Mahalaya: Hindus pay tribute to their ancestors at the Hooghly river

Gearing up for the Durga Puja celebration, the Bengali community, like many others, on Saturday observed the final day of Pitru-paksha through Mahalaya, the auspicious occasion when one pays tribute to ancestors through prayers, rituals and a dip in the river Ganga. The day marks the commencement of Devipaksha (Fortnight of the Goddess). In West Bengal, day breaks at 4 am on Mahalaya by listening to the famous radio broadcast Mahishasur-Mardini, a recital conceptualised by the late Birendrakrishna Bhadra. Throngs of people were on the banks of Hooghly river as they took a dip and offered prayer (tarpan) for their forefathers. Images by Soumo Das/IBNS

Bengal observes Mahalaya, gears up for Durga Puja

Durga Puja celebrations commenced in Kolkata on Tuesday (Sept 19, 2017) with Mahalaya. The Bengali community, like many others, observed the final day of Pitru-paksha through Mahalaya, the auspicious occasion when one pays tribute to ancestors through prayers, rituals and a dip in the river Ganga. (Images by IBNS)

Mahalaya ushers in Durga Puja countdown

People performing 'Tarpan', a Hindu ritual of offering water to ancestors at the Ganga on the auspicious occasion of 'Mahalaya,' which marks the beginning of 'Debipaksha' or the day the goddess Durga is believed to have descended to earth.