Namasteshwai Namasteshwai Namasteshwai namo namaha

The Mother Goddess comes home ...

It is that time of the year again, when Goddess Durga descends from her husband's abode on Mt. Kailasha with her four kids to come home to her parents. And the whole of India erupts in celebration to rejoice on her home coming!

I can hardly describe the excitement in my breath, as I remember those days of Mahalaya when the whole family woke up at 4am in the morning to the tune of “Mahisasura Mardini” or “The Annihilation of the Demon” on All India Radio (AIR). The whole of the eastern Indian subcontinent, specifically Bengalis religiously tune in to the radio on this day to listen to the beautiful chants in Sanskrit by Birendra Krishna Bhadra. So much so that 'Mahisasura Mardini' has become synonymous with the term Mahalaya.

And then it is time for new clothes, gifts and lots and lots of sweets! The final 5 days of this event are the most enjoyable for the young and the old. I remember those wonderful times at high-school when the Pujas (that’s what they call the festival in short) were the only time when we the kids could go around the whole town with our small handy fire-crackers (really don’t know what to call those) and even had a convenient amount of pocket money at our disposal! This is one of the biggest festivals in India which culminates on the 10th day with Bijoya Dasami or Dusshera.

The word Durga comes from the Sanskrit word 'Durg', which means a fort. So the name Durga means 'one who is incomprehensible' or 'difficult to reach'. Goddess Durga is worshipped for her gracious nature as well for her ferociousness. She is representative of the female Shakti or female dynamism.

There is a very good article here: http://hinduism.about.com/cs/audiomusic/a/aa092003a.htm

Taraana Special Edition on Mahalaya: Monday Oct 3rd, 2005 at 4 am
Wednesday Taraana: Oct 5th, 2005 rerun of Mahisasura Mardini at 7 pm