RBBA Durga Puja in Slough, Berkshire Royal Berkshire Bengali Association

Royal Berkshire Bengali Association (RBBA)

“rbba” is pleased to confirm that our 6th Sarbojonin Durga Puja will be held this year from 30th September 2014, Tuesday – 4th October 2014, Saturday at Slough Hockey club (off Upton Court Road, SL3 7LT). 

Like the past 5 years, "rbba" counts on your direct involvement with the puja and continued support. So let’s join hands for another exciting edition of pujo combined with a dash of magic, scrumptious prasad, sparkling shows, and typical Bong/ bangali adda! 

If you would like to help us in anyway please send a mail to therbba@gmail.com or call us on 07526 450117

About RBBA

We are a group of professionals from the Indian community who live in the beautiful county of Berkshire and its surroundings. The beginning of 2009 saw us come together enthusiastically and join hands to form the "Royal Berkshire Bengali Association (RBBA)", with an aim to:

• Provide a forum to converge and celebrate our unique cultural, religious, artistic and social heritage

• Promote multiculturalism to enhance our experience through a multitude of activities

• Generate greater awareness about Indian culture within the youth and encourage their involvement

This is a beginning and we are starting to take our first steps. We have been touched and motivated by the enthusiasm and support that we have received from our local community. We strongly believe and sincerely hope that this will turn into a focal point where the community can come together and enjoy the true spirit of our rich culture.

We are looking forward with excitement to work more closely with our local community here and in India. Our goal is to contribute towards the many good causes and challenges that face our society today.

Registered Address: 

RBBA

Willows

44C Glenavon Gardens

SLOUGH, SL3 7HN

United Kingdom (UK)
Berkshire 

Telephone: 07526450117

Email id: therbba@gmail.com

Website:www.therbba.org

Durga Puja in Reading, Berkshire, Bengali Cultural Society

Bengali Cultural Society

Armour Hill, Tilehurst, Reading, Berkshire, UK

Website: www.durgapujareading.com

Bengali Cultural Society, Reading is a non profit making cultural organization set up by the local Bengali community in 1982.  As one of the oldest cultural organisations of its kind, our mission is to practise and preserve Bengali culture and its literary, artistic and educational heritage.

We provide a focal point for Bengalis in and around Reading & Berkshire and help to foster and promote the rich cultural heritage of Bengalis and Indians.

BCS welcomes anyone sympathetic to its causes who wants to join and participate in any of its activities.

Thank you for supporting BCS and we appreciate you visiting the website. Your support is crucial for our success.  

Sanaton Associaton London Durga Puja, Amsterdam Road

Sanaton Associaton London, Durga Puja 

Amsterdam Road, London

www.sanaton.org.uk

Welcome to the Sanaton Association website. Our goal is to provide you with useful information anout our organization and activities.

The Sanaton Association has been serving the Bengali speaking Hindu community of Greater London by providing education, community work and cultural events.

At this site you will discover all about the forthcoming activities organised.

Feel free to browse around this site. If you have comments or questions about our calendar of activities or simply need more information and want to contact us, click on ‘Contact us’ button found under ‘About us’ (appearing on the top of all the pages within the site) Thank –you for visiting and we look forward to serving you at one of our events.

Sanaton Association is a Bangladeshi Hindu community organisation set up in 1983. It is a registered charity no.1075313 and company limited by guarantee. It currently has a membership of nearly 900 people and is the only Hindu organisation in Tower Hamlets serving the Hindu community for the last 30 years.

The aims of Sanaton are to:

Improve the lives of Hindus living and working in Tower Hamlets and neighbouring boroughs through educational, social, religious and cultural activities.

Preserve and promote the Hindu religion and culture and use it towards the enrichment of the multi-cultural society in London and the UK.

Vision

To have a purpose built community centre where the Hindu community can come together to perform daily religious prayers and participate in health, educational, social, cultural and recreational projects and activities under one roof in a culturally sensitive environment.

Mission Statement

To serve the needs of the Hindu community by organising projects and activities in education, health, religion, arts and culture, sports and fitness to improve their quality of lives.

About Us

The Sanaton Association has been serving the Bengali Hindu community in Greater London since 1983.

The Sanaton Association is a company run by volunteers. The organization is registered as a charity and is solely dependent on kind donations. Our aims and objective are to ensure the preservation of the Hindu religion and culture, further its advancement and make use of it towards the enrichment of the multi-cultural society in the United Kingdom.

We want to help build racial equality and harmony through our continuing relationships with various local and national voluntary and Government agencies.

South London Durga Puja, Mitcham, Surrey

South London Durga Puja, Mitcham, Surrey

www.southlondondurgapuja.com

For many, the autumn festival of Durga Puja is the most important religious festival in the Bengali calendar. Few other festivals occupy so much media coverage each year or mean quite so much in terms of spiritual fulfillment.

Durga puja still symbolises victory over evil both on a personal level and in society at large. She is Ma, mother, as well as much loved daughter of Himavat, the Himalayas, who visits for a short while and then returns to her mountain home. A glimpse of her face, as in Satyajit Rays film Pather Panchali, evokes a whole range of thoughts and emotions.

The experience of being present in the sight of Durga and her family of Ganesh, Saraswati, Lakshmi and Kartik, of having darshan, is often an emotional one. Worshippers can bring whatever feelings and thoughts seem most appropriate in these private moments of prayer, reflection and meditation.

When the priest gently requests 'ma go' (Mother dear) to listen to the prayers of those attending, his reactions and movements set the tone of the whole proceedings. The involvement of participants at every level of the proceedings, including the choice of flowers and cooking the food, the raising of the funds and sending out invitations, ensure that Durga puja is a lively social occasion. Physical contact with the images during puja such as the offering of bhog and sindur brings the worshipper in closer spiritual contact with Durga too for those fortunate enough to attend celebrations.

Swami Vivekananda, who inaugurated Durga puja in 1901 at the Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math, Kolkata using a clay image from Kumartuli, best sum up the way to think about the worship of the image of Durga: 'The Hindu does not worship an idol made of wood and clay, he sees consciousness within the earthiness and loses himself in it.' This is the religious experience of Durga Puja.

London Durga Puja Dusserah Committee

London Durga Puja Dusserah Committee

Venue : Camden Centre, Bidborough Street, London

www.londonpuja.com

Durga Puja upholds  the spirit and culture of Bengalees all over the world. Mother Durga makes her yearly visit with her children to her devotees and joy, thanksgiving and fellowship amongst parents, children, friends, relatives, strangers, the young and the old reign supreme. Light transforms darkness, hope overcomes despair, good conquers evil, envy and hatred. Mother Durga and her children are with us for five days. Let us all be worthy of her divine presence.

Durga Puja festival is celebrated  worldwide where there are Bengalees, with sincerity and great devotion. London is no exception but the rare thought worshipping a protima brought all the way from Kumartuli, Kolkata, was something daring indeed especially back in 1963. It was made possible by few pioneer dedicated Bengalees with the help of the late Shri Tusar Kanti Ghosh, doyen of Bengalee journalism who edited Jugantar and Amrita Bazar Patrika, both leading dailies of Kolkata at the time. The venue was the Mary Ward Hall, Tavistock Place London WC 1. That was our humble beginning, the rest is history.Our Puja celebrations throughout the years has moved from hall to hall eventually finding a home in the Hampstead Town Hall for a few years before settling for good  in the present place of worship, the prestigious Camden Centre, Bidborough Street, London WC 1, in the heart of London. All along we have been extremely fortunate to get the help and generous support of some renowned NRIs like Lord Swaraj Paul, Lord R. K. Bagri, Mr. S. N. Gourisaria and Mr. N, Sethia in addition to the support given to us by the festival- attending public and friends.

Our present protima is a work of art, especially sculpted by the legendary sculptor Late  Shri Gorachand Paul of Kumartuli, Kolkata on commission by the world renowned industrialist Mr Lakshmi N. Mittal Chairman of LMN Group/Ispat International Ltd., for the London Durga Puja Dusserah Committee and Mr Mittal remains our main patron.

We are very happy indeed this year to be celebrating the grand conclusion of 50 Glorious years with a grand support from Shri Mittal and our many partners who have come forward to assist in this biggest Autumn Fest outside India.

We extend a very warm welcome to all our guests to this site and also to the grand premises of CAMDEN CENTRE.

Durga Puja in North Carolina (USA) NC Charlotte Bengali Association

Durga Puja in North Carolina (USA) NC Charlotte Bengali Association

Charlotte Bengali Association, Durga Puja

Srishti

Vibrant, energetic, enthusiastic, a sense of community are all words that describe “Srishti”. The word Srishti literally means an act of creation and true to this description it emerged to fulfill the community’s need for togetherness and the desire to showcase Bengali arts and culture.

Based in Charlotte, North Carolina Srishti was formed in Spring of 2004. Members include not only Bengalis – originating from the state of West Bengal in India but also Indians from other parts of the country. Srishti has welcomed individuals who have expressed an interest in Bengali literature, theatre, music, cinema and popular arts.

Charlotte Bengali Association

Venue: Metrolina Regional Scholars Academy, 

5225 77 Center Dr, Charlotte, NC 28217

www.srishticharlotte.org

Durga Puja in Pune, Kalyaninagar Sarbojanin Durgotsav Committee

Kalyaninagar Sarbojanin Durgotsav Committee

Durga Puja in Pune

Pune, Maharashtra 

www.nandanikpune.net

Nandanik is a Group of like-minded individuals united by the common cause of community building and committed towards supporting the physically challenged. Having 70 member families, the group over the past years has made all efforts to keep itself trim and have members that share common values. Nandanik has a distinct representation of Bengali’s hailing from all geographical regions of India, thus making it a confluence of rich, diverse views & expressions.

Its members include about 25 CXO (past and present) and successful entrepreneurs many of whom have stints with large MNCs, reputed Indian firms, KPO’s and IT companies. 

Nandanik is a Group of like-minded individuals united by the common cause of community building and committed towards supporting the physically challenged. Having 70 member families, the group over the past years has made all efforts to keep itself trim and have members that share common values.

Nandanik has a distinct representation of Bengalies hailing from all geographical regions of India, thus making it a confluence of rich, diverse views & expressions.

Durga Puja - Chetla Agrani Club, Kolkata

Durga Puja - Chetla Agrani Club, Kolkata

Durgapuja has always been a medium through which the members of the club have come together as family. From the year 1990, the members of Agrani decided to organize Durgapuja. That time the puja was held in a very small scale and homely manner. The Durgapuja Committee named itself FAMILIES AND FRIENDS keeping in mind the essence of the puja celebration.

The puja celebration was like any other club trying to unite like a family. From 1990 till 2007 the Families and Friends puja continued like a residential DURGA PUJA

From the year 2007, the puja was set up in the CHETLA AGRANI CLUB premises keeping in mind the wide popularity of the theme puja.

In 2007 the theme on which the Durgapuja was celebrated was rural Bengal. The ground was transformed to a rural Bengal village. The special draw of this village was a pond which was erected to give a feel of originality. The visitors appreciated this attempt to make theme puja of Durgapuja in Agrani and the club members got encouragement to proceed with it.

In 2008, the Durgapuja of Agrani was a huge success. We reflected on the issue of Global warming. The backdrop of the pandal was the polar region. The ground was sited as a total structure of white, portraying polar region. The message which lay behind creating the pandal, i.e, global warming even attracted the media to draw an attention. The igloo which was made out created curiosity among the visitors and experienced a great amount of footfall, matching some of the greatest puja pandals of the city.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Way before 1959 THE AGRANI CLUB was famously known as THE IMPERIAL GROUND. In those days it was mainly the football playground of the local boys. In the year 1959 some local players, most of them being friends, while playing football decided to form a club. This is how AGRANI CLUB was born in 1959. The founder members of this club include MR. PRADIP DAS, MR. GIARSI LAL GUPTA, MR. MILAN ROY, MR. BIMAL MONDAL and so on.

With the formation of the club, they decided to start the Kalipuja in the ground. In those days the puja was organized with huge funfair with big pandals, near about 50 gates, horse carriage procession for immersion and lots of enthusiastic crowd. Thereafter for many years, the Kalipuja as well as the sports activities round the year continued and many new members were inducted.

In 1970 the club was officially termed as THE CHETLA AGRANI CLUB. A very popular tournament started in the ground which was named THE AGRANI FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT. The tournament registered such an event that the then Governor Sri Dharamvir was the chief guest in one occasion

In 1990 a club room was constructed in one corner of the ground. This was the era when the Kalipuja was organized magnanimously with theme and became widely popular

In 2002, the present President MR.BOBBY HAKIM planned of constructing a concrete big pleasant club house with the financial help from MP MAMATA BANERJEE.

Eventually, the Air-conditioned Clubroom, Multigym, Sauna bath was constructed. In 2006 the club was leased by the land owner and he donated the entire property as the playground of KOLKATA MUNICIPAL CORPORATION by the behest of MR.BOBBY HAKIM and the historic deed of Registration was signed by the then General Secretary MR.AJOY CHATTERJEE. Thereafter the entire ground was illuminated and the lighting arrangement was done by MP L.A.D. fund by SMT. MAMATA BANERJEE for providing metal lighting for the tournaments, practice of FOOTBALL and CRICKET COACHING CAMPS and other 

Chetla Agrani Club

www.chetlaagraniclub.com