Mahalaya and Durga Puja Kolkata in 2020

Durga Puja is an important and beautiful festival in the Shaktism tradition of Hinduism. Durga Puja also called Durgotsava. It is an annual Hindu festival originating in the Indian which reveres and pays homage to the Hindu goddess, Durga. 

Durga pooja is popular in West Bengal, Odisha, Tripura, Kolkata, and Assam the states of  Indian. The festival is observed in the Indian calendar month of Ashwin, which corresponds to the months of September-October. Durga puja is performed in homes and public, the latter featuring temporary stage decorations. 

The festival is also marked by scripture recitations,  gift-giving, family visits, public procession, and performance arts. The festival marks the victory of Durga goddess in her battle against the asura, Mahishasura. 

Thus, the festival epitomizes the victory of good over evil, though it is also in part a harvest festival celebrating the goddess as the motherly power behind all of creation and people’s life. 

2020 Durga Puja at Kolkata:

Mahalaya and Durga Puja will be an unprecedented period of more than a month in 2020. While Mahalaya next year is on September 17 and  Mahasashthi is on October 22. 

The unusual delay will take place because of mala mash, a period when a lunar month has two new moons and also we can call it Amavasya. As a result, no auspicious rituals and rites can be performed during such a period.  

In the 21 century its last occurrence being in 2001 for the first time and next year second time when the dates had coincided with what they will be next year — Mahalaya on September 17 and Mahasashthi on October 22. 

Before that in 1982 happened on the same date and at the same time. However, this will not affect the community Pujas, which generally starts from Mahashasthi. 

The Pitritarpan will be held on September 17 the day of Mahalaya, as usual. The phenomenon will affect some traditional and important Pujas like those in the temple of Kalighat and some other places and households where Durga Puja is being celebrated for centuries.