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Mahalaya announces the arrival of Maa Durga on earth. Devi Durga is the demon slayer; the killer of buffalo-demon. Chandipath, an ancient holy book, weaves this tale of the Primordial source of energy that is the savior of the entire heavens. She is the goddess with several names – Narayani, Brahmani, Maheswari, Shivaduti, Shaktirupi etc. All the great Gods create this radiant Goddess, to kill the demon Mahishasur. Armed with all kinds of weapons (bestowed by various gods during her creation), Maa Durga defeats the Demons (Asura) and restores goodness on earth.Mahalaya depicts the beginning of this epical journey towards truth.
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To understand the gravity of this battle is far beyond the realm of normal human comprehension. Yet we humans understand the importance of truth and therefore Durga Puja is a wondrous way to commemorate this eternal force of God.The Mahalaya celebration in a traditional Bengali household is very different. Just like Mahalaya announces the arrival of Devi Durga on earth, for a bong family the occasion is like a flagship for the coming ten days. In other words, come Mahalaya and the entire family starts counting the days left for Saptami to arrive --that is the day when the real celebrations begin.
On Mahalaya a typical scene can be viewed in almost all traditional Bengali households. At the break of dawn the entire family wakes up and huddles together around a small transmitter or radio sharp at 4 a.m. This passage of rituals has been followed ever since the 1930s when All India Radio launched a program called “Mahisasura Mardini” or “The Annihilation of the Demon.”
This program is close to the heart and soul of several Bengalis. The program is basically a narration of the entire battle of Maa Durga with Mahishasur. Several Bengali families wake up early in the morning and relieve the moments of glory by heralding the goddess. The immortal verses of Chandipath, i.e., chanting from the Chandi, in the voice of late Birendra Krishna Bhadra has now become synonymous to Mahalaya.
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