MAHALAYA

About:

• Mahalaya marks the beginning of the Devipaksha and the end of the Pitrupaksha according to Hindu calendar. Pitru Paksha is a 16-lunar day period when Hindus pay homage to their ancestors through shradh prayers and food offerings.
  
  
• In Bengal, Mahalaya marks the beginning of Durga Puja festivities. Mahalaya is the day when the goddess Durga is believed to have descended to Earth.
  
  
• Bengali people traditionally wake up early in the morning on Mahalaya to recite hymns from the Devi Mahatmya (Chandi) scripture. Offerings to the ancestors are made in homes and at puja mandaps (temporary shrines).