Ahead of Durga Puja, devotees observe Mahalaya as a remembrance of their ancestors
Observed seven days before the Durga Pooja, Mahalaya marks the beginning of the Devi Paksha and end of the Pitru Paksha, the mourning period in the Hindu calendar
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Hindu devotees perform rituals in the river Brahmaputra on the day of Mahalaya in Gauhati, Assam on Monday 8 October, 2018. Mahalaya is the day on which Hindus perform rituals and offer prayers in remembrance of their ancestors. The Associated Press/ Anupam Nath
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Observed seven days before the Durga Pooja festival, Mahalaya marks the beginning of the ‘Devi Paksha’ and end of the ‘Pitru Paksha’, the mourning period in the Hindu calendar. People perform the ritual of ‘pind daan’ as an offering to their ancestors on Mahalaya. The Associated Press/ Anupam Nath
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Devotees pray and take a dip in the holy waters of the Banganga Tank in Mumbai to honour the souls of the departed on the occasion of Mahalaya on 8 October, 2018. It is also believed that on this day, the Goddess Durga starts her journey to earth. Reuters/ Francis Mascarenhas
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Devotees also perform the ritual of Tarpana, an offering made on the day of Mahalaya as they gather along the banks of the Ganges in Kolkata in remembrance of the departed. Reuters/ Rupak De Chowdhuri
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A ritual being performed on the Brahmaputra for Mahalaya. Most years, the period of mourning known as the Pitru Paksha falls on the full moon day, Purnima, in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada and ends after 15 days on the new moon day, Amavasya. The Associated Press/ Anupam Nath
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With the holy thread wound in the palms of their hands, devotees chant prayers to honour their ancestors on the day of Mahalaya in Ahmedabad. One of the legends of the 15-day mourning period can be traced in the epic Mahabharata in which Karna on reaching heaven was granted a fortnight on earth by the Lord Indra to offer prayers to his ancestors. Reuters/ Amit Dave
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Leaves arranged with pooja materials in Mumbai on the occasion of Mahalaya. Many families also perform ‘shraadh’ during the 15-day mourning period that ends on Mahalaya. The Associated Press/ Rafiq Maqbool
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Devotees sit down to pray in Ahmedabad on the occasion of Mahalaya on 8 October, 2018. The last day of the Pitru Paksha also heralds the Navratri festival in the Hindu calendar. Reuters/ Amit Dave
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