According to the Hindu calendar, devotees of Maa Durga celebrate Mahalaya a week before Durga Puja. Mahalaya is observed on the last day of Pitru Paksha. According to Hindu mythology, Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheswar created Goddess Durga on this day to defeat the demon king Mahishasura. As a result, devotees have marked this day as the arrival of Goddess Durga from Kailash Parvat with her divine powers.

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Hindu devotees believe that the demon king Mahishasura was given the blessing that no God or human could ever kill him. After receiving the blessing, Mahishasura attacked the Devtas, and they were forced to flee Devlok after losing the war. All the Devtas prayed to Adi Shakti, along with Lord Vishnu, to save them from Mahishasura’s wrath. It is believed that a divine light emerged from the bodies of all the Devtas and took the form of the Goddess Durga. Maa Durga fought Mahishasura for nine days before killing him on the tenth day. Maa Durga is revered as the goddess of power, and Durga Puja is widely celebrated across the country. Devotees pray to the goddess, who is said to visit Earth to bless her people, for ten days straight.

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An auspicious pooja is performed to honor the venerable. Devotees rise early in the morning to worship the goddess by singing ‘Chandipath’ and listening to religious mantras like ‘Mahishasura Mardini.’ Sculptors create and color the eyes of the Goddess Durga. Many people observe this day to remember their ancestors. On Mahalaya Amavasya morning, devotees bid farewell to their ancestors, and in the evening, they perform Durga Pooja for the goddess who steps on Earth to bless the devotees. This festival is celebrated with great zeal and devotion in West Bengal, Odisha, Karnataka, and Tripura.