Kolkata, September 27: If you are in West Bengal at this point in time, you will find the city decked up beautifully. From artisans give their final touches to the idol, pandal owners strategise plans to manage the maddening rush, shop buzz with customers and people rush to complete their last-minute Pujo shopping: It is this a special time of the year in Kolkata during Durga Puja. This draws not only Bengalis settled outside, but also others to the City of Joy. Mahalaya 2019 Date and Time: Know Tithi and Significance of the Day When Pitru Paksha Ends and Devi Paksha Starts the Countdown for Durga Puja.

If you happen to travel to the outskirts of Kolkata, you can catch the unique beauty of kash phool blooming on the sides of the road. These flowers signify the arrival of Goddess Durga. On the auspicious occasion of Mahalaya, it is believed that Goddess Durga descends to Earth along with her children. This year Mahalaya falls on September 28, and thus starts the official countdown for Durga Puja 2019.

Mahalaya marks the end of Pitru Paksha and the start of Devi Paksha. On this day, people offer food and water as a homage to their forefathers to express their gratitude, known as tarpon or tarpan early in the morning. There is another ritual without which Mahalaya in West Bengal is incomplete: listening to Mahishasura Mardini. From elders in the family to young kids, you will find every one waking up at four am and tune in to All India Radio channel to hear late Birendra Krishna Bhadra's recitation of Mahishasura Mardini.

What stands out in the pre-recorded version of Bhadra's recitation of Chandipath and devotional songs is his reverberating voice that continues to give us goosebumps even after 88 years.

How to hear Mahishasura Mardini LIVE on All India Radio:

If you are outside Kolkata during Mahalaya 2019 and feeling low that you will miss hearing Mahishasura Mardini, then here is some good news for you. You can hear it live on the website of All India Radio channel. Click on the Air Bangla link and listen to Bhadra's baritone voice welcoming Maa Durga.

In case you wake up late, you can always hear it onYouTube, where the original recording has been uploaded.

Mahishasura Mardini by Birendra Krishna Bhadra (Watch Video):

Did you know that over the years, All India Radio experimented with many voices for the Mahishasura Mardini show? From Manabendra Mukhopadhyay, Arati Mukhopadhyay, Utpala Sen, Tarun Banerjee, Krishna Dasgupta, Shyamal Mitra, Sandhya Mukhopadhyay to the legendary actor Uttam Kumar. However, all their versions flopped and failed to recreate the magic of Bhadra's voice, which has been enthralling the listeners for several decades now.

Promo of Mahisasura Mardini on Zee Bangla

For those who want to watch Mahishasura Mardini on television, every Bengali channel from Zee Bangla, Star Jalsa and others have planned their shows.

Mahishasura Mardini Promo:

Promo of Mahishasura Mardini on Star Jalsha

Maa Durga came down to earth and fought the Asura to protect the world from all the evils surrounding us. So let us also aim to spread love and happiness in the next 10 days and make her stay a pleasant one with us. Here's wishing all our readers a Very Happy Durga Puja.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 27, 2019 04:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).