Mahalaya ushers in Durga puja festivities

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Mahalaya ushers in Durga puja festivities

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Sourav Sanyal

Friday, September 22, 2006 (Kolkata):

 

 

Bengalis are observing Mahalaya, the beginning of Devipaksha - the

auspicious occasion that marks the beginning of Durga Puja

festivities, on Friday.

 

Mahalaya heralds the advent of Durga, the goddess of supreme power.

The day begins with an early morning recitation of

Mahishasuramardini, Bengali devotional songs and classical music.

 

In Kolkata, it's the Mahishasuramardini that's topping the charts.

The music album, which is an invocation of Goddess Durga with songs

and vedic chants, is flying off the shelves.

 

While it is not exactly foot-tapping stuff, the melodious invocation

that every Bengali woke up to this morning - Mahalaya morning - is

music to their ears.

 

Soul stirring chants from Mahishashuramardini, the invocation of Ma

Durga that every Bengali listens to every year on Mahalaya, the day

the Goddess leaves her heavenly abode for earth.

 

Classic invocation

 

Greats like Birendra Krishna Bhadra and Pankaj Mullick had in fact

recited the invocation in 1930, and over the years, there were

attempts to modernize it, but in vain.

 

"I think it's a classic. It's a great favourite amongst people.

People like it and every year we sell more and more of it," said

Subroto Chattopadhyay, MD, Sa Re Ga Ma.

 

Seventy-six years on, Mahishashuramardini has emerged as India's

highest selling album in Bengali with sales crossing 1.7 million

units

 

"I love it, I've been listening to it from my childhood and now my

10-year-old son asked me to get it, which is why I am here," said

Tapas Mukherjee, Music Lover.

 

"Every second billing is happening for Mahishashuramardini. May be

that they are not buying anything else, but they are picking up one

CD of Mahishashuramardini," said Ananya Pandit, Manager, Music World.

 

It's Mahalaya and the Goddess is on her way to Earth. For this

festive period at least, Madonna and Michael Jackson will have to

make way for Mahishasuramardini.

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