Calcutta, Sept.25 :    Calcutta, Sept.25:  The traditional six-day countdown to Mahasaptami starts from Mahalaya on Wednesday. But next year, the wait between the two tithis is going to be a long one - more than a month. This extraordinary phenomenon has come to light through calculations of both schools of thought - Suryasidhhanta (followed by most almanacs,like Gupta Press and PM Bakchi) and Driksidhhanta (followed by the Bisuddhasiddhanta almanac). While Mahalaya 2001 falls on September 17, Saptami arrives only on October 23. The reason is that the intervening lunar month is a malamash, unfit for the Pujas to take place. According to the Bisudhhasidhhanta almanac, the last time such a phenomenon occurred was way back in 1917, while according to the other school of thought, this happened twice in the last millennium-in 1963 and in 1982. But 2001 is the first year in recent history when both schools have not only agreed on the phenomenon, but have also concurred on the tithis. Says Arijit Roy Choudhury of Gupta Press: 'A month which has two new moons (amavasya) is called a malamash, when no auspicious rites can be performed. Next year, this period falls between Mahalaya and Durgasaptami. As a result, the Pujas will be deferred till that lunar month is over.' said Jayanta Bagchi, publisher of the P.M. Bakchi almanac. Himangshu Smrititirtha, a leading pundit who has calculated the timings for the Bisudhhasidhhanta almanac, explains: 'The month of Ashwin is malamash next year. Pitritarpan and other rites slated for Mahalaya will take place as usual on the morning of September 17, the final day of Bhadra. But malamash falls on the night of Mahalaya and continues till the night of October 16. So the Pujas cannot take place in the interim period and all rites for Ashwin will get deferred to Kartik.' This has special significance for traditional pujas, like those at Kalighat temple, the Paikpara rajbari and the Bhukailash rajbari in Kidderpore, where the rites start on Krishnanabami, the ninth day of the new moon cycle, which ends on Mahalaya. 'The community pujas will remain unaffected, as they usually commence their rites on Mahasashti, so the malamaash is of no serious consequence to them,' said Smrititirtha . Santipada Bhattacharya, chief priest and ritual adviser of Kalighat temple, is too busy with this year's Pujas to have worked out next year's schedule. However, he said, 'if such a phenomenon occurs, we cannot stop the Puja once we commence. But since formal religious rites are forbidden in a malamash, we will continue a simple form of worship with flowers, incense and lamps throughout the month. The rites slated for debipaksha will have to wait,' he added.