Mahalaya, also known as Sarva Pitri Amavasya (forefathers in heaven), was observed on 2 October this year and marked the end of Pitri Paksha—recalling the ancestors. This is a religiously significant day for Hindu devotees, particularly Bengalis, who, at the crack of dawn with devotional or Shroddha offerings, pray for their souls in the afterlife. It also serves as a reminder of a faithful who realises how much has changed and how, no matter where one lives or how far away, at home, the Sanskritic chantings (Chandipath) and songs will always ring in the devotee’s ears.

It also marks the advent of Durga puja, and this year, for the first time, another dimension was lent to Mahalaya, which came in the form of a book titled Mahalayar Bhore (meaning, Dawn of Mahalaya), presented by Surnandan Bharati and jointly edited by Anadi Mosel and Ritish Ranjan Chakraborty. The book is written in Bengali and contains Chandipath, the essence of the light of the flute, and notations of devotional songs related to Mahisasurmardini. The seasoned vocalists engaged in their miscellaneous renditions of the songs once sung by Supriti Ghosh, Dwijen Mukhopadhyay, Krishna Dasgupta, Shyamal Mitra, Ashima Bhattacharya, Arati Mukhopadhyay, Jaba Mukhopadhyay, Sumitra Sen, Sandhya Mukhopadhyay, Tarun Bandhopadhyay, Utpala Sen et al.

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The objective behind the book Mahalayar Bhore, according to the editors and compilers, is to inform readers of the significance of the Chandipath well within the Bengali psyche in their devotion to the mother Goddess. It is also to introduce readers to the inner workings of Chandipath by the late Birendra Krishna Bhadra, a legend in his lifetime. The process began during the pre-independence days and culminated in 1974 with Pankaj Kumar Mullick’s rendition of Bajlo Tomar Alor Benu, a trio programme of Bani Kumar, Pankaj Kumar Mullick and Birendra Krishna Bhadra.

The editors express their sincere gratitude if readers find value in the knowledge imparted, drawing enlightenment from this significant autumnal festival. The book Mahalayar Bhore was officially launched by Surnandan Bharati on the occasion of Mahalaya, held on 30th September at Indumati Sabhagriha in Jadavpur, Kolkata.

All India Secretary Ritish Ranjan Chakraborty remarked, “Morning has emerged from the depths of night—a brisk and vibrant morning. The Chandi hymn beautifully encapsulates the essence of the day, a day that holds special significance for Bengalis. As daylight arrives, the sound of drum beats fills the air. Neighborhood boys begin their rounds with bill books in hand, collecting donations for the puja while preparations to build the pandal are underway. New clothes find their way into homes as the sky remains clear, adorned with dew-drops and the thrill of Shiuli flowers falling everywhere. With the chant of Devi Sarvabhuteshu… in the background, one tunes in to the morning programme on Akashvani, soaking in the festive spirit.”

Sushmita Chakraborty, Tapshi Sarkar, Soumi Chakraborty, Yudhajit Roy, Tanav Banerjee, Shubdeep Sarkar and Partha Sarkar participated in a repertoire of songs of Mahishasur Mardini. The student community of Nrityanad School of Performing Arts performed a dance to the song of Ya Chandi under the direction of Soumita Roy.

Supti Roy, Manisha Rani Biswas, Kamalini Barua, Anisha Chakraborty, Nupur J. Basak, Kaushani Das Niyogi, Adrija Chatterjee, Tapan Sarkar, Sayantan Sarkar also gave vocal renditions devoted to Goddess Durga. The musical accompaniment by artist Niva Banerjee and other fellow artists was mesmerising. A poetry collage was performed by Lalit Nandana’s Puravi Nath, Swarlipi Nath, Rudra Manna, Arnesh Halder, Trisha Bhattacharya and Sampreeti Sarkar. Pt Shivnath Bhattacharya, Sitanshu Chatterjee and Deepmala Bhattacharya accompanied on the table, while Santi Vinod Das and Pradeep Das were on keyboard and percussion. Saikat Nandi and Debashish Sarkar anchored the show. Cardiologist Dr Sukmal Das, professor Shikha Saha and Supreme Court advocate Samarendra Dutta inaugurated the book and praised Surnandan Bharati’s pioneering efforts for introducing for the first time a book, Mahalayar Bhore, lending another dimension to this significant event.