No matter how familiar the beats of dhaak, the fragrance of shiuli flowers (Nyctanthes arbor–tristis), the taste of festive food, the ambience of festive evenings, the feeling of sacred flower offering, the significance of Sandhi Puja and the joy of sindur khela are to those living abroad, they strongly feel drawn to home this time of the year. They brave the odds to come home and go on a celebration spree in the neighborhoods where they have grown up. Undeniably, Durga Puja is not just an annual festival but a homecoming occasion for NRI Bengalis. So strong is their umbilical cord with the roots that many Bengalis in the Indian American community book last-minute flights to India out of an overwhelming urge to get together with the family, friends, and relatives back home during the festival.

On the other hand, there are those who have never been away from home during Durga Puja. They wonder how Durga Puja is celebrated abroad, how culturally different the celebration is, how authentic the rituals are, how joyous the festivity is, if young Bengali NRIs flaunt traditional fashion, etc. A women-only group from the Indian community in the San Francisco Bay Area has the answer to all these. Ena Sarkar, the founder and CEO of WomenNow TV, a trend-setting South Asian talk show in the Bay Area, shares nitty-gritty of their all-women Durga Puja celebration in Santa Clara with Sourav Agarwal, the Editor of Travel Beats, a leading Indian American community portal. 

Initiated in 2015 by the WomenNow TV team, the Santa Clara Durga Utsav is one of the best Durga Puja events in California. The women-only group is prepared with a better and greater plan for the celebration which has become one of the most awaited Indian events in the Bay Area. Ena Sarkar and her team of women from different walks of life pull all stops to make various arrangements for four days of the festival from buying the idol to shopping for puja-special things to organizing cultural functions to making culinary offerings for the Goddess to distributing Prasad to managing the gathering of visitors in the marquee.

WomenNow TV founder & CEO Ena Sarkar at Santa Clara Durga Utsav

What made the WomenNow TV team come forward to organize Durga Puja in the San Francisco Bay Area was the idea of celebrating the collective power of ‘women now’ (today’s women) that they represent. It coincided with the tradition of invoking Goddess Durga or Shakti to bless her children with the power of good over evil. In addition, a cultural platform was needed for the Bay Area Indians to gather under one roof and interact with each other.

“The Santa Clara Durga Utsav is an interface between the divine purpose of this festival and the philosophy of WomenNow. We also wanted to provide a cultural platform for the Bay Area Indians to gather under one roof and interact with each other. Ours is not just a women-only celebration but a community get-together,” Ena Sarkar said.

WomenNow TV’s celebration of Durga Puja is an absolutely different picture of what appears a male-dominated activity in the patriarchal society of India. In aristocratic households from urban India to rural India, women prepare for the celebration and make arrangements for ceremonies on each day of the festivity behind the curtain, while menfolk gear up with their tasks and activities in the outer world. However, the scenario is changing for women among the urban aristocrats of Bengal.

In contrast to it, WomenNow’s Santa Clara Durga Utsav is a women-only celebration in terms of preparation and arrangement. Needless to say, Durga Puja is a mammoth celebration which entails a lot of doing from fund collection to venue management to cultural performance to immersion of idols. However, the WomenNow team has proven that nothing is impossible for the collective power of women by overcoming all initial difficulties and challenges including selection of the venue. Since the celebration is not limited to worshiping but comprises feasting and cultural functions, they required a venue with ample space to accommodate a considerable crowd of visitors during certain rituals like dhunuchi dance.

The Santa Clara Durga Utsav in the Bay Area is no exception to such usual contrasts as India vs USA, East vs West, the Oriental vs the Occidental, and Indians vs Indian Americans which often come up in regular discussions, debates and conversations. Ena Sarkar unhesitatingly bared her mind regarding if there is any cultural difference between Durga Puja celebration in USA and that in India.

“Definitely, there is. You can never compare the way Bengal celebrates Durga Puja to anywhere else in the world. What a grand, fabulous, joyous, incredible celebration in Bengal! But we try to get as close to home as we can by dressing traditionally, having the traditional food and observing the age-old rituals during the festival no matter how many thousands of miles we are away from Kolkata. There is no dearth of enthusiasm about the celebration in the Bay Area Indian community.”

When Ena talked about the boundless enthusiasm of Bengalis in the Bay Area, we at Travel Beats felt curious to know if young Indian Americans who were born in USA feel the same about Durga Puja and connect with it the same way as India-born Bengalis or Bengalis from India do in America.

Ena Sarkar said in no uncertain terms, “It is somewhat difficult for young Indians in USA to feel connect with the festival as they have been growing up in a country where there are multiple cultures and religions existing side by side. They have not yet understood the value of surrender to a single divine power – the essence of Hinduism. However, children certainly visit the puja venue with their parents and enjoy the festivities. They may not groove to the beats of dhaak but they enjoy the festive music.”

On a closing note, Ena Sarkar acknowledged that the Santa Clara Durga Utsav would not have been a grand celebration in the Bay Area without her WomenNow team and that it has become popular with their American friends as well.

This article is part of the series, Indian Life in America, by Travel Beats, a leading community portal for Indian Diaspora. Travel Beats is a subsidiary of IndianEagle.com that thousands of Indians in USA have chosen as their reliable travel-booking partner for international trips. Subscribe to our newsletter for community stories, US-India travel news, visa and immigration updates.

The post This All-Women Durga Puja Celebration in Bay Area Proves that Indian Culture Knows no Borders appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

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

The post Visit These Best Places in California to Celebrate Durga Puja 2023 and Other Indian Festivals appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

Durga Puja is one of the grandest and most-awaited Indian festivals in October 2023. It is a most spectacular celebration in the Indian state of Bengal. However, the festival is celebrated with equal enthusiasm wherever Bengalis are in the world. About two dozen of Durga Puja events in New Jersey and New York transform the northeast cost into a mini Bengal with cultural exuberance this time of the year. Bengali associations across New York and New Jersey started preparations months ago, so that the festivity does not fall short of joy and happiness in their adopted home. They can live away from home, but can’t survive without the blessings of Maa Durga, the bliss of bhoger kichudi, the beats of dhak, and the ecstasy of dunuchi naach.

Travel Beats, a leading overseas Indian community portal by Indian Eagle, recommends some of the best places for Durga puja 2023 celebrations in New York and New Jersey.  “Elo re Dugga elo re…” 

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Sanskriti Durga Puja 2023: Buffalo, New York

Sanskriti, a Bengali cultural association in Buffalo, is one of the best and oldest Durga Puja celebrations in New York. Founded in 1974-75, the Sanskriti Durga Puja is a cultural platform for the present generation of Bengali Diaspora in the northeast US to have a tryst with their heritage, literature, and traditions thousands of miles away from India. Sanskriti also celebrates other festivals with equal enthusiasm. Their Durga Puja celebration was graced by such renowned performing artists as Purna Das Boul and Bhupen Hazarika in the years gone by.

• Dates: October 20, 21, 22
• Venue: Hindu Cultural Society, 1595 N French Road, Getzville, NY 14068
• Contact: president@buffalosanskriti.org, +1 716-331-7657
• Website: Buffalosanskriti.org

East Coast Durga Puja Association, New York 

The East Coast Durga Puja Association (ECDPA), the oldest Bengali community in North America, is recognized for their celebration as the best of all New York Durga puja events. Mayor Eric Adams presented them with a citation in 2019 recognizing their contribution towards creating a platform for themselves and other ethnic communities in the borough of Brooklyn. Like previous years, the ECDPA Durga Puja 2023 has a lineup of cultural programs, including a kids talent show.  

• Dates: October 14 and 15
• Venue: Gujarat Samaj Hall, 17315 Horace Harding Expy, Queens, NY 11365
• Contact: (516) 308-2246 or ECDPANY@gmail.com 
• Website: ECDPAnewyork.com

New York Kali Mandir Durga Puja, Baldwin

One of the most traditional Durga Puja events in New York is organized by New York Kali Mandir in Baldwin. Inspired by the Dakshineswar Kali Temple of Kolkata, NYKM is home to Goddess Kali worshiped by Bengalis and other Indian communities. Founded in 2005, the temple doubles up as a community organization and helps preserve the age-old Bengali cultural traditions in New Yok Metropolitan Area. Located close to NY JFK International Airport, the temple has a well-stocked library for all age groups. Those interested in volunteering can serve the temple this Durga Puja.    

• Dates: October 21 to 23
• Venue: 614 Seaman Ave, Baldwin, NY, 11510
• Contact: nykmdevotee@gmail.com, +1 516-771-5254
• Website: Nykalimandir.org

Also read: Sanyal Brothers Offer Best Kolkata Street Food with Chai in New York

Durga Puja at Ramakrishna Vivekananda Center of New York

Durga Puja at the Ramakrishna Vivekananda Center of New York for the followers of the Ramakrishna order is among the best Durga puja celebrations in the Greater New York Area. Founded in 1933, the center organizes the puja to worship the Divine Mother and seek Her blessings for the humankind. The chanting of sacred hymns and the singing of devotional songs in chorus are the mainstay of their celebration without pomp and in strict adherence to the principles laid out by Belur Math, the headquarters of Ramakrishna Missions worldwide.   

• Dates: October 22
• Venue: 17 E 94th St, New York, NY 10128
• Contact: (212) 534-9445
• E-mail:  rvcenternewyork@gmail.com
• Website: Ramakrishna.org

East Coast Cultural Association Durga Puja, NY

The East Coast Cultural Association, one of the youngest communities in New York, is planning a large-scale Durga puja event this year to mark its second anniversary. Founded in 2022, the non-profit organization celebrates every event significant to Bengali culture in a grand way, bringing together the Bengali community in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut areas. Their Durga puja celebration stands for cultural integrity and camaraderie. Their event schedule includes a Bollywood evening on OCT 20 with singer Vaishali Mhade of ‘pinga’ song fame in Bajirao Mastani. The ECCA Durga Puja organizers are yet to announce other cultural programs. 

• Dates: October 20, 21, 22
• Venue: Gujarati Samaj Hall, 17315 Horace Harding Expy, Queens, NY 11365
• Contact: eastcoastcultural@gmail.com
• Website: Eccany.com

Utsov Inc. Durga Puja 2023, Edison NJ

Utsov Inc. is known for one of the biggest Durga Puja celebrations in Edison, New Jersey. Utsov Inc. Durga Puja 2023 in East Brunswick has a number of ‘wow’ factors – delectable Bengali food, Sindhoor Kela, cultural programs, shopping stalls, art competition for kids and Dhunuchi dance competition for adults. Online or offline registration is mandatory to enter the venue. Raj Burman, a talented Hindi and Bengali artist (who won the “Best Bengali Playback Singer” in the Tele Cine Awards) will be entertaining the audience on a musical evening at the Utsov Inc Durga Puja in Edison.  

• Dates: October 21 and 22
• Contact: 732 648 7461 or 313 338 8678, utsov@utsov.org
• Venue: Jo Ann Magistro Performing Arts Center, 200 Rues Lane, East Brunswick, NJ 
• Website: Utsov.org

Also read: Indian Food is a Pure Bliss at This Temple Kitchen in New York

Garden State Puja Committee: Durga Puja in New Jersey

One of the oldest and biggest Durga Puja events in New Jersey is organized by the Bengalis of Garden State Puja Committee, Jersey City. GSPC Durga Utsov 2023 will celebrate its 42nd anniversary over foot-tapping numbers of rock bands, Lakkhichhara and the Anupam Roy Band. Nostalgic renditions of  Rabindra Sangeet by Sahana Bajpaie, a contemporary vocalist, will lend the vibes of Kolkata to the venue during the festivity.

Bongobhoj – a traditional Bengali food fare – is the mainstay of their celebration. Garden State Puja Committee, Jersey City is a non-profit community organization bridging the gap between their life in the US and their roots in Bengal, and providing gharoa paribesh for all festive celebrations. The funds it raises through the concert will be used for charitable and educational causes.

• Dates: October 21 and 22
• Venue: William L. Dickinson High School, 2 Palisade Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07306
• Contact: +1 201-993-4577 | info@gardenstatepuja.org
• Website: gspcnj.com

New Jersey Kallol Durga Puja 2023  

Among the Durga Puja events in New Jersey, Kallol Durga Puja is an engaging celebration every year. Among the oldest Bengali organizations in the US, Kallol has grown from 24 members to a few hundreds now. Multicultural programs including musical performances by eminent artists from India are integral to their Sharodiya celebration. Prithibi rock band is all set to enthrall the audience with their electrifying performance on Friday, while Lopamudra Mitra, Joy Sarkar and Nirmalya Roy will take over the stage on Saturday.

Kallol Durga Puja 2023 will culminate with foot-tapping and soulful numbers by popular artists Shaan and Sandeep Bhattacharjee India. The four-day festivity is an absolute cultural and musical extravaganza at Kallol in Somerset, NJ.

• Dates: October 20 to 23
• Venue: Ukranian Cultural Center, 135 Davidson Avenue, Somerset, New Jersey 08873
• Contact: 732.290.5218
• Website: Kallol.com

Also read: Why Bengal worships living goddesses during Durga puja

Alor Benu Durga Puja in Edison, NJ 

The ‘Ekchala’ style Durga idol is the main attraction of this simple, humble celebration by a few Bengali families in Edison. This is more a gharoa (family) puja than a community puja. The festive evenings from 20 to 22 October will see various cultural indulgences by the organizers and their families. The puja schedule is chock-a-block with traditional rituals from the morning till family dinner in the evening.

• Dates: October 20 to 22
• Venue: 2 Farmhaven Avenue, Edison, NJ 08820
• Contact: aamantran@aalorbenu.net

New Jersey Ananda Mandir Durga Puja 2023

Durga Puja at Ananda Mandir in New Jersey is a most traditional one. Hundreds of New Jersey Indians throng the shrine to immerse themselves in festive revelries for five days. New Jersey Ananda Mandir is one of the few Hindu temples in USA that follows the Bengali calendar precisely for celebrating Durga Puja and other festivals. The temple that also doubles up as an Indian cultural center was commissioned in 1995 and completed in 2003. You may need to pre-register online for a slot. On successful booking of a slot, you would receive a confirmation email, which you can show to the volunteers at the temple complex.

• Dates: October 21 to 23
• Venue: 269 Cedar Grove Lane, Somerset, NJ 08873-5212
• Contact: (732) 873-9821 or info@anandamandir.org
• Website: Anandamandir.org

Garden State Cultural Association: Plainfield, NJ

Among Durga puja events 2023 in New Jersey, Garden State Cultural Association (GSCA) is in the 32nd year of the celebration. GSCA, a nonprofit Indian American organization of Bengalis in Plainfield, leaves no stone unturned to make Durga Puja a grand get-together of not only Bengalis but also other Indian communities over delicious food, shopping and cultural entertainment. The interesting lineup of events include talent shows and drawing competitions.

Registration is compulsory to attend the event. You can register on their website given below. Popular Indian singers Papon and Aditi Munshi are among the eminent guests this year. Kumari Puja is a not-to-be-missed event at GSCA Durga Puja in New Jersey.      

• Dates: October 28 and 29
• Venue: Plainfield High School, 950 Park Avenue, Plainfield, NJ 07060
• Contact: (908) 754-3079 or contact@gsca.us
• Website: web.gsca.us

Also Read: Payal Saha’s Kati Roll from Kolkata Rocks in New York

Bengali Cultural Society Durga Puja 2023: South Jersey

Of Durga puja events in New Jersey, Bengali Cultural Society’s celebration is a lot more than food, fun and frolic. Rather, it mirrors the rich cultural and literary heritage of Bengal on the American soil. Founded in 1978, Bengali Cultural Society is not just one of the oldest Bengali diaspora associations, but a philanthropic organization too. They publish their own magazine Sanskriti every year and run a Bengali language school for their young ones and those interested in learning the language. Each day of the puja will culminate in an authentic Bengali community dinner.

• Dates: October 27 to 28
• Venue: Indian Cultural Center, 820 NJ-73, Marlton, NJ 08053
• Contact: info@bcssj.org
• Website: Bcssj.org

New Jersey Bharat Sevashram Sangha Durga Puja

The New Jersey chapter of Bharat Sevashram Sangha celebrates Durga Puja to worship the Supreme Power of the universe. The chanting of slokas and hymns reverberates in the air of the ashram temple on the five days of Durga Puja. Devotees can soak in numinous vibes that the ambience is rife with this time of the year. Devotees are required to pre-register for the Durga puja event at Bharat Sevashram Sangha in New Jersey.

• Dates: October 20 to 24
• Location: 3490 Route-27 Kendral Park, New Jersey 08824
• Contact: 732 422 8880/ 347 735 2984 | devotees@sevashramsangha.org
• Website: sevashramsangha.org

Dakshineswar Ramakrishna Sangha Adyapeath Durga Puja 

Adyapeath in Edison, an extension of the Dakshineswar Ramakrishna Sangha Adyapeath in Kolkata, is a must visit for its atmosphere full of divine bliss during Durga puja festivities. Adya Maa (Primordial Kali) is the presiding deity of the temple where ‘Ekchala’ styled Durga idol is worshiped in the sabeki way. Established in 1995 in New Jersey, Adyapeath is dedicated to the service to the divine and humanity.       

• Dates: October 20 to 25
• Location: Kiddie Keep Well Camp, 35 Roosevelt Dr., Edison, NJ 08837
• Contact: 732-249-7077
• Website: AdyapeathUSA.org

Trinayani Durga Puja in Plainsboro, New Jersey

This is one of the most-anticipated Durga Puja celebrations in New Jersey. A not-for-profit organization established in 2022 with the aim to promote India’s rich art and culture, Trinayani’s inaugural Durga Puja was the first such event to worship an in-house protima (idol) created by the community members. It was also named third on the list of the best 25 Durga Pujas in Tristate in 2022. This year, Trinayani Durga Puja will give you a memorable year through cultural programs and Bengali feasts. The musical acts to be performed by famous urban folk music group, Bhoomi (on 28th), and Sounak Chattopadhyay, new-gen singing sensation, (on 29th) will immerse you in classic and folk tunes of Bengal. Registrations are already open on their website.

• Dates: October 28 and 29
• Venue: Community Middle School, Plainsboro Township, NJ, USA
• Contact: trinayaninj2022@gmail.com  
• Website: www.vibrnz.com/org/trinayani

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The post These Durga Puja Events in New York and New Jersey Turn Northeast Coast into a Mini Bengal This Time of Year appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

Worship of the Almighty as Divine Mother is an age-old tradition in India and a refined part of Indian culture. It has been in existence since prehistoric times, but geographically it is limited to Asian countries in general and India in particular, in the current century. The history of ancient civilizations of Indus, Greece, Rome, Babylon and Egypt bears evidences to the worship of Divine Mother in different forms – nature, art, learning, culture and enlightenment. But Mother Worship has evolved from a tradition into a living religion for Indians. In Bengal, it has reached the highest level of devotion and faith in feminine manifestation of the Divine.   

Kumari Puja at Belur Math in West Bengal, India

In Bengal, Durga Puja or worship of Goddess Durga, an incarnation of Shakti, is the most pious and popular form of Mother Worship. In the Bengali community, the elderly people address young girls as Ma out of affection. “To look upon God as Mother is the purest and the highest form of Sadhana,” said Sri Ramakrishna, who is believed to have worshiped his wife as Divine Mother. Mother is all-in-all for a child.

Kumari Puja, a special attraction of Durga Puja festival in Bengal, is held to celebrate this faith through ceremonious worship of young girls in sense of Divine Mother. Kumari Puja is called Kanya Pujan in North India. Bengal celebrates it on Maha Ashtami, the eighth day of Durga Puja, while it is held on the ninth day or the last day of Navaratri in other states of India. The place to be for Kumari Puja in Bengal is Belur Math, the headquarters of Ramakrishna Mission ashrams across the globe.

Kumari Puja is held wherever Ramakrishna Math & Mission is in the world. But, it is a cultural refinement, grand ceremony and spectacular ritual at Belur Math on the Hooghly River flowing between Howrah and Kolkata. Swami Vivekananda, the founder of Belur Math, had initiated Kumari Puja in appreciation of Sri Ramakrishna’s devotion to Divine Mother and faith in Mother Worship.

The saffron-clad monks of the Ramakrishna Order at Belur Math look upon a young girl as mother and worship her as a goddess, on Maha Ashtami. According to Sri Ramakrishna, little girls at the tender age when they are away from negative forces of the materialistic world are manifestations of the Divine Mother. A little girl at the pre-puberty phase of her growth is bathed in the holy Ganga water, dressed in a crimson red or fiery yellow sari with golden border, and adorned with jewelry.

Also Check: What Makes Durga Puja Grand Celebration for Global Bengalis

The same rituals are performed to worship the Kumari (young unmarried girl) and the same offerings are made to her as those during the worship of Goddess Durga. She is purified and sanctified through chanting of holy mantras. A spectacular arati is performed. Monks and devotees offer flowers at her obedience. The devoted hearts invoke her blessings through prayers. Kumari Puja at Belur Math fetches in a huge gathering of devotees, every year. Even, the whole ceremony is live telecast all over West Bengal.

To say in other words, Kumari Puja at Belur Math is a sacred celebration of the celestial bonding between the Divine and the human. Needless to say, the Kumari Puja ceremony is worth booking last-minute flights to Kolkata during the Durga Puja festival.

About Travel Beats

Travel Beats is an Indian Diaspora news portal by Indian Eagle, a leading travel organization for overseas Indians having a proven record of booking last minute flights to India. We at Travel Beats connect Indians abroad, including Indian Americans with their cultural heritage roots through our stories and features. 

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The post Significance of Kumari Puja: Why Bengal Worships Living Goddesses during Durga Puja appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

What are the best things to do in Kolkata this Durga Puja? Hopping across puja pandals, zipping through jostling crowds at puja spots, watching a Bengali art film, riding the underground Metro, visiting the Victoria Memorial, shopping at New Market, and having the quintessential Kolkata street food experience. If you go by a Kolkata street food guide for tips on what to eat on the roadside, you will feel like being spoilt for choice over a huge number of street food items in Kolkata.

So, we recommend five best street food items which you must have in the City of Joy. Notably, ‘Kolkata is the best destination for street food,’ according to a survey that the Taste of Travel conducted among 56727 respondents across 30 street food markets in India this year. 

It is jhal muri that is unique to the Kolkata street food experience for anyone and at any time of the year. One of the most popular evening snacks, it is a great mouth entertainer, both in and out of home. The locals are seen entertaining themselves over this crispy and spicy item, here and there in the city. Vendors are found selling jhal muri at public places including parks, gardens, cinema halls, markets, bus stops and railway platforms. It is made of puffed rice, fried lentils, and other crunchy ingredients mixed with drops of mustard oil, spices, chopped tomatoes and onion slices. You will see young boys and girls standing in long queues outside the puja pandals and spending time over jhal muri during Durga Puja.

Another evening special tongue-teasing item is pani puri that deserves to be among the top ten on a Kolkata street food guide for its popularity with the locals. This iconic Indian street food snack is known as puchka all over  the city. It is a tamarind mixed watery item with spiced potato mash in round chip. The mouthful relish of puchkas outside the Victoria Memorial, a brand icon of Kolkata City, is a craze with tourists. In the Bollywood movie Parineeta, a sequence featuring Vidya Balan, Sanjay Dutt and Raima Sen eating puchkas from a roadside vendor was shot at the Victoria Memorial. It is a must have on the festive evenings of Durga Puja.

India boasts a rich and diverse chaat culture – a common culinary thread in the multi-layered social fabric of the country. Mumbai, Delhi and other metro cities have papri chat, kachori chat, and alu chat in common, while Kolkata enjoys uniqueness for its distinct roadside chaat item – ghugni chaat. It is made from boiled yellow peas mixed with onion and tomato slices, seasoned with lime juice and spices, and served in small leaf bowls. Taste a few spoons of ghugni chaat to feel one with the street food culture of Kolkata. Bengalis are in the habit of taking ghugni chaat with slices of bread.

Kolkata street food retains the distinction of being unique to the culinary essence of the city, and harmonizes with the influences of other countries at the same time. It is chowmein that best reflects this dual identity of Kolkata street food culture. Made by frying boiled chow noodles with mix veggies in oil, chowmein is a borrowing from the Chinese cuisine. The main ingredient may be Chinese, but the smokey, spicy flavor is Kolkatan to the core. Bengalis are fond of egg and chicken chowmein, while veg chowmein is popular with the people in other parts of the country.

Do ask Kolkattans what they like to eat when they go out for shopping or watching a movie? Most of them will say for sure that it is spring roll stuffed with an omelet or chopped chicken or small mutton pieces. The mouthwatering bites of egg rolls, chicken rolls and mutton rolls define the pleasure of evening outings for the locals. Even the Bengalis born and bred in a cosmopolitan society prefer this street food to burgers. Kolkata will not disappoint you if you are veg. Paneer spring roll is also available there. However, rolls are served smoking hot with sauce and wrapped in a thin piece of paper.

Kachuri, moglai, momo, fish fry, chicken cutlet, and alu chop are the other must-try tongue teasers on the list. These items not only define the uniqueness of Kolkata street food culture but also reason why the city is called a city of foodies.

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Durga Puja, the grandest and most spectacular festival of India, is in full swing now.  This festivity is so divine, joyous and fabulous that it never ceases to keep us waiting eagerly for the arrival of the Goddess. Every year, we cover the Durga Puja celebration on Travel Beats in different ways. We have come up with an article on the age-old rituals of Durga Puja to keep some requests from the Indian community in USA so that they can share it with their American friends.     

Dhaak

With the image of dhaak, the face of Goddess Durga surfaces to the mind. A most identifiable icon of the Durga Puja festivity, dhaaks are beaten during the worship of the Goddess, dhunuchi naach, aarti in the mornings and evenings from the beginning to the end of the festival. The beating of dhaak defines the ambience, dominates the mood and fills the air on the festive days.

Dhunuchi Naach

Dhunuchi Naach is an attraction of the Durga Puja celebration on festive evenings. In the Bengali community, boys, girls, men and women perform this traditional dance holding earthen lamps full of burning coconut shell with both hands and facing the Goddess. The rhythmic moves of their dancing feet are accompanied by the beats of dhaaks. The excitement soars and crowd cheers with the fast beating of dhaaks during the performance. It is a most entertaining and crowd-pulling part of the Durga Puja event in Kolkata, the rest of Bengal and other states of India. Women wear dhakai, taant and jamdani saris with golden work in the typical Bengali dressing style, and men wear embroidered kurtas of different colors in combination with white dhotis for this occasion.

READ ALSO Folk Culture of Bengal

Pushpanjali

Source: Flickr.com

A ritualistic part of the Durga Puja celebration, Pushpanjali refers to the offering of flowers with devotion to the holy feet of the Goddess. Each day of the festival starts with this ritual in the morning when Bengalis wearing new traditional clothes utter holy mantras and offer the Pushpanjali. However, the Pushpanjali on Maha Ashtami has lots of significance. Almost everyone fasts till this ritual is performed. Once it is over, the devotees are given prasad.

Kumari Puja

Kumari Puja on Maha Ashtami, the 8th day of the festival, is one of the traditional ceremonies interwoven with the way Durga Puja is celebrated in Bengal. A five or six year old girl child is worshipped as a human incarnation of the Goddess. Worshipping of the girl child or kumari with lamps, incense sticks, flowers and other holy essentials is worth watching every year. She is offered sweets too. The people present on the puja spot offer their devotion to the tender feet of the child and receive her blessings. However, the Kumari Puja initiated by Swami Vivekananda at Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math, is a grand spectacle.

READ ALSO Significance of Kumari Puja at Belur Math

Sandhi Puja

The most spectacular part of Durga Puja celebration, Sandhi Puja is performed at the moment when Maha Ashtami ends and Maha Navami begins. This ritualistic ceremony holds special significance because it is believed that the Goddess kills the buffalo demon at this time. Sandhi Puja marks triumph of the good and defeat of the evil. Worshipping of the Goddess in this part of the festivity requires a grand arrangement that entails 108 lotus flowers, 108 lamps, platefuls of sweets, a large pot full of rice grains, clothes, hibiscus garlands, wood apple leaves, vermillion, etc. The Sandhi Puja aarti is the most wonderful spectacle to behold with devotion.

Sindur Khela

The color of vermillion eclipses the glow of other colors on Dashami, the 10th day of Durga Puja, when married women of the Bengali community indulge in sindur khela. It is an age-old customary ritual for them to exchange good wishes and festive greetings by smearing each other’s face with vermillion. The married Bengali women of all age-groups including the newly wed and the old, deck themselves in white saris with deep red border, and gold ornaments for this occasion as you might have seen in the climax of Bollywood movie Kahani starring Vidya Balan. They offer flowers with vermilion to the obedience of Maa Durga before bidding adieu to the Goddess.

Immersion

Immersion of the idols of the Goddess and her family members – Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartik – is the culminating ceremony of the Durga Puja festival that leaves Bengalis with tears in the eyes. Bengalis across the country tearfully bid adieu to the Divine Mother on Maha Dashami, the 10th or last day of the festival. The immersion is preceded by spectacular processions in which traditionally dressed men and women dance in rhythm with the beats of dhaak, all the way to the river bank. Hundreds of devotees join the procession and catch the last glimpse of the Goddess during immersion.

Travel Beats is an Indian Diaspora portal by Indian Eagle, a leading travel organization for overseas Indians having a proven record of booking cheapest air tickets to India. We at Travel Beats connect Indians abroad, including Indian Americans with their cultural heritage roots through our stories and features.   

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Durga Puja, the grandest festival of Bengal in India, is a traditional ceremony dedicated to the worship of Devi Durga, the goddess of power (Shakti), in form of Divine Mother. Though Bengal has been the epicenter of this festivity since the 15th century, it has become a global celebration with the migration of Bengalis to other countries. How glittering and glorious Durga Puja is, will be convincing to you, if you ever travel to Kolkata in the month of October. To be precise, it is the ultimate cultural extravaganza and festive gala in Bengal, the history of which is associated with the Muslim rule and the British Raj in India.

Durga Puja celebration was an emblem of prosperity and power in the aristocratic class of Bengalis, to say landlords as shown in the National Award winning movies of Rituparno Ghosh, such as Utsav, Hirer Angti and Antarmahal. It is heard that some influential landlords invited the British officials to attend the celebration so that they could be in good books of the British East Indian Company. With the passing of time, Durga Puja became a mass celebration outside the embellished interiors of palatial houses in Bengal.

However, there are different legends about the origin of Durga Puja. According to the folklores of Bengal, the landlords of Malda and Dinajpur were the first to have initiated the celebration in the 15^th century. The Ramayana, one of the two great Indian epics, says that Lord Rama had first worshipped Devi Durga to be blessed with victory over Ravana. Let’s keep aside the controversies, myths, legends and folklores to focus on the men at work behind the canvas – the clay idol makers or potters at Kumortuli in Kolkata, on the bank of Hugli River.

You might have caught gripping glimpses of Durga Puja celebration in some Bollywood movies, to say Pradip Sarkar’s Parineeta and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas. But, Kumortuli where thousands of Durga idols are made for domestic celebrations and Bengali communities on foreign shores has remained out of the focus of directors’ camera lens. The 5-day long celebration follows preparations for 3 to 4 months. The making of Durga idols at Kumortuli is the major part of the preparation. Kumortuli, the hub of clay idol makers and potters by the riverside is one of the best tourist attractions in Kolkata City.

Also Check: How to Save Big on Flights to Kolkata

Kumortuli is older than the city itself. The foundation of the city dates back to the year 1690, whereas Kumortuli has been in existence long before that. The ancestors of today’s potters were said to have migrated from their native land Krishnanagar to Gobindapore, one of the three villages the then Calcutta was formed of, in quest of sustenance. They settled by the river of Ganga or Hooghly River and began to make clay pots, utensils and idols. Since then, they have been supplying idols to puja committees at home and abroad.

The idol making process is, at times, disturbed by adverse atmospheric conditions. The artisans at work brave all odds to get the idols ready by Mahalaya, the day of invoking Goddess Durga. However, it is a pleasure to watch the artisans make life-like idols out of clay. These days, the making of theme-based artistic idols with an aesthetic aura is a popular trend due to stiff competition among the puja committees. The concrete image of Devi Durga sitting on a lion and slaying the buffalo demon at her feet evokes awe, wonder and devotion.

The artisans of Kumortuli remain in the dark on the flipside of grand, spectacular Durga Puja festival though their innovative creations are cruised to overseas Bengali communities in the USA, Europe, Africa, Australia and other countries. Being an overseas Indian, you celebrate Durga Puja away from home every year, but the feel, the flavor and the fervor of the festivity are to be experienced only in Kolkata, in Bengal, in India.

The post Artisans at Work on the Flipside of Grand Durga Puja Festival at Home and Abroad appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee is a versatile personality. She is known for her austere lifestyle, simplicity and her love of traditional Bengali culture. She is also famous for her paintings. She is a celebrity poet too. Recently, Bengal CM turned a lyricist. Neither for films nor for tele soaps. She penned a Durga puja theme song this year. (Find the video of the song below) 

TMC Chief Mamata Banerjee wrote the Durga puja theme song for a popular puja committee, Suruchi Sangha in New Alipore, Kolkata. Suruchi Sangha, one of the award-winning puja organizers in Kolkata, is known for their innovative, thought-provoking Durga puja themes. ‘Unity in Diversity’ is the theme of the song.

Mamata Banerjee’s Suruchi Sangha theme song 2017 – “Boichitrer muktoy gantha ekotar monihar” (the jewel of unity is stitched with a string of pearls of diversity) – is sung by none other than Shreya Ghosal. Jeet Gannguli, popular in Bollywood and the Bengali film industry, composed music for the song.

Theme music for the Durga puja festival is a new trend in the City of Joy. Bengal CM’s theme song for Suruchi Sangha Durga puja 2017 is not her first tryst with lyricism. She penned lyrics for this city puja committee in the past.

Music composer and singer Jeet Gannguli has composed music for Alipore Suruchi Sangha’s Durga puja theme songs for a couple of years. He has a heartfelt ‘musical association’ with Suruchi Sangha’s Durga puja celebration.

Also Check: London Themes of Kolkata Durga Puja 2017

Recital is another emerging trend of Durga puja celebration in Kolkata. Known for one of the best Durga puja pandals and themes in Kolkata, Kumartuli Sarbojonin chose recital as theme music over song this year. Eminent actor Soumitra Chatterjee’s recital of ‘Ami Sei Diganto Asa Periye Asa Uttaradhikar’ (I have walked through the past, I am the torch-bearer) is being played at the Kumartuli Sarbojonin puja pandal 2017.

Soumitra Chatterjee’s recital depicts a heart-touching story of Kumartuli potters on the banks of Hooghly River. Kumartuli Sarbojonin has initiated the trend of playing recitals instead of songs to entice pandal hoppers and puja revelers, according to a spokesperson of the puja committee.

Also Read: Upcoming Bullet Trains to Kolkata

Tridhara Sammilani, another award-winning puja committee in Kolkata, roped in renowned music composer and singer Joy Sarkar for its Durga puja theme song 2017.

Durga Puja is neither just a festival nor merely a celebration. It brings in joy, innovation and new attractions. The enormity and significance of Durga Puja cannot be summed up in a few words. No wonder why many Bengali NRIs search for last minute airfare deals to India and book last minute flight tickets to Kolkata.

The post Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee Turns Lyricist and Pens Durga Puja Theme Song This Year appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

Durga Puja is one of the few best things that Kolkata is famed for and identified with. It is the only occasion when the City of Joy looks and feels like a new bride in flamboyant fineries. What makes Kolkata a must visit during Durga Puja is not only the beating of dhaaks, the fragrance of shiuli flowers, the flavor of traditional Bengali food, the emotive power of the festive ambience and the memories of family get-togethers or friendly adda but also hopping of puja pandals featuring new themes, pleasing and thought-provoking.

No wonder why many NRI Bengalis book even last minute flights to Kolkata. After all, Durga Puja is a homecoming celebration like Onam in Kerala and Diwali in North India.

Kolkata Durga Puja Themes 2017

The beauty of London is among the major themes of Kolkata Durga Puja 2017. Some of the city-based puja committees have roped in renowned fashion designers like Sharbari Datta to add a trendy look to the attires of idols, while some others have chosen London as a predominant theme. Needless to say, Kolkata is the London of the East.

Two of the leading puja committees are all set to model pandals on London for Durga Puja 2017 in Kolkata. Bhowanipore’s 75 Palli in South Kolkata and Santosh Mitra Square in Central Kolkata are known for their crowd-pulling, award-winning, unique Durga puja themes. These two historic Durga puja committees seem the craftsmen of Bengal CM Mamata Bannerjee’s dream of turning Kolkata into London this year.

Kolkata Durga Puja 2017: Santosh Mitra Square

Incepted in 1936, Santosh Mitra Square Durga Puja (Lebutala Park) is one of the oldest Kolkata Durga Puja celebrations. Initially known as Sealdah Sarbojanin Durgoutsav, the Santosh Mitra Square puja committee will make a public square of London come alive in the forecourt of their pandal for Durga Puja 2017 in Kolkata. The interior of the pandal will feature traditional decorations while a colossal chandelier will dominate the ceiling.

Also Read: Women-only Durga Puja in California

The Santosh Mitra Square puja committee has teamed up with eminent fashion designer Agnimitra Paul to design clothes for the idols, which will make Kolkata Durga Puja 2017 a memorable one for revelers. Reportedly, clothes of Goddess Durga, the demon and other idols will be designed on the lines of the fashion in the colonial era when Calcutta was the capital of British India. Gold and zari will largely be used in weaving the designer clothes.

Kolkata Durga Puja 2017: Bhowanipore 75 Palli

A sprawling area of 40,000 square feet in front of the 75 Palli puja pandal in South Kolkata will become alive as a typical London street this year. The things common between Kolkata and London will be the attractions of Bhowanipore 75 Palli’s pandal for Kolkata Durga puja 2017. Reportedly, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been invited to inaugurate this pandal

The Bhowanipore 75 Palli puja committee has planned to model the pandal gate on the Big Ben in London and the altar of the idols on the London Bridge. The Palace of Westminster, which houses the British Parliament, will also be recreated to complement the ‘London’ theme of the pandal. The lights of the pandal will resemble those on the streets of London.

Also Read: How Japan Got Rash Behari Bose’s Favorite Indian Curry

Artistic idols made of mahogany wood and brass in North Bengal will add to the grandeur of 75 Palli’s Durga puja 2017 in Kolkata. Decorated with Dokra artworks, the idols are given a retro look from the bygone days. Being crafted by a group of artisans in North Bengal which rolls under mayhem over the demand for a separate state is brewing in, the idols would send out a message of peace and harmony over discrimination.

Since 2017 is the year of the Indo-UK culture, the Bhowanipore 75 Palli puja committee has associated with the London Sharad Utsav and the British Council to work on their London-inspired Durga puja theme. This South Kolkata Durga Puja 2017 pandal will also highlight Bengal CM’s award-winning ‘Kanyashree’ project.

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The harmony of different cultures and customs in the social fabric of India is best experienced during Navratri and Dussehra celebrations that take place in every state. The entire country, from Delhi to Mysore and from Gujarat to Bengal, wears a celebratory look and exudes elegant ethnicity. Some states celebrate Durga’s victory over the buffalo demon Mahishasur, while Lord Rama’s triumph over Ravana the King of demons is celebrated in some states. However, victory of the good over the evil is the common purpose of celebrations all over the country. Whichever part of India you visit during the festival, you will find smiling faces, happy minds and devoted souls in common though the way of the festivity is different in different states. Indian Eagle holds a mirror to the different ways of Navratri and Dussehra celebration in 7 best places of India:

Delhi

Delhi observes the Dussehra festival in celebration of Ram’s victory and Ravana’s defeat. The temples of Lord Ram are decorated with flowers and lit with lamps, in every nook and corner of the capital. Religious music and recital of the Ramayana fill the atmosphere. Ram Leela is the main cultural event, held on the festive evenings in the city. The burning of the effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakaran and Meghnad on the last day of the festival is the mainstay of Dussehra celebration in Delhi. This ceremony is followed by an amazing firework.

Gujarat

Experience the festive best of India in Gujarat for nine days of the Navratri festival. Ahmedabad, Surat, Baroda, Gandhinagar and other cities in Gujarat come alive with gusto for celebration through music, dance and food. Gujaratis stick to their age-old culture on nine days of the festivity, no matter how modern they are in the 21st century. Women in lehenga cholis and men in traditional kedias look their best on festive evenings when they gather to perform Garba and Dandiya Rasa, the most popular folk dances of Gujarat. The cultural celebration centers on the worship of Ma Amba, another name of Goddess Shakti. Visit Gujarat to overwhelm your senses with the riot of colors in every nook and corner, during Navratri.

Chhattisgarh

Let’s penetrate into Chhattisgarh and see how the tribal folks of Bastar celebrate the festival. Surprisingly, the celebration spans over as many as 75 days here. Unlike the celebration of Ram’s triumph over Ravana in north India, the natives of Bastar worship Devi Maoli, a local goddess, and her sisters during Navratri . Hundreds of priests join the grand procession which is organized to bring the local deities to the Danteshwari Temple in Jagdalpur. The main attraction of the holy procession is a double-decker chariot or rath. The tribal folks make the 2-ton heavy chariot using traditional tools. The path of the procession between Bastar and Jagdalpur is lit with one thousand lamps by the tourism department of Chhattisgarh.

Varanasi

Navratri brings Varanasi alive with an aura of festivity and spirituality in the blend. For ten days from the beginning of the festival till Dussehra, the city remains a favorite haunt of holy seers and devotees. Ram Leela is an attraction of Navratri celebration in Varanasi. Ram Leela is a dance drama which is performed to enact the lives of Ram, Sita and Lakshman in exile, on a makeshift stage. Though the entire city becomes a Ram Leela ground during Navratri, Ramnagar at a distance of 15 km from the city is famous for this event. The recital of Ramcharitamanas on nine days of the festival is considered a virtue. Devotees hear the recital with single-minded devotion. The way Dussehra is celebrated in Varanasi carries off the bell. The episode of Ram’s reunion with Bharat on return to Ayodhya after his victory over Ravana is commemorated in the Bharat Milaap event on the next day of Dussehra.

Himachal Pradesh

Navratri is not as fabulous a festival as Dussehra is in Himachal Pradesh. Kullu Valley is the epicenter of the celebration for 7 days following Dussehra. In Kullu, the festivity centers on the worship of Lord Raghunath on the fairground of Dhalpur Maidan. The idols of local gods and goddesses are brought to the fairground through a holy procession. The entire valley overflows with the joys of festivity for a week. The celebration comes to an end when a heap of wood and grass is set to fire on the bank of the Beas River, the last day. It symbolizes the burning of Lanka, an event in the Ramayana. However, the worship of Lord Raghunath on Dussehra dates back to the 17th century.

Karnataka

If you are flying to Karnataka this Navratri , you stand a good chance to experience the 400-year-old Dussehra festivity in Mysore. The festival is locally known as Dasara in the city. Mysore springs into activity over the celebration for ten days. The illumination of Mysore Palace with as many as 100,000 lights on the occasion of Dussehra is a rare visual treat that no other city offers. Moreover, catching the procession of richly embellished elephants on the decorated streets of Mysore is an experience of the city’s royalty and ethnic culture. The celebration in this princely city of Karnataka is a roller-coaster ride of gastronomic joy too.

West Bengal

As Goddess Shakti is worshipped as Durga in West Bengal, Navratri festival is known as Durga Puja in this state of India. A brand identity of Bengal, Durga Puja is a 5-day long cultural extravaganza. The capital city Kolkata is the hotbed of festivity. The cityscape is dotted with hundreds of different theme based pandals where the life-size idols of Durga and other family members are worshiped for 5 days. The city skyline is lit with beautiful lightings from twilight till wee hours. Kolkata does not sleep for 5 days as the people begin to hop around pandals in the evening and continue throughout the night. Though the festival ends with the immersion of idols on Maha Dashami, the celebration continues over the ceremony of exchanging warm greetings with near and dear ones, and the sweetening of mouths with bites of Rasogolla.

IndianEagle.com offers the cheapest flight for your trip to the cities of India where Navratri and Dussehra festivals are a must experience.

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