Mahalaya marks the beginning of the ten-day festival and the end of the Pitri Paksha or Shraadh.
Durga Puja-Durgotsava-Navaratri is the annual Hindu festival that is celebrated in the Indian subcontinent in the month of September or October.
The nine-day festival celebrates Goddess Durga in her nine forms.Other Hindu gods Ganesha and Kartikeya are also worshipped during the festival.
The festival celebrates the glory of Goddess Durga. It marks the victory of Goddess Durga against the powerful demon Mahishasura.
Mahalaya marks the beginning of the ten-day Durga pooja festival.
Mahalaya marks the beginning of the ten-day festival and the end of the Pitri Paksha or Shraadh. The end of the shraadh period is also an auspicious time for male descendants of a family to take a holy dip into the river. The holy bath is taken in the name of deceased ancestors.