Sharadiya Durga Puja 2024 Nirghanta (Daily Puja Schedule)

01/10/2024 Astrologer Nita Bhattacharya

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The festival of Durga Puja is celebrated for about ten days in the month of Ashwin. However, the festival starts on the sixth day in a real sense. For ages, it has been believed that Goddess Durga descended on the earth on this day. The five days of Durga Puja are known as Mahasashti, Mahasaptami, Mahaashtami, Mahanavami and Vijaya Dashami. Every devotee of Maa Durga knows this. Each day has its own meaning and significance. Pitru paksha ends with the Mahalaya day. On this day, matri paksha or devi paksha begins. Durga Puja literally begins on the Mahalaya day.

Mahalaya and Chokkhu Daan

Devi is invoked on the day of Mahalaya when her eyes are drawn. The day starts a little early compared to other days with the Birendra Krishna Bhadra’s Mahisasura Mardini Path. It has been a tradition in Bengal to hear the Mahisasura Mardini recited by Birendra Krishna Bhadra on All India Radio decades ago. Today, the same is available almost everywhere, including YouTube. There are countless TV shows on Mahisurmardini that people watch just after waking up on the day.

Mahalaya and Tarpan

Mahalaya is the last day of Pitra Paksha, also known as Sarva Pitra Amavasya. Pitra Paksha has ‌special significance for Hindus. According to the Vedic Hindu calendar, it starts every year from the Pratipada tithi of Krishna Paksha in the month of Bhadrapada and lasts for 16 days, ending on the Mahalaya Amavasya. This is the time when Hindus choose to offer respect to their forefathers and ancestors. Mahalaya is the day when the majority of Hindus offer Tarpan to their forefathers across the country.

In Bengal, this day is even more significant, as there is a tradition of invoking the newly created idols of Maa Durga by drawing her eyes on the day, known as ‘Chokkhu Daan,’ which means ‘eyes offering’. The ritual is performed on Mahalaya and is considered to be a way to invite the goddess. However, this tradition has spread to many parts of the world wherever the idol of Maa Durga is sculpted for the festivities. However, the main puja starts on ‌Mahasashti day.