Why are Goddess Durga’s eyes painted on Mahalaya?

Mahalaya Amavasya marks the end of the Pitru Paksha period and marks the beginning of the homecoming of Goddess Durga from the residence of her in-laws. It signifies the start of the Devi Paksha and the transition from honouring ancestors to the festive period leading up to Durga Puja.
From the Puranas to the Mahabharata, there are numerous stories about Mahalaya. The word ‘Mahalaya’ means ‘great temple’ or ‘ashram.’ One of the most significant rituals associated with Mahalaya is the painting of the eyes of Goddess Durga which officially kickstarts the Durga Puja rituals.
A senior idol artist is responsible for painting the eyes on the final day of the Durga idol’s formation, completing the divine representation of the goddess and giving life to it. This ritual is often called ‘Chokkhu Daan’ or ‘offering eyes’ to Maa Durga.
But where did this Mahalaya ritual come from?
According to the Ramayana, Ravana initiated the worship of Goddess Durga during spring, also called Basanti Puja.
While the more widely known Durga Puja takes place in autumn (Sharadiya Durga Puja), Basanti Puja is observed in spring (Chaitra month), around the time of the Hindu New Year. Both festivals involve similar rituals and worship of Goddess Durga, but Basanti Puja is less popular compared to the autumn celebration.
Later, Lord Rama organised the ‘Akal Bodhan’ or ‘premature birth’ of Durga in autumn. Since then, Sharadiya Durga Puja has been celebrated for ages.
Rath Day, or Rath Yatra, marks the day when the ceremonial beginning of the Sharadiya Durga Puja starts, as it is believed that Goddess Durga, along with her children, begins her journey from Mount Kailash to her parental home on this day.
It typically takes place around the end of June or early July during the Rath Yatra festival in the month of Ashadha.
Rath Day marks the precursor to the eventual worship of Goddess Durga during autumn. While not all traditions include a specific worship of the goddess’s structure on Rath Day, it is considered an auspicious day for making the initial framework of the Durga idol.
On Mahasaptami, the seventh day of Navratri or Durga Puja celebrations, the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony is performed after ‘Navapatrika Pravesh’ (entry of the Navapatrika). This marks the establishment of the goddess’s soul in the idol, turning the clay structure into a representation of the living goddess.
Earlier, the Chokhhu Daan or ‘eye-giving’ ritual used to be performed on the same day. But now, it is performed on Mahalaya, a week before Mahasaptami, marking the beginning of Devi Paksha.
During the Chokkhu Daan, a senior idol artist paints the eyes in a specific sequence—first, the Trinayana (third eye), followed by the left eye, and finally, the right eye—all while chanting the ‘beej mantra’ (seed mantra) 108 times in Lelihan Mudra in the presence of a priest in a covered enclosure.
Moreover, the painting is not done using any ordinary paintbrush but with Kush, a grass considered highly sacred in Hinduism, and used in religious rituals, including yajnas (fire sacrifices), pujas, and purification rites.
Once the eyes are painted, Goddess Durga is worshipped as ‘Mrinmayi’ (the earthen form) and then transformed into ‘Chinmayi’ (the spiritual form) through the rituals.
In modern times, due to the increasing number of ‘Barwari Pujas’ or community Durga pujas, many artisans have started drawing the idol’s eyes before Mahalaya to accommodate the demand for the finished idol.
Nevertheless, the Chokhhu Daan ritual remains crucial in Durga Puja celebrations and acts as a call to all Bengalis to let them know that the Goddess is on her way to the mortal plains!