UK’s Bengali diaspora is all set to launch a campaign aimed at creating a global tourism interest in Bengal’s Durga Puja on the back of UNESCO’s heritage tag, in their Saraswati Puja at London.
Heritage Bengal Global (HBG), a non-profit organisation based in London, has chosen this occasion, which is being celebrated on 5 February, to launch a campaign in the UK to promote Bengal’s Durga Puja as a world tourism destination on the back of the heritage tag by UNESCO.
The uniqueness of this Saraswati Puja is that the traditional ‘pandal’ or the temporary housing structure of the goddess is being made and decorated by the kids aged between 4-12 years, wherein the pandal is designed based on ‘alpona’, Bengal’s age-old traditional art form using a ground-rice solution which got its first introduction in London at the Mayor of London’s Diwali in the Square event, last October.
The venue of the event is at the Zoroastrian Centre at Harrow where all other diaspora communities are also invited due to the growing popularity amongst the diversified local population to make this possibly a large-scale community festival in the UK. The enthusiasm garnered in the last few weeks has made this event a day-long festivity amongst the participants with sumptuous lunch and dinner being planned to be served at the venue by the organisers.
Along with the kids, their parents, and young members of HBG are equally enthused to participate in this day-long event with the same fervour and grandeur with which it is celebrated in Bengal, a day which is often referred to as Bengali valentine’s day.
Heritage Bengal Global’s founder-director Anirban Mukhopadhyay is quite upbeat about this event and added, “The success from displaying of Bengal’s alpona at Trafalgar Square last Diwali has actually inspired us to use similar murals in designing the pandals.”
HBG vice-president Mahua Bej, the Pandal Project Lead reiterated that, “We would like to encourage our children to keep connected to our roots in Bengal through these traditional forms of art and crafts which are almost getting obliterated outside Bengal. This is our humble effort to keep alive the heritage of Bengal and to take it globally as far as possible.”
Members of the Pandal team Rajib Saha, Rahul Dasgupta and Priyanka Burman Mitra are already working on making artefacts for the Pandals and providing guidance to kids so that the basics are ready and the Pandal could be stood up in just a couple of hours on the day.
The evening will see is an array of cultural performances managed under the stewardship of Reshmi Laskar.
The fibre-glass goddess Saraswati has been made by noted Kumartuli artisan Kaushik Ghosh and all the puja essentials and accessories from Kolkata (from traditional ‘dashakarma bhandar’) are being taken to UK by Poushali Bera, currently in Kolkata.
Bhog will be served free to all the members and that is what keeps the couple Anuran and Tamalika busy- working out the best menu, on a tight budget.
In this Covid year with sponsorships being tight, Treasurer Sandhya Sen’s challenge is to deliver this ambitious plan at a very modest budget at a prime venue in Northwest London.
As the lovely idol waits at the newly bought home of Secretary Tandrani Mukherjee, to be taken to the venue on the day, Tandrani is busy working out the guest list of the day with Chandreyee Roychoudhury.
Kolkata’s ‘Bhowanipur 75 Palli’ would be partnering with Heritage Bengal Global in this event and provide promotional posters for the promotion of Bengal’s Puja to a global audience to attract foreign tourists on the back of the Unesco’s heritage that conferred. HBG also plan to pay tribute to the late Padma Shree recipient and legendary cartoonist Narayan Debnath during the event, who had passed away in Kolkata recently.
Adda’s 10th Puja
Adda Slough is celebrating its 10th Saraswati Puja this year on 5th February. As per the government and NHS health directive, Adda is happy to be back with one of its marquee events.
Puja will be organised in Slough Hindu Temple with traditional fervour. The community is already excited and gearing up for the event. The main Puja will be from 10:30 am to 12 noon followed by Anjali and haatekhori (first writing ceremony) for the kids.
Adda will also organise cultural events on the occasion where both adults and kids will showcase their talents. Adda promotes cultural integration among kids of the diaspora. As a part of this, there will be an exhibition of artworks done by kids at the event as well.
There will be bhog or lunch by Adda for the attendees, but the biggest attraction of the event will be Pithey Puli and Mishti Mela. Adda along with the celebrated food store ‘ITS Convenient’ brings a range of winter sweets and savouries of Bengal. It will not only have popular sweets like pithey, puli, pati-shapta, rosogolla, payes, sondesh made from nolen gur or date jaggery but also rare items like chitoi pitha, mug pakkon, khirsa pitha which have disappeared from our kitchen over generations.
The UK Hindu Cultural Association will have its Saraswati Puja from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm on February 5, at The Olympic, Beechenlea Lane, Swanley, BR8 8DR.
The Camden Saraswati Puja will take place on 5 February, at 1 pm at the Swiss Cottage Library.
