Durga Puja celebrations return to its home in London

London: Thousands of Bengalis are thronging a town hall in a leafy suburb this week as Durga Puja celebrations return to their traditional London venue after a gap of 18 years. The town hall in Belsize Park, a north London neighbourhood that is home to many Bengali settlers from India, has been visited by more than 700 people every day, organiser say.

The town hall, rubbing shoulders with the upmarket Hampstead neighbourhood, was where it all happened every year for London's Bengalis - the venue that hosted the puja every year from 1966 to 1990.

But it became so crowded and crammed authorities stepped in to call a halt, forcing organisers to move their popular annual festival to the much larger Camden town hall in north-central London.

The Camden puja remains London's largest, but Belsize Park organisers say theirs is something special. "This is a homecoming. We have brought back the puja to its original home," said Manab Majumdar, who helped organise the city's first Durga Puja in 1963 - sponsored by distinguished Bengali journalist and newspaper proprietor Tushar Kanti Ghosh.

The Belsize Park puja is one of around 20 Durga celebrations held across the British capital every autumn - festivities whose ranks have swelled in tandem with a growing number of Bengali immigrants taking up jobs in banking, finance and Information Technology.

Although there is no exact count of the number of Indian Bengalis in London, some long-term settlers think the community has now become a substantial minority. However, unlike the large community from Bangladesh, the Indian Bengalis are spread thinly across the British capital.
"For the first time in London, it is the second generation of Bengalis who are leading a puja - that's what makes Belsize Park so special. People also love its homely atmosphere," said Majumdar.

Things have come a long way for Durga Puja celebrations in London. The first puja in 1963 was organised with help from the Indian High Commission, which provided the khichuri - a mix of rice and pulses that is fed to all participants. Since then a string of high-profile entrepreneurs with Kolkata connections, including Swraj Paul, Lakshmi Niwas Mittal, Raj Kumar Bagri and Nirmal Sethia, have donated generously and gifted Durga idols.

The idol at Belsize Park has been donated by S.N. Gourisaria, a businessman who as a student was closely linked with India League, the London-based nationalist group that lobbied for India.
"We are expecting Sharmila Tagore to turn up this year," said Majumdar. "She wants to join in the sindoor-khela festivities on the last day and put sindoor on the idol. I don't think she has ever done that before." source: sify.com

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Durga Puja in Whittington Road, London, UK

Welcome to S.B.C.A, we are based in North London in the United Kingdom and are here to promote our Bengali culture and celebrate all the Bengali Hindu religious festivals to create a spiritual occasion for happiness, friendship and harmony.

Sanatan Bengali Cultural Association (SBCA), is a voluntary non-trading and

non-profit making organisation, which was established with mainly charitable objectives in North London in January 1994 and since then, this organisation has been organising Hindu religious festivals and ceremonies.

In our Bengali community we try to

-Promote awareness of our Bengali ethnic identity and spiritual heritage

-Organise cultural events involving Bengali traditional and contemporary songs,

drama and dances.

-Celebrate fully the Bengali Hindu religious festivals.

For information on SBCA or you would like to perform at any

of our cultural events please contact:

For telephone enquiries,

0208 245 7958, 0208 886 5912, 0207 700 2673,

0208 361 0933 or 0208 343 4909

For further information, please contact the S.B.A.'s

Registered Office at

58 Whittington Road, London N22 8YF

TEL: 0208 889 6376

FAX: 0208 888 4684

The Events in 2008

1. Durga Puja 2008

Sanatan Bengali Cultural Association would like to invite family

and friends to attended the 2008 Durga Puja, Kali Puja and the Variety

Performance.

ST. MONICA'S HALL (INTIMATE THEATRE),

PALMERS GREEN,

LONDON N13 5DP

Upcoming Events for 2009

1. Saraswati Puja 2009

Sanatan Bengali Cultural Association will be celebrating

Saraswati Puja on Saturday 31st January 2009 and will be held at

venue:-

St. JOHN'S HALL, BOURNE HILL,

PALMERS GREEN,

LONDON N13 5PD

Near Bourne Hill and Hedge Lane (Opposite Oaktree Avenue N13)

2. Variety Performances

An event of traditional Bengali songs and classical dancing. This event

will take place Thursday 9th October 2008 and will be held at the same

venue as Durga Puja 2008.

3. Kali Puja 2008

Puja takes place on Saturday 1st November 2008 at 7.00pm and will

be held at venue:-

St. JOHN'S HALL, BOURNE HILL,

PALMERS GREEN,

LONDON N13 5PD

for more details visit: http://www.sbcuk.co.uk/index.html

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Durga Puja Tooting South London

"Yaa Devii Sarvabhuuteshhu Maatrirupena Sansthitah
Yaa Devii Sarvabhuuteshhu Shaktirupena Sansthitah
Yaa Devii Sarvabhuuteshhu Shaantirupena Sansthitah
Namastasyaih Namastasyaih Namastasyaih Namo Namah"

(Goddess Durga is omnipresent. She is the personification of Universal Mother. She is a Mother, who is present everywhere and who is embodiment of power and energy. Great mother, who is present everywhere and who is embodiment of Peace. I bow to that mother, I bow to Durga, I bow to Shakti)

Since 1986, the members of the Tooting Durga Puja have been ably organizing and hosting the annual week-long festival in Tooting , South London in a grand and aesthetically uplifting manner. Its primary objective is to promote Bengali social, cultural and religious events throughout the year. In addition, it provides an opportunity for the children to learn about the rich and ancient cultural heritage of India, through organizing various talent shows, literary events and other cultural events where the youths actively participate.

Year after year, the selfless efforts of the dedicated members and volunteers resulted the most successful cultural and religious events like Durga Puja and Kali Puja. The outstanding performance by well-known artists from India and London and the friendly environment have made Tooting Durga Puja one of the most popular Bengali associations in London Tooting durga Puja encourages and invites interested individuals and their families to join and participate actively for its current commitment, future growth and diversification.

Tooting Durga Puja has gained tremendous popularity in London in the recent years and the events have been overwhelmed with thousands of attendees from different walks of life.

This year's group comprises of IT professionals, academicians, physicians & business people who have volunteered to take time off from their arduous schedules in order to join hands to organize the annual Durga Puja festival & to keep our rich culture alive & thriving not only among the Bengali community in London but the entire Indian community in this Country.

The members of the Committee encourage ideas, suggestions, patronage and voluntary service from the Community to ensure another year of successfully organizing and celebrating the greatest festival of Bengal in London . We always look forward to hearing from you.

Mythology of Durga Puja

According to Hindu mythology a demon named Mahishasura, earned the favor of Lord Shiva after a long and hard penance. Lord Shiva, impressed with his devotion, blessed him that no man or deity would be able to kill him and that only a woman can kill him. Mahishasur was very pleased with this boon as he thought that a woman can never defeat him. Arrogant Mahishasura started his reign of terror over the Universe and people were killed mercilessly. He even attacked the abode of the gods and conquered the heavens and became their leader.

After their defeat and humiliation at the hands of Mahishasur, the gods took refuge under Lord Brahma, who took them to Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. The only solution left was the creation of a woman who possess the ultimate power to fight and defeat Mahishasur. Pure energy blazed forth from Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva - the trinity forming the pure energy of Godhood, all concentrating at one point that took the form of Goddess Durga.
The gods gifted the goddess with their weapons and other divine objects to help her in her battle with the demon, Mahishasura.The beautiful Durga, bedecked in jewels and golden armor and equipped with the fearsome weaponry of the gods, was ready to engage in battle with the fierce and cruel Mahishasura. As Mahishasura's armies were struck down effortlessly by Durga, it became obvious to him that he was not as secure in heaven as he had thought.
Mahishasura was shocked and enraged by the disastrous events on the battlefield. He took on the form of a demonic buffalo, and charged at the divine soldiers of Durga, goring and killing many and lashing out with his whip-like tail.

She pounced on Mahishasura, pushing him to the ground with her left leg. She grasped his head in one hand, pierced him with her sharp trident held in another, and with yet another of her ten hands she wielded her bright sword, beheading him. At last he fell dead, and the scattered surviving remnants of his once invincible army fled in terror.

Contact Us:

Mr. R. Aich,
18 Longmead Road,
London
SW17 8PN.

Tel: +44 (0)20 8767 3017

Email: info@tootingdurgapuja.com

Web: http://www.tootingdurgapuja.com

Durga Puja Plaistow, London, UK

Celebrating 34th Year of
DURGA PUJA
From Sunday 5 to Thursday 9 October 2008

At the UPTON CENTRE, CLAUDE ROAD,
PLAISTOW, LONDON E13 0QB
Please note: Bishops Ave is a ONEWAY Street,
Nearest Tube Station: Upton Park (District Line)

Saturday 25 Oct 2008 7pm
at Caterham High School,Caterham Avenue
Clayhall, Ilford, Essex IG5 0QW

Saturday 20 December 2008
at Kanchan, Gants Hill, Ilford

The Bengali Cultural Association started in the mid seventies and is a registered charity here in the UK.

We are based in East London in the UK and we have one real goal, to create a positive and fun experience of happiness, friendship and harmony through our Bengali culture and heritage.

In the community we try to
- Create awareness of our Bengali identity and its cultural and religious heritage
- Celebrate fully all the Bengali religious festivals
- Organise cultural events encompassing Bengali and other Indian traditional and contemporary songs, drama and dances
- Promote the involvement of youth in our various programmes



Contact us
For information on membership or if you would like to perform in one of our cultural events please contact our General Secretary Mrs.Gouri Bannerjee on 0208 551 1624, or susantasamanta@hotmail.com, pratulde@hotmail.com


We believe here our past and how we formed identifies the nature of our cultural club. A group of friends forming a cultural club to celebrate and also educate ourselves with our unique Bengali culture and nature.

It was in 1973 the Bengali Hindu community from East London first celebrated Saraswati Puja at Stratford town hall. That initiative was highly welcomed by the local Bengali community and everything went very well with a great success. Mr Hiranmoy Bhattacharya was taken the responsibility to organise the performance. Since then the Saraswati Puja was celebrated every year at different venue.

In 1975 Mr Jogen Misra along with his contemporary friends organised to celebrate first time the Durga Puja at Hindu Temple, Ceders Road, Stratford. At that time there was no proper organised structure of the association. All pujas were carried out just by adhoc meeting among with the few enthusiastic Bengali individuals. Donations were collected mainly at doors.

In 1978 Mira Chatterjee, barister and well wisher to the association, compiled the constitution of BCA and the association was formally registered as a Charity with registration number 278295.
source: http://www.bcauk.co.uk/index.html

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