Mahalaya Audio/Video
Mahalaya marks the beginning of the Durga Puja countdown. The most beloved Mahalaya tradition is the pre-dawn broadcast of Mahishasura Mardini — a timeless composition by Birendra Krishna Bhadra and Pankaj Kumar Mullick, first broadcast on All India Radio in 1931. For millions of Bengalis, waking up before dawn to listen to this program is an inseparable part of the Durga Puja experience.
Mahishasura Mardini — Full Version
Mahishasura Mardini — Birendra Krishna Bhadra (Full Version)
Classic Mahalaya Recitation
Classic Mahalaya — Birendra Krishna Bhadra
About Mahalaya
Mahalaya is celebrated on the new moon day (Amavasya) of the Hindu month of Ashwin, exactly one week before Durga Puja. It marks the end of Pitripaksha (the fortnight dedicated to the ancestors) and the beginning of Devipaksha. On this day, Hindus offer Tarpan (oblations of water) to honor their deceased ancestors.