Durga Puja is one of the globally celebrated Indian festivals. Be it California, Canberra, or Canada, Indians celebrate the homecoming of Goddess Durga and her children in so grand way as if there is no tomorrow. Especially Bengalis don’t mind borders or bounds when it comes to nourishing their cultural roots and celebrating their festive traditions this time of the year. With Indian Bengalis growing in numbers, California has become home to some of the best Durga Puja events in USA.
As the beating of dhak has started resonating in the air; the fragrance of Sheuli flowers has started filling the atmosphere, Indian Eagle – a most trusted travel-booking partner of Indians in USA – recommends the following best places for Durga Puja 2023 events in California.
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Los Angeles Durga Puja: Dakshini Bengali Association, CA
Dakshini Bengali Association of California hosts one of the biggest Durga Puja events in the Great Los Angeles Area. A nonprofit, charitable, cultural organization; Dakshini Bengali Association of California has a great lineup of events including live concerts to enthrall the audience during the celebration. Among the performing artists on the guest list are Padma Shri awardee Hariharan (on Oct 27) and famous Indian playback singer Shaan (on Oct 28). Dakshini members will get complimentary tickets to these concerts.
- Dates: October 27 to 29
- Venue: Torrance High School, 2200W Carson St, Torrance CA | Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, Manhattan Beach Boulevard, LA County
- Contact: Communications@dakshini.org, +1 310-895-6094
Also Read: Amazing Things to Know about Durga Puja
Bay Area Prabasi Durga Puja 2023
Bay Area Prabasi, a nonprofit Bengali Cultural Organization in Alameda County, is hosting the largest Durga Puja in North America this year as a mark of the community’s 50th anniversary. Famed for one of the oldest and best Durga Puja events in California, Bay Area Prabasi is known for its simplicity and sophistication rather than extravagance. The elaborate celebration is filled with Bengali food, cultural programs, poetry nights and music concerts. For the poetry night on Oct 20, Bratati Bandopadhay will immerse you in her alluring recitals of well-known Bengali poems by Rabindranath Tagore, Sukumar Ray, and Shankha Ghosh among others. You can groove to some of the hit Bollywood numbers by Shaan during an electrifying concert on October 21 and reconnect with Bengali music as well as Rabindra Sangeet to be voiced by Srikanta Acharya and Subhamita Banerjee on October 22.
- Dates: October 20 – 22
- Venue: Chabot College, 25555 Hesperian Blvd, Hayward, CA 94545
- Contact: info@prabasi.org, 626-277-7932
- Website: Prabasi.org
BASC, Bengali Association of Southern California Durga Puja 2023
BASC, the Bengali Association of Southern California, hosts one of the best Durga Puja celebrations in California. A nonprofit philanthropic organization in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County, BASC is among the few best places to catch up with Indians and indulge in Bengali culture during Durga Puja away from home, India. This year, the Bengali Association of Southern California will pay tribute to legendary musician Bappi Lahiri through an amazing musical event on October 21.
Live concerts by Iman Chakraborty, a National Film Award winner from Kolkata, on 20 October and Papon, northeast India’s singing sensation, on 21 October, will add a zing to BASC Durgotsav 2023.
- Dates: October 20 to 22
- Venue: Monrovia High School, 845 W. Colorado Blvd. Monrovia, CA 91016
- Contact: info@bascweb.org, 786-970-3972
- Website: bascweb.org
Also Read: How Goddess Kali Came to California from Kolkata
Pashchimi Durga Puja 2023, Bay Area
Wondering where to celebrate Durga Puja in SF Bay Area? One of the most popular California Durga puja events 2023, Bay Area Pashchimi Durga Puja is an unmatched celebration of Bengali culture and traditions. Founded in 2004 as a nonprofit organization, Pashchimi has teamed up with Children International for this puja. Children International strives to provide underprivileged girl children with seamless access to education in India. Pashchimi Durga Puja is known for its adherence to age-old traditions. October 22 is a DJ and dandiya night at Pashchimi.
- Dates: October 19 to 23
- Venue: Newark Pavilion, 6430 Thornton Ave, Newark, CA 94560
- Contact: contact@pashchimi.org, 408-883-5304
- Website: Pashchimi.org
Santa Clara WomenNow Durga Puja, SF Bay Area
Of Bay Area Durga Puja events 2023, WomenNow TV’s Durga Utsav in Santa Clara is a unique, all-women celebration. Inspired by the idea of celebrating the collective power of women in real, WomenNow TV’s CEO Ena Sarkar and her team organizes the festivity every year. Ena Sarkar, the founder and CEO of WomenNow TV, a South Asian talk show, is at the helm of this California Durga Puja. Their celebration starts with pushpanjali on Maha Ashtami and ends with sindoor khela on Maha Dashami. The outdoor event features shopping markets, street food stalls, and cultural activities including Dandiya nights.
Read our exclusive article on Santa Clara Durga Utsav by WomenNow TV CEO.
- Dates: October 20 to 22
- Venue: 617 Jackson Ave, San Jose, CA
- Contact: info@womennow.tv
Los Angeles Durga Puja 2023: Valley Bengali Community
Valley Bengali Community’s Durga puja is another grand celebration in the Greater Los Angeles Area. Musical evenings are a highlight of their Durga Puja event. The 8th Durgostav celebrations of Valley Bengali Community will see gripping performances by established singers such as Sahana Bajpai, Gourab Sarkar, Sanchari Sengupta and Bangla band Lakkhichhara. You can enjoy classic and contemporary music – from Rabindra Sangeet and retro tunes to folk and Bollywood hits.
- Dates: October 20 to 22 & November 4
- Venue: Birmingham Community Charter High School, 17000 Haynes St, Van Nuys, CA 91406
- Contact: vbc@valleybengali.org
- Website: Durga.valleybengali.org
SAIKAT Durga Puja 2023, San Diego
Among California Durga Puja celebrations, this Durga Puja is hosted by SAIKAT, the Bengali Association of San Diego in the Bay Area. The SAIKAT Durga Puja 2023 has a great lineup of musical programs including a melodious evening by Kiran and Nivi on OCT 21. SAIKAT is also an active philanthropic organization volunteering hours for and contributing to charitable efforts. On the occasion of Durga Puja, SAIKAT releases an annual magazine wherein their community members’ literary and creative writeups find space.
SAIKAT is organizing a special evening on October 28 which will be rocked by the Anupam Roy band from Kolkata.
- Dates: October 21 and 22
- Venue: Carmel Valley Middle School, San Diego
- Contact: ec@saikat.org
- Website: Saikat.org
Sacramento Durga Puja 2023: Ankur Bengali Cultural Organization
The Ankur Bengali Cultural Organization, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization in Greater Sacramento Area, promises to offer cultural extravaganza on three days of its Durga Puja celebration in California. They celebrate the homecoming of Goddess Durga and her children with a lot more enthusiasm than other Durga Puja events in Sacramento, CA. Ankur Bengali Cultural Organization will organize Akal Bodhon, a dance drama by kids; Bengal to Bollywood, a dance extravaganza; Guldasta, a live concert this year.
Ankur Sacramento’s Durga Puja hangover will continue with Gaane Golpe Baithaki Adda on OCT 29 by Sohini Chakraborty, Ujjal Chowdhury, Ahana Paul, Debashis Maity, and Rick Chowdhury.
- Dates: October 27 to 29
- Venue: Sacramento Turn Verein, 3349 J Street, Sacramento, CA
- Contact: +1 (916) 57-ANKUR | Ankursacpr08@gmail.com
- Website: Ankurinc.org
Also Check: What Makes Travel to Kolkata Cheaper and Better
Utsav Durga Puja 2023 in Orangevale, Sacramento
The youngest of all Bengali communities in California, Utsav started celebrating Durga Puja in Orangevale in 2022. Their celebration of the homecoming of Goddess Durga is bigger and grander this year. The first day of the puja, October 21, will see a dance performance ‘Chromatic Symphony’, and a shruti natok by Sanjib Chattopadhyay, a renowned novelist and short story writer. A children’s play adapted from the Ramayana will give numinous vibes on the evening of October 22.
- Dates: October 21 and 22
- Venue: Orangevale Community Center, 6826 Hazel Ave, Orangevale, CA 95662
- Contact: utsavpr@gmail.com
- Website: Utsavsac.org
Baybasi Sharod Utsav, Foster City
For the past 15 years, Baybasi has been organizing one of the best Durga Puja events in the San Francisco Bay Area. A leading non-profit organization of Bengalis in Foster City, Baybasi has come up with a crowd-pulling schedule of cultural programs including dandiya on October 20 and live concerts in the following days of the celebration. A special ‘Local Artist Program’ with live dance, music, and drama presentation on October 21 and a live concert on October 22 by Bengali singer Jojo Mukherjee are among the main attractions of the Baybasi Durga Puja in Foster City this year.
- Dates: October 20 to 22
- Venue: Leo J. Ryan Park 650 Shell Blvd, Foster City, CA 94404
- Contact: +1 650-489-8139 | baybasi@baybasi.us
- Website: Baybasi.us
Santa Barbara Vedanta Temple Durga Puja 2023
The Vedanta Society of Southern California organizes Durga Puja at the Santa Barbara Temple every year. Founded in 1956 and consecrated to Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa, the Santa Barbara Vedanta Temple deserves a mention for its absolute devotion to Goddess Durga in compliance with the rituals and traditions followed by Belur Math in Bengal. Unlike other Durga Puja events in California, the Santa Barbara Vedanta Temple’s Durga Puja celebration is known for its simplicity. The location of the temple in a scenic mountain range overlooking the Pacific Ocean is another pull.
- Dates: October 21 to 23
- Venue: 927 Ladera Ln, Montecito, CA 93108
- Contact: santabarbara@vedanta.org, 805 969 2903
- Website: Vedanta.org/santa-barbara-temple/
NorCal Bengali Association Durga Puja, SF Bay Area
The Northern California Bengali Association of Dublin is one of the best places to visit for Durga Puja events in the SF Bay Area. More than 100 members of the community will prepare the culinary offering (bhog) for Goddess Durga and her children. Various cultural performances including dhunuchi naach are lined up as part of the puja schedule. Award-winning singers Anupam Roy and Ankita Bhattacharyya from Kolkata, have been invited to grace the NorCal Bengali Association Durga Puja 2023.
- Dates: October 14 and 15
- Venue: Chabot College, 25555 Hesperian Blvd, Hayward, CA 94545
- Contact: +1 408-940-6846
- Website: Norcalba.org
Saikat San Diego Durga Puja 2023 – correct venue is Carmel Valley Middle School, Address: 3800 Mykonos Ln, San Diego, CA 92130
This year, Snigdhajit with band liveline and The Anupam Roy Band will be performing at Sharodiya cultural program at Saikat
Hi Kaushik! Thank you for giving us the correct information. We will update the article accordingly. Pujor agam shubhechha railo.
Dearest Bangala friends
Why is there a nonsubtle message in most announcements that their celebration is either better or different than the others? Ekam Sat Vipra Bahudha Vadanti