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