Mahalaya, observed seven days before the Durga Puja, marks the advent of Durga, the goddess of supreme power.
Goddess Durga is on her way, invoked this morning, on Mahalaya, with that magical rendition of shlokas and songs on the radio that Bengalis have woken up to on this auspicious day for the last 84 years.
Mahalaya, observed seven days before the Durga Puja, marks the advent of Durga, the goddess of supreme power.
The usually mothballed and transistors and radios were out in every Bengali household at 4 this morning. That's when Mahishashur Mardinia, the composition of shlokas and songs created by Birendra Krishna Bhadra in 1931, is played every Mahalaya.
Rituparna Sengupta, actor, said, "from my childhood, I have listened to Mahalaya. My grandmother used to insist that we listen to it at 4 in the morning. Every time I would wake up and know that Puja is here."
And then the beat of the dhak or drum takes over, sounding the bugle, as it were, for the goddess's arrival. Also "dhunuchi naach", the dance with a fragrant fire in an earthen pot in your palm.
Dev, actor and Trinamool lawmaker, who, with Rituparna, joined an event to usher in Mahalaya, said, "This sound, the sound of the dhak, it's the best thing about the Pujas. Whether you are in a car or a bus or taxi...you will groove to this, dance to tune...I love this feeling. I love this sound."
Both Dev and Rituparna and the West Bengal governor, KN Tripathi, played the drums at the event, led by well known drummers Bickram Ghosh and Tanmoy Bose.
Durga Puja begins on the 19th, next Monday, but from today Bengal has gone into festive mode.