Shiuli Flowers, Dhak Beats and Mahalaya: The Signs That Bengal’s Daughter Is Coming Home

There is a particular kind of magic in Bengal when autumn arrives. The mornings become softer, the sky turns a beautiful shade of blue, white clouds float across the horizon, and tiny white shiuli flowers begin to fall on the grass, their delicate orange stems glowing in the morning light. Somewhere in the distance, the familiar sound of the dhak begins to echo. For Bengalis, these are not just signs of a changing season. They are gentle reminders that Maa Durga, Bengal’s beloved daughter, is coming home.

Durga Puja is one of the most cherished festivals in West Bengal, but its meaning goes far beyond rituals, elaborate pandals and celebrations. It is a story of love, longing, family and reunion. Every year, the arrival of autumn brings with it the feeling that a daughter is returning to her parental home after a long wait. In the hearts of Bengalis, Goddess Durga is not only the divine mother who protects the universe; she is also Uma, the beloved daughter whose homecoming fills the household with joy.

And the journey towards this emotional reunion begins long before the first day of the puja.


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Mahalaya: The Morning Bengal Waits For

For many Bengali families, the arrival of Durga Puja becomes real with Mahalaya. Observed at the conclusion of Pitru Paksha, Mahalaya marks an important spiritual transition towards the festive period. It is also traditionally associated with the invocation of Goddess Durga and the beginning of the anticipation surrounding her arrival.

Long before sunrise, homes across Bengal awaken to familiar devotional sounds. Generations of listeners have grown up hearing Mahishasura Mardini, the iconic radio programme associated with Birendra Krishna Bhadra's powerful narration and the devotional music that accompanies it.

For some, it is a childhood memory of being woken up by parents or grandparents. For others, it is a ritual they continue even after moving away from their hometowns. The voices, Sanskrit chants and music seem to carry something that ordinary mornings cannot.

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Shiuli Flowers: Autumn's First Offering to Maa Durga

If Mahalaya announces the beginning of the festive anticipation, shiuli flowers make it visible. Known for their delicate white petals and saffron-orange stems, shiuli flowers are closely associated with autumn in Bengal. They bloom during the night and often lie scattered beneath trees by morning, creating a natural carpet of white and orange.

For many Bengalis, collecting shiuli flowers is among the most treasured memories of childhood. The day might begin with stepping into a garden before sunrise, carefully gathering the fallen blossoms and carrying them inside. Their fragrance, gentle and unmistakable, becomes part of the season itself.

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The Sound of the Dhak: When Celebration Finds Its Heartbeat

And then comes the dhak. Its deep, rhythmic beats are among the most recognisable sounds of Durga Puja. They echo through neighbourhoods, temple courtyards and crowded pandals, announcing the arrival of a celebration that brings entire communities together.

The dhak is not merely an instrument played during a festival. For many, its sound carries years of memories: getting ready in new clothes, walking through illuminated streets with family, meeting old friends, visiting pandals late into the night and waiting eagerly for the next day's celebrations.

During the puja, the rhythm of the dhak accompanies important rituals and adds a powerful emotional dimension to the worship of Maa Durga.

Why Maa Durga Is Called Bengal's Daughter

In Hindu mythology, Parvati is the daughter of Himavan, the personification of the Himalayas, and his wife, Menaka. After marrying Lord Shiva, she lives with him away from her parental home. In the Bengali cultural imagination, her annual visit to her parents during Durga Puja is lovingly celebrated as a daughter's homecoming.

This understanding gives the festival a distinctive emotional character. Maa Durga is worshipped as the powerful goddess who defeats Mahishasura, symbolising the victory of good over evil. Yet, at the same time, she is welcomed as a daughter returning to her family.

The two ideas exist together: the supreme divine power and the beloved Uma.

Her children, Ganesha, Kartikeya, Lakshmi and Saraswati, are also traditionally depicted alongside her in the familiar Bengali Durga Puja arrangement. The image feels less like a distant celestial scene and more like a family gathering, making the goddess's arrival especially intimate for devotees.

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From Shashthi to Dashami: A Homecoming That Passes Too Quickly

The anticipation reaches its height as Durga Puja begins. On Mahashashthi, the goddess is ceremonially welcomed, and the festive atmosphere gathers momentum. Saptami, Ashtami and Navami bring worship, cultural programmes, traditional food, family visits and the unmistakable excitement of pandal hopping. Bijoya Dashami brings the farewell. Sindoor Khela, the final prayers and the immersion procession mark the emotional conclusion of the festival. As the idol departs, the atmosphere changes. Smiles remain, but they are often accompanied by tears and a quiet sense of longing.

But the farewell is never without hope. The familiar expression “Asche bochor abar hobe” (it will happen again next year)

Uma will return. The dhak will sound again. Shiuli flowers will bloom again.

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