Mahalaya 2020: The devotees invite deity Durga in their home through recitals, chanting, prayers, and ritual songs. The devotees believe that deity Durga came to Earth to assassinate the evil demon Mahishasura. Every Bengali home listens to the renowned 90-minute musical piece, Mahishasura Mardini. The readers will know Shradh or Pitra worship is not worth doing, instead follow Supreme God according to scriptures.

Shubho Mahalaya 2020 Highlights

• Mahalaya signifies the opening of Durga Puja festivities
• Mahalaya at the end of Shradh or Pitru Paksha
• Deity Durga arrived on the Earth on the day of Mahalaya
• Mainly a festival of Bengalis, Mahalaya, is celebrated across the country
• Those who worship the gods take birth among the gods

What Is the Mahalaya Celebration?

Mahalaya denotes the opening of Durga Puja festivities. Evidenced at the end of Shradh or Pitru Paksha, 16 days when Hindus pay homage to their ancestors, Mahalaya commemorates the starting of the Durga Puja festival. The devotees believe that deity Durga arrived on the Earth on the day of Mahalaya.

Mahalaya 2020 Date and Time

Shradh or Pitru Paksha end witnesses Mahalaya’s celebration. Mainly a festival of Bengalis, Mahalaya is commemorated across the country. Mahalaya is a public holiday in several states in India. Celebrated on Sarvapitri Amavasya (new moon) in the month of Bhadrapada, Mahalaya is in the current year on September 17.

What Is the Significance of Mahalaya?

‘Maha’ denotes to great, and ‘Alaya’ means abode combine to make a Sanskrit word Mahalaya. There is a belief that on the day of Mahalaya, deity Durga and her children commence the journey from Mount Kailash to her parental residence on Earth. The devotees invite deity Durga in her home through recitals, chanting, prayers, and ritual songs. The devotees believe that deity Durga came to Earth to assassinate the evil demon Mahishasura.

Mahalaya 2020-Beginning of Durga Puja Celebrations

Mahalaya day sees the completion of all preparations for ten days of long rituals of Durga Puja celebrations. According to the prevailing belief, the eight-armed mother goddess conquers the evil buffalo demon Mahishasura. Bengali community at large across the nation but prominently in West Bengal, Assam, and Tripura, celebrate the Durga Puja festival with the significant cultural event. The rituals of Durga Puja remain for ten days, but the last five days are unique for every Bengali family that is echoed in public holidays in many Indian states.

Pitra Worship and Diety Worship Not Worth Observing

In Shrimad Bhagavad Gita Chapter 9 Verse 25, the narrator Kaal Brahm explains to Arjun, anyone who desires something through Devotion attains the desired destination. A devotee who wishes to achieve heavens will achieve them. Similarly, a devotee can reach to the pitras worlds by performing a pitra worship (Shradh) or ghost planes. A devotee who worships deities reach to deities, i.e., they become their servants there. Likewise, a pure devotee, who worships only the Supreme God strictly in compliance with the holy scriptures will attain the Eternal Abode Satlok.

Yanti, devvrtaH, devaan, pitrn, yaanti, pitrvrtaH,

Bhootaani, yaanti, bhootejyaH, yaanti, madhyaajinH, api, mam ||BG9:25||

Those who worship the gods take birth among the gods; those who worship pitras go to pitras; those who worship ghosts go to ghosts; likewise, my devotees, who worship following the scriptures, attain me.

God Kabir also says:

Jahan aasa tahan basa hoyi|
Man karam vachan sumariyo soyi||

True Devotion As Per Holy Scriptures

Shrimad Bhagavat Gita verse 17:23 defines the methods of right worship.

Om (ॐ), Tat, Sat, iti, nirdeshH, brahmnH, trividhH, smrtH,

BraahmnaH, ten, vedaH, ch, yagyaaH, ch, vihitaH, pura ||BG17:23||

Om (ॐ) is a mantra of Brahm, Tat is coded mantra of Par-Brahm, and Sat is coded mantra of Purna-Brahm. In this way, there is the direction of remembrance of three types of mantras of Purna Parmatma, and at the beginning of nature, based on that very Tatvgyan, the scholars created Vedas and Yagya, etc. They used to worship according to that.

Initiated from a Purna Guru Does Not Convict in the Sins Committed Ignorantly

The essence of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18, Verse 5 to 28, is that all the actions cannot be relinquished in 6 are worthy of being relinquished. The actions performed for farming, walking, cooking kill living beings that cannot be given up. Its solution lies in following a complete Guru.

The Absolute God Kabir Saheb says —

Ichchha kar marae nahin, bin ichchha mar jay.

Kahae Kabir taas ka, paap nahin lagaay.

Go in the Refuge of the Supreme God

The Gita narrator Brahm says in Chapter 18 Verse 62,

You, in every respect, go in the refuge of only that Supreme God. By the grace of that Supreme God, you will attain the supreme peace and the everlasting place, i.e., Satlok.

Tam, ev, sharnm, gachchh, sarvbhaaven, bharat,

Tatprsaadaat, paraam, shaantim, sthaanm, praapsyasi, shaashvatam ||BG18:62||

Therefore, the truth-seeker must come to Saint Rampal Ji Maharaj for improving Mundane life and attaining salvation. For better learning, listen to His Sermons in Satlok Ashram YouTube Channel and read His Book Gyan Ganga.