Mahalaya Amavasya 2027 महालया अमावस्या

Why Mahalaya Amavasya is celebrated

Mahalaya Amavasya closes Pitru Paksha, the fortnight set aside to remember the ancestors. Hindus believe that the souls of forefathers are close to the earth in these days and accept offerings made by their descendants.

This day is also called Sarva Pitru Amavasya, meaning the Amavasya for all ancestors. If a family does not know the exact date of death of a relative, or missed the shraddha on the right day, it can perform the rites on Mahalaya. The day expresses gratitude to those who came before us.

In Bengal and eastern India, Mahalaya has a second meaning. It ends Pitri Paksha and opens Devi Paksha, the fortnight of the Goddess, which leads into Durga Puja.

History and story of Mahalaya Amavasya

The custom of shraddha is described in the Puranas and in the Mahabharata. One popular story tells of Karna, who gave away gold all his life but never offered food. After death he received only gold to eat. He was allowed to return to earth for a fortnight to offer food and water to his ancestors, and this period came to be known as Pitru Paksha.

In Bengal, a newer tradition grew around radio. Since the early 1930s, All India Radio has broadcast Mahishasuramardini at dawn on Mahalaya. The programme of hymns, songs and narration, with the voice of Birendra Krishna Bhadra, retells how the Goddess was invoked to defeat Mahishasura. Families still wake before sunrise to listen to it.

How Mahalaya Amavasya is celebrated

Men of the family usually perform tarpan in the morning. They stand in a river or at a ghat, holding water with sesame seeds, kusha grass and barley, and offer it while taking the names of their ancestors. Pind daan, offering rice balls, is done with the help of a priest.

At home, families cook simple sattvic food that the ancestors liked. A portion is set aside for crows, cows and dogs, as they are believed to carry the food to the departed. Brahmins and the poor are fed and given gifts. Many people avoid buying new things or starting new work during Pitru Paksha, but Mahalaya also opens the way to the festive season.

Mahalaya Amavasya across India

In West Bengal, Tripura and Assam, people gather at the Hooghly and other rivers for tarpan at dawn. Artists in Kumartuli and elsewhere traditionally paint the eyes of the Durga idols, a ritual called chokkhu daan, around this time.

In Tamil Nadu it is Mahalaya Amavasai, and crowds go to Rameswaram, Kanyakumari and river banks for tarpanam. Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh also observe it widely. In North India, Gaya in Bihar is the best known place for pind daan.

In Uttarakhand, families perform shraddha at the ghats of Haridwar. Brahma Kapal, on the bank of the Alaknanda at Badrinath, is a revered spot for pind daan and tarpan.