Hindus across the country are observing Mahalaya today, a day that honours departed ancestors and opens the festive season leading to Durga Puja. Mahalaya Amavasya falls on Saturday, October 10, with the Amavasya tithi running from 9:35 PM on October 9 to 9:19 PM on October 10.
Mahalaya ends Pitri Paksha, the 16-day period in which Hindus pay homage to their ancestors. The last day is marked with tarpan, a ritual offering to departed relatives. The rite is usually performed by taking a holy dip in the Ganges or another water body and offering prayers in memory of forefathers.
The day also has a second meaning. Mahalaya marks the start of Goddess Durga’s journey from Mount Kailash to her earthly home, leading into Navratri and Durga Puja. On this day, sculptors who have shaped the goddess from clay begin painting her eyes, a ritual known as Chakkhudaan in Bengal.
In Bengal, the day is closely tied to a radio broadcast. The pre-dawn programme “Mahishasura Mardini” is a roughly 90-minute devotional broadcast of Chandipath recitations, and it has become an iconic cultural tradition heralding Durga Puja. The festival itself celebrates the ten-armed goddess’s victory over the buffalo demon Mahishasura.
Durga Puja 2026 is expected to run from October 17 to 21, although listings differ slightly on exact dates. Shopping for the festival typically picks up around Mahalaya. Mahalaya is a public holiday in several states, and the large Durga idols are set up in homes and on decorated pandals. Observance and holiday status vary by state and community.
