to an early morning rendition of Mahishasura Mardini on All India Radio.
Significance
Mahalaya has special meaning for Bengalis because it marks the start of Durga Puja celebrations in West Bengal. The day marks the arrival of Goddess Durga with her divine powers to Earth from Kailash Parvat.
It is also known as Sarva Pitra Amavasya and marks the end of Pitru Paksha. It is believed that the first ancestors are bid farewell in the morning, and that Maa Durga returns to earth in the evening to bless her people.
Durga Puja will begin on Saturday, October 1 and will conclude on Wednesday, October 5.
Source:HT
