As a deity name
Name 707 of the Ganesha Sahasranāma — Ganesha Purana (Upasana Khanda), as taught by Sage Vyasa / Lord Ganesha
As a Hindi name
महालय · noun · masculine
कुआर का कृष्णपक्ष जिसमें पितरों के लिये तर्पण और श्राद्ध आदि किया जाता है । पितृपक्ष · तीर्थ · पुराणनुसार एक तीर्थ का नाम — Śabdasāgara
As a Sanskrit word
Meaning
a great dwelling
Scripturally attested Verified derivationMultiple readings (7)Why this matches what you typed
M1 · same meaning "mahālaya" is the vocative of "mahālayā" — the same word in a different grammatical case.
Dictionary citations
mahā˚laya (˚hāl˚), m. a great dwelling, MW.
a gr˚ temple, gr˚ monastery, ib.
a temple, W.
a monastery, L.
a place of refuge, sanctuary, asylum, W.
mahā—˚layā f. N. of a partic. festival, the day of the moon's change in the month Bhādra and the last day of the Hindū lunar year, Col.
of a partic. deity, A.
Alternative readings
More than one analysis survives full verification. That ambiguity is real, so we show every reading rather than pick one silently.
Caveats
Sources contain errors and engines have limits; every claim above carries its citation so you can verify it. This is guidance about names and their sources — not religious or astrological consultation. How we work · Our sources