Though there is still confusion galore as to when exactly the Devipaksha begins (some say it's on 28th Sept while some others say 29th Sept is the day), I take this opportunity to wish you all Subho Mahalaya.The auspicious occasion of Mahalaya, observed seven days before the Durga Puja, marks the advent of Devi Durga. It also heralds the initial stages of the biggest festival of Bengal and the Bengalis (often called Bongs now-a-days). The pre-dawn hours of Mahalaya when almost every Bengali house keeps the radio in full volume and the chants of mantras, shlokas and songs "Jago Tumi Jago, Jago Durga" fills the air, Mahalaya becomes synonymous with the invocation of the supreme power, mother goddess Durga, to descend on earth and make our lives better.
However, it won't be until the wee hours of 29th Sept when AIR airs the enchanting and legendary voice of Birendra Krishna Bhadra, ushering the Devipaksha along with the devotional songs and chanting of mantras.
