Pitri Devo Bhava

"Pitri Devo Bhava" is a Sanskrit verse meaning "Revere your father as God".

Today was the Mahalaya - the day when the Goddess Durga is believed to have descended to Earth. Bengali people traditionally wake up early in the morning on Mahalaya to recite hymns from the Devi Mahatmyam (Chandi) scripture. Offerings to the ancestors are made in homes and at puja mandaps (temporary shrines).