A large group of people gathered on the banks of the Hooghly River in West Bengal to take holy dips and pray to their ancestors on the ending day of Pitru Paksha, also called Sarvapitari Amavasya.
Well known as Mahalaya in West Bengal, Pitru Paksha is the 16-day long lunar period during which Hindus pay homage to their ancestors (also called Pitras) to mark the beginning of 'Devi Paksha', which is considered as the arrival of Goddess Durga as per the Hindu Calender.
It is believed that the spirits of ancestors happily return to their own respective world after blessing their successors and relatives on this day.
Mahalaya is when the Durga Puja fun begins, marking the day when Goddess Durga starts her journey from Mount Kailash, where she lives with her husband Lord Shiva all the way to her maternal home on the Earth. The Mahalaya celebrations begin a week before the Durga Puja celebrations according to the Hindu Calender.
The Mahalaya witnessed every Bengali household waking up before the rise of the Sun in the morning. It is celebrated with many rituals and practices. A lot of people perform 'Tarpan' to offer prayers to departed souls belonging to their ancestors, offer 'Bhog' to Brahmins, and distribute food and materials to the needy.
The devotees believe that 'Pind Daan' helps their ancestors in attaining salvation and the way towards heaven is paved for them. Many people also went to the banks of the rivers Ganga and Yamuna in Prayagraj to pay homage. People were also seen at the banks of Gaya's Falgu River and Varanasi's Ganga Ghat.
