What’s the story of Mahalaya?

Mahishasur Mordini or Mahalaya was crafted exclusively for the radio and combines a narrative in Bengali, classical melodies and Bengali songs interspersed with Sanskrit hymns taken from Markandeya Purana, estimated to have been composed between AD400-600. The storyline depicts the tyranny of the buffalo demon king (Mahishasura) on earth, due to which a Hindu trinity of gods create a ten-armed powerful female form – Durga. Blessed and armed by an immortal retinue of deities, a lion-riding Durga finally slays the demon after a fierce battle and restores peace upon earth. The 85-minute recital is broadcast on public radio across India on the first dawn of the nine-night celebration known as Durga Puja in the eastern parts of the country and Navratri in the north and west. Broadcast since 1931, Mahalaya is one of the oldest surviving radio programme for All India Radio (AIR), the Indian state broadcaster. Pankaj Mullick, one of the pioneers of film music in Bengali and Hindi cinema, was the music director of the recital. The script was written by Bani Kumar while the narrator was Birendra Krishna Bhadra, who also chants all the Sanskrit hymns. Renowned composer Raichand Boral, considered to be the father of Bollywood film music, played a key role in curating the entire recital for AIR.