Aaj Mahalaya


Mahalaya is the traditional six day countdown for Mahasaptami. So nothing else other than pujo is coming to my mind, here is another post on our biggest festival - Durga Pujo. Mahalaya brings with it the frangrance of Pujo and from today there is no stopping, its the very first day of our festival. It marks the agomoni of Durga from her in-laws' house.

The Philips radio which lies in a corner the whole year, no one even bothers to look at it becomes the biggest possesion the night before the Mahalaya, after all whats Mahalaya without the 4 A.M. Mahishashurmardini aired by Aakashbaani Kolkata, the enchanting voice of  Birendra Krishna Bhadra is the attraction of this day! The whole pujo is incomplete without 'Bajlo tomar aalor benu...'. I do not think every Bengali has the habit of waking up at 4'o clock in the morning but this day is out of the whole year's routine, we have to wake up and we do wake up without much hesitation and switch on the radio.

(Birendra Krishna Bhadra)

Mahalaya also is a day to remember your ancestors, through offering prayers and known as tarpan. Many children even wear their new clothes from this day onwards. The bonedi baris start there pujo and preperations from today and relatives start arriving from today, its so so special. 

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