Kolkata: After missing a Puja Durga last year, when all the congregations were canceled because of the pandemic, Bengalis settled abroad with enthusiasm waiting for the two the following weekend to celebrate the festival, which would return the bengal touch on the distant land.
While some will celebrate Puja on October 9-10, others will choose the following weekend, October 16-17.
But at Washington Temple times in Burtonsville, the ritual will be held in accordance with Bengali Almanak.
Nandini Bhattacharya Ghosh, who lives in Olney Maryland and works as a federal employee in the Washington DC Maryland area, has ordered a slot on two days at the temple.
“I will go to Ashtami and Dashami for Anjali and Sindoor Khela.
They allocate 20 minutes for each family of six people this year.
I intend to take a flu injection or a booster dose if available before that,” he said.
Nandini, which grew in Salt Lake, Kolkata, missed a pandal-hopping and a trip to his village in Talit in Burdwan, where Puja 350 years old Bhattacharya was still held with enthusiasm.
Partha Sarathi Chatterjee, who lives in Houston, Texas, said the Bengali and Indian communities were very enthusiastic about Puja this year because everyone had to provide a brief annual ritual in 2020.
Puja would be held at Bayou City Houston Durgabari.
“Because we have established gods, priests and volunteers conducting puja in 2020 but no visitors come.
This year, we plan to revive the celebration, but with maximum safety,” said Chatterjee, chairman of trust.
This year’s theme is ‘Joy Korechhi Atimari, Panji Abar Durgabari’, made by Srabani Aklilla in Houston, chosen in a contest by Poet Srijato.
“We have moved Anjali outside.
Only people registered with a status that is fully vaccinated or a negative Covid test will be permitted,” he said.
Shreya Guhathakurta, Suchemita and Rex D’Souza will appear directly, while virtual concerts by Dust Mishra will cancel the Durgabari stage.
At the Royal Berkshire Bengali Association (RBBA) English, the mood is one of the careful optimism.
“Because all the rules have been relaxed and more than 80% of doubles people are vaccinated, the people are looking forward to meet and celebrate.
We hope everything will only be better with the blessings of Ma Durga,” said members of the Secretary and Founder of Rbba Ianan Dutta.
“The footsteps in our puja for five days are around 10,000.” Puja attracts India from Oxford and Birmingham.
Danseuse Sohini Roychowdhury, who will travel from Kolkata to London with the Opera ‘Shakti Rupena’ dance, was very excited to appear in the Soas of London University and later in the Hessen / Rhein-Main area, Germany.
Sararat and composer of Body Durga Jonathan Mayer will beautify Opera at the London event.
In Wellington, New Zealand, 100-strange Bengalis there will celebrate Puja only for a day because of the recent distribution of Delta Coronavirus variants in Auckland.
Arpan Mukherjee, who worked with the New Zealand government, said he felt nostalgia again, just as he used to miss Kolkata’s puja when he shifted there a decade ago.
“We are used to celebrating here.
But this time, every family will only get 10 minutes in Puja.
Given the limit, one suddenly misses the puja back home,” said Mukherjee.
Debanjan Chakrabarti, Director of the British Council (East India and the Northeast), said Durga Puja has grown to become one of the largest festivals in Asia, maybe even the world.
“I have been part of Durga Puja in the UK since I was a student, participating in a festival in Liverpool, Manchester, Bury and Kirkcaldy (Scotland) and seeing a growth scale of growth.
Interesting celebrations are not only Bengalal but also local residents.
In 2018, When the British Council presented a photography exhibition, ‘Bengal’s Durga’, in South Bank, London, as part of the Thames Thames Festival, nearly 3 Lakh people visited more than 6 weeks.
In 2019, the British Council partnered with the Bengal Heritage Foundation to promote educational relations And the culture between Bengal and British.
Audience in London and Cardiff was fascinated by folk musicians (Baul) from Bengal, “he said.
Bengali Diaspora Realies for Durga Puja away from home
