Today is Mahalaya, a day of great significance to Bengalis.
When we were little, we would be woken up at 4 AM by the parental units so we could listen to “Chandipath” on the radio. A radio was all we had. No tv, nor tape recorders, no smartphones and of course no YouTube channels to listen to Chandipath at will. Just that one day of the year. You snooze, you lose.
For nearly a century, since 1931, All India Radio (the government radio channel) has been broadcasting Mahishasuramardini, the dawn chanting of the Chandipath. Shri Birendra Krishna Bhadra’s intense voice echoed in one’s mind long after the program ended.
Within the Bengali tradition, Mahalaya carries several distinct connotations. It marks a metaphysical pivot from remembrance, shadow, and indebtedness to renewal, celebration, and effulgent light. Continue reading “Subho Mahalaya”
