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Bengal Devotees Offer Tarpan on Mahalaya Marking Start of Durga Puja
- •Thousands of people gathered along the Hooghly River and water bodies in West Bengal to offer 'tarpan' prayers to their ancestors on Mahalaya.
- •The sacred occasion signifies the end of Pitru Paksha and the auspicious beginning of Devi Paksha.
- •Residents tuned into the traditional broadcast of 'Mahishasura Mardini' featuring Birendra Krishna Bhadra early in the morning.
- •The main Durga Puja festivities are scheduled to commence with Maha Shashthi on October 16 across the state.
Key Questions Answered
Mahalaya marks the end of 'Pitru Paksha' and the beginning of 'Devi Paksha', prompting thousands of devotees to gather at river ghats like the Hooghly River in Kolkata to perform 'tarpan', a ritual offering water and prayers to departed ancestors. The day also begins with the traditional broadcast of 'Mahishasura Mardini' featuring Birendra Krishna Bhadra.
Following Mahalaya, the main Durga Puja festivities across West Bengal will officially begin from 'Maha Shashthi' on October 16, kicking off the annual extravaganza of illuminated streets, cultural events, and elaborate pandals in Kolkata.
The state administration, led by Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Agarwal, issued a 12-point directive for key river ghats in regions like Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, North 24 Parganas, and Nadia. Preparations required ghats to be cleaned by the evening of October 9, with trained divers, disaster management forces, rescue boats, barricades, and medical teams deployed starting at 3 AM on October 10.
