Mahalaya marks the spiritual dawn of Durga Puja across Bangladesh
Sanatan devotees across Bangladesh ushered in Mahalaya on Sunday with reverence and joy, marking the sacred beginning of Sharadiya Durgotsab, the grandest festival of the traditional Hindu faith.
Mahalaya signifies the celestial descent of Goddess Durga to Earth, heralding the countdown to Durga Puja, which formally commences on September 28 with Shashthi Puja.
On this auspicious day, the divine invocation of Goddess Durga is performed through the recitation of Chandipath, the sacred scripture narrating her cosmic creation.
According to mythology, it was on Mahalaya that the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva conjured Mahamaya, the invincible feminine force, to vanquish the demon Mahishasura who, blessed with a boon that no man or god could kill him, had seized control of the heavens. Armed with ten divine weapons and riding a lion, Goddess Durga waged a nine-day battle and ultimately restored cosmic order.
Mahalaya also holds deep ancestral significance. Early in the morning, devotees performed Pitru Paksha Tarpan — offering water, sesame seeds, and food to honour departed souls, believed to descend from heaven to Earth on this day to receive blessings from their descendants.
The Dhakeshwari National Temple in the capital hosted a series of special programs starting Sunday morning (September 21), including Chandipath recitations, ritualistic eye-opening ceremonies (Chokkhu Daan), and the installation of ceremonial ghats. Similar observances took place in temples and puja mandaps nationwide.
Under the coordination of the Metropolitan Universal Puja Committee, Mahalaya ghats and special pujas were organised at key spiritual centers, including: Dhakeshwari National Temple Central Puja Mandap, Ramakrishna Math and Mission, Dhaka, Baradeshwari Kalimata Temple, and Jagannath Hall, Dhaka University.
Additional Mahalaya rituals and pot installations were held at prominent sites such as Siddheshwari Temple, Ramna Kali Temple, Swamibag Loknath Brahmachari Ashram and Temple, Ramsita Temple, and Jayakali Temple.
In traditional belief, Mahalaya represents the worship of the “waiting mother” — the moment when Goddess Durga, in her ten-armed form, takes residence in the earthly mandap. It is also the day when her eyes are symbolically painted open, awakening her divine presence among devotees.
Though the formal festivities of Durga Puja begin later in the week, the spiritual and cultural pulse of Sharadiya Durgotsab truly begins today. From solemn chants to vibrant community gatherings, Mahalaya is being celebrated with devotion and grandeur across the country — setting the stage for the days of worship, celebration, and triumph of good over evil that lie ahead.