- By Bornika Das
- Sun, 21 Sep 2025 09:02 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
It's 4:00 in the morning. The world outside is still wrapped in darkness, the cold, dew-laden winds, along with the faint, sweet scent of shiuli flowers drifting through the linen curtains, whispering that it is late September or early October and autumn is here. Baba turns the radio knob and suddenly the silence breaks into that unforgettable voice of Birendra Krishna Bhadra reciting ‘Aswiner sarada prate beje utheche alokomonjir.’ A shiver runs down my spine, only to realise that this is Mahalaya, the beginning of Devi Paksha, which is incomplete without the magic of Mahishasura Mardini.
What Mahalaya Means To Me?
Mahalaya is that magical dawn when the City of Joy, especially Bengalis everywhere, wake up to witness the timeless strains of Mahishasura Mardini. If you put your ears to the neighbourhood in Kolkata, you’ll hear Birendra Krishna Bhadra’s melodious voice weaving the story of Goddess Durga, the fierce slayer of Mahishasura, the buffalo-headed demon and the eternal symbol of good triumphing over evil. Over 90 years, this ritual has been more than just a broadcast, but a heartbeat, a tradition and for Bengalis like me, the true beginning of Durga Puja.
Another aspect of Mahalaya that I can’t miss is the ritual of ‘Chokkhu Daan,’ the sacred moment when the idol makers paint the eyes of Maa Durga, to instil life into the idol, transforming Maa Durga’s form from Mrinmayi (earthly clay form) to Chinmayi (divine form).
Mahalaya Is Synonymous With Mahishasura Mardini To Bengalis (Image Credits: Canva)
My Earliest Childhood Mahalaya Memories
I still remember my Thamma (grandmother) waking me up at 4:00 AM, while Baba and Maa sipped their steaming tea, already tuned into the moment. Thamma would fiddle with the radio knob to reach the right wavelength of All India Radio (AIR), only to hear the old audio-record crackles to life with Sankha’s sacred blow, followed by the soulful Raga Malkosh. And just when the goosebumps set in, Bhadra’s voice would fill the room with devotion, marking the beginning of Devi Paksha.
Mahalaya, for me, was always about curling up on Thamma’s lap, listening to Mahishasura Mardini. In those moments, I imagined Devi Durga with her ten hands, not just fighting with weapons but with an inner fire that burned away every evil. Her face always appeared blurred; sometimes it was Ma’s, sometimes Thamma’s, and sometimes, it felt like my own.
The Influence Of Technology On Mahalaya
Long before I was even born, Bhadra’s Mahishasura Mardini first filled Bengal’s air in 1931, when All India Radio Calcutta broadcast the one-and-a-half-hour montage of Chaṇḍipāaṭh for the very first time in Akashvani, Calcutta. And since then, it has been the heartbeat of Mahalaya mornings.
Mahalaya found a new face in 1985 when Mahishasura Mardini leapt from the crackling radio waves to the bright screens of Doordarshan (DD1). As Baba said, it was the first time people witnessed Gods and Goddesses come alive in dramatic visuals. However, TV was just an addition to the radio’s cult status and not a replacement.
Shubho Mahalaya (Image Credits: Instagram/Canva)
Television Takeover Radio
With time, private TV channels began showing glossier versions of Mahishasura Mardini with lavish sets, dazzling costumes and famous celebrities playing Maa Durga. They telecast modern retellings with fine animations showing the Goddess’s arrival and her fierce battle with Mahishasura. Nowadays, for the little ones, there are cartoon versions, which are aired a bit later in the day, which seems to be a smart way to keep the tradition alive for a generation that grew up more on screens than radios.
Streaming Platforms And OTTs Takeover TV
For those like me, who live away from home, with no radio, TV or family around, the only rescue now is streaming platforms like YouTube, Spotify and OTTs. These have brought Birendra Krishna Bhadra’s recitation to hundreds of others like me. Although these platforms keep the tradition alive, the modern, glamorous renditions don’t match the vintage magic of that crackling montage.
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Growing up, Mahalaya was never a usual date on the calendar, but a feeling. For me, it meant shiuli flowers, steaming chai and the warmth of Thamma’s lap as the crackle of the old radio carried Bhadra’s melodious recitation. It was also about the sky slowly lighting up and birds chirping, marking the beginning of Durga Puja.
ALSO READ: Shubho Mahalaya 2025: Date, Time, Significance And Rituals For This Bengali Event Before Durga Puja
But somewhere, the magic of Mahalaya’s Mahishasura Mardini got lost. Glossy TV adaptations, dramatic monologues and endless re-telecasts at odd hours brushed away the essence. What was once considered sacred slowly became just another commercial program. Yet, for the millennials and early Gen Zs, Mahalaya is still about nostalgia and cultural identity, more than a ritual.
This year, I realised being away from home on Mahalaya feels different. Baba’s old radio wasn’t there and the lines ‘Jago tumi jago, jago Durga jago Dashaproharanodaarinee…’ came through YouTube instead. The magic of Mahishasura Mardini on the radio was missing, but as the familiar chants streamed into my tiny Delhi flat, a sense of relief washed over and it finally felt - Maa Durga had arrived, chasing away darkness, even miles from home.