Mahalaya observation in Kolkata 2022 .

People are seen offering prayers to their ancestors at a riverside during Mahalaya observation in Kolkata , India , on 25 September 2022 . Mahalaya marks the beginning of Devi Paksha and Durga puja and the end of the Pitri Paksha which is a period of mourning. Hindus consider Pitri Paksha to be inauspicious as death rites are performed during this period. It is a 16-day lunar period during which people remember and pay homage to their ancestors using food and water offerings at local river and water bodies.