KEY FESTIVAL DATES. Paradise By Satvik Nath Age 4 years. Harmony By Aditya Bose Mandal Age 7 years

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2 KEY FESTIVAL DATES Lakshmi Puja 3 rd October 2009 Kali Puja 17 th October 2009 Protipod 18 th October 2009 Bhratri Dwitiya 19 th October 2009 Kartik Puja 16 th November 2009 Saraswati Puja 20 th January 2010 Shiv Ratri 12 th February 2010 Paradise By Satvik Nath Age 4 years He who plays his music to the stars is standing at your window with his flute. And the fairy mistress of dreams is coming towards you, flying through the twilight sky. - Rabindranath Tagore (an excerpt from the poem The Unheeded Pageant ) Harmony By Aditya Bose Mandal Age 7 years 2

3 From the Editors Desk Pg 4 President s Column Pg 5 RBBA Family Pg 6 Acknowledgments Pg Puja Event Schedule Pg 8 What is Durga Puja about? By Oishika Ray, Pg 10 Word Search, Pg 17 Maa Durga (Bengali) By Piyali Das, Pg 13 About Slough Hail Maa Durga (Poetry) By Shraddha Bose Mandal, Pg 8 In my box (Poetry) By Yash Gummalla, Pg 12 By Dr. Indranil Kundu, Pg 14 Pujor Maane (Bengali Poetry) By Shantanu Nath, Pg 17 Jigyasha The Durga Puja Quiz, Pg 21 Golok Dhada Wordsearch, Pg 18 Ranna Banna, Bhetki Patori recipe By Mamata Roy (Hashi mashi), Pg 18 What does Durga Puja mean for teenagers living outside India? By Devina Majumder, Pg 19 3

4 From the Editors Desk Dear Friends, Welcome to the very first Royal Berkshire Bengali Association Durga Puja in Slough. Throughout the year we are all busy in our respective lives and jobs, but it is during this time of the year we all embrace our culture and heritage and celebrate Durga Puja the best way we can so far away from our homeland. With the blessing of Maa Durga we have combined forces and come together to bring to you, Durga Puja in the Kolkata style, perhaps not as magnificent as the Pandals there, but no less heartfelt, in a Marquee in open grounds. We promise to bring with this Durga Puja fun, frolic, entertainment, delicious food, cultural programmes and above all a magnificent Puja. This Durga Puja brochure has been created with the same spirits and contributions from young and old. Everyone has combined their efforts to make this brochure enjoyable for readers of all ages and we promise there is something in here for everyone. We are especially confident that you will enjoy the pictures, paintings, poems and articles which have been written especially for you. The message from the President highlights who we are and why we have come together as the RBBA and our journey from the start to this day. From our desks we shall take this opportunity to thank every member of our RBBA family for their outstanding efforts and contributions in making the dream of our first Durga Pujo a success. Well done champions! Special thanks also goes out to all our sponsors and donors for their kind support, as well as to everyone who has contributed to this brochure, without whose help this would never have been possible. Even though we have spent a large amount of time going through the articles and in formatting the brochure, we are sure there is still room for improvement and maybe the odd error for which we apologise in advance. Thank you for coming and supporting us in our Sarbojonin Durga Puja. Hope you have a wonderful time and memorable experience. Durga Pujor Priti O Subecha to everyone! Thank You Anamica Roy-Das & Nilabza Dutta 4

5 THE PRESIDENT S COLUMN Dear Friends, I would like to extend a warm and hearty welcome to you all on the occasion of Royal Berkshire Bengali Association s (RBBA) maiden venture, Sarbojonin Durga Puja, held at Baylis House, Slough, from the 24 th to the 28 th of September We sincerely believe that, while we seek the divine blessings of Ma Durga through our offerings amidst the sound of the dhak and conch shells, there will be plenty of time for us to make this event into a very successful annual social gathering for those living in and around this beautiful county. In the typical Bengali spirit, we will renew our old acquaintances, find new friends and experience the mixing of generations, exchange thoughts and ideas and dip into our rich cultural heritage through songs and dance by both local and invited artists. And definitely, endless joyous invigorating adda!! RBBA s journey started just over six months ago with a shared dream, a vision and desire of several families to celebrate Durga Puja in a Sarbojonin way. There was a genuine feeling of wanting to be involved in experiencing this rich cultural heritage and passing it on to our next generation. With this in our heart and a blank sheet of paper in front of us to chart our course, RBBA was born. Such has been the enthusiasm and support from each and everyone involved as well as members of our diverse local community, those hesitant footsteps of infancy have now begun to take on a firm foothold. From that blank piece of paper to today, has been an amazing journey. When endless enthusiasm, sincerity and a shared passion are put together, a dream is bound to take shape. This has been proven by the members of RBBA. Endless discussions, brainstorming sessions, multiple late night meetings, teleconferencing and plenty of good food were the highlights of this spectacular journey. Also, the support received from our friends and well wishers, at various levels have been of immense value. It has given us the strength to think ahead and plan our future. We hope that with your continued support and best wishes, we can, in the future, provide a platform, where true Bengali culture and tradition is celebrated in all its richness and glory and shared with our diverse multicultural society in which we live today. A special word of thanks to all of you who have supported us in our maiden venture in one way or another, without which, this would not have been possible. On behalf of the RBBA, wishing you all a very Shubho Bijoya and Happy Diwali. Thank you Dr. Atanu Dutta 5

6 The RBBA family President Joint Secretaries Treasurer Cultural Secretary Committee Members Dr. Atanu Dutta Probal Majumder & Arindam Thakur Dr. Indranil Kundu Dr. Sagarika Sankhari Dr. Bhaskar Mandal, Amitav Dasgupta, Jayanta Roy, Shantanu Nath, Samiran Ghosal, Ramanurup Sen, Harish Gummalla, Uma Dasgupta, Dolan Majumder. Members Dipankar Choudhury, Debojit Das, Prabal Dev, Parikshit Sarkar, Sandeep Maity, Nilabza Dutta, Mamata Roy, Kakoli Maity, Dolan Sarkar, Aparna Dev, Sangita Choudhury, Mala Dutta, Piyali Das, Sagorika Thakur, Aparna Nath, Samhita Gummalla, Malabika Sen, Nupur Roy, Lily Ghosal, Anamica Roy, Dr.Sadhana Bose & Kaushik Das. 6

7 Acknowledgements We express our gratitude to the following people for their generous contribution towards the RBBA Durga Puja, 2009: Mr. Raman Dega, Ms. Jan Panesar, Mr. Anil Desai, Dr. Sameer Sarkar, Mr. Arindam Hore, Dr Baneera Shresta, Dr Alak Pal & Dr Pampa Sarkar, Mr. Pratik Choudhury, Mr. Brian Allum and Calcutta National Medical College Alumni Association (UK). We extend heartfelt gratitude to our priest ( Purohit ) Mr. Ashim Banerjee. We are also grateful to all other people who have contributed while preferring to remain incognito, the various corporations and companies who have donated generously. We thank Exotic Superstore for their special generous contribution of vegetables and grains for Maa s Pujo. With best wishes from: KALAKUNJ (Centre for Performing Arts) Indian classical dance at the Indian Community Centre in Reading, Berkshire Kalakunj (Centre for Performing Arts) would endeavour to encourage people s support for traditional art forms from South Asia in Reading, Berkshire, U.K. It is run by Ananya Chatterjee who was professionally trained in Indian classical dance (Bharatnatyam) under the guidance of Guru Shrimati Thankamani Kutty. Ananya has been a regular performer and teacher of Bharatnatyam at Kalamandalam, a reputed Centre for Performing Arts in the city of Kolkata, India, and classified as a graded artist of Kolkata Television. For further information, please visit the website Or contact Ananya Chatterjee at

8 Schedule for Durga Puja 2009 Hail Mother Durga Hail Mother Durga For never has there been a greater puja ever seen For mother Durga will think O dear me, Just look and see so many devotees singing for me It is clear, that the answer here Durga is our almighty mother. By Shraddha Bose Mandal - 8 years 8

9 With Best Wishes from: COMPASS PSYCARE LTD. A limited company run by professionals, dedicated to provide the paying public with an alternative in psychiatric care. We aim to provide a one-stop solution to all your psychiatric needs- clinical to medico-legal. PO Box 3544, Wokingham, RG40 9FA 9

10 What is Durga Puja about? By Oishika Ray Durga Puja is the annual festival celebrated in worship of the Hindu Goddess Durga by Bengalis all over the world. It s a time of great joy fulfilled by the prayers of many people who also come together to celebrate the fun and frolic, tasty treats and the traditional Bengali Adda. However for the celebrations to begin the statue of Durga must be created in advance from clay and bamboo sticks, requiring extreme skill and effort. Maa Durga is the consort, also called Ardhangini (literal: The other half) of Shiva, who is part of the Hindu trinitarian unity comprised of Brahma (The Creator), Vishnu (The Protector) and Shiva (The Destroyer of Evil). In her form of Shakti (literal: Manifestation of Power) she complements Shiva's power over the Universe. She is usually depicted with ten hands each of them holding powerful weapons given to her by the Gods. They are used by the goddess to protect those who worship her, from evil and suffering. Hindus believe that the buffalo demon Mahishasura, who was invincible against all males, was fighting a winning battle against the Gods including Shiva and Vishnu who couldn't defeat him either. The Gods decided to put their powers together to find a solution, which took its manifestation in the form of the Goddess Durga. The different weapons embody her shakti, so that she can conquer all and triumphant against evil. These include Shankha (conch), which blows the triumphant sound of victory. Pankaja (lotus) is symbolic of the devotee's spiritual development. It means 'born from mud', which shows that their faith is ever growing despite worldly distractions. The bow and arrow represent her focus and insight, whilst the Sudarshan-chakra (metallic weapon grade discuss) shows that the entire world is under the command of Durga. The sword clears our path from problems and symbolises the determination needed to lead a spiritual life, and doubtless knowledge. Goddess Durga also eliminates spiritual, mental and physical misery, as symbolised by the trident which also teaches us about birth, life and death. It is with these objects and more that she fought Mahishasura, whom she defeated, hence she is also known as Mahishasuramardini, the one who destroyed Mahishasura. Thus, a statue of Durga can be seen standing on the head of a buffalo with a lion which she rides on her way to conquer evil. What is Durga Puja about? 10

11 The celebrations of Durga Puja begin from Panchami, when the Pandals are completed and decorated and Durga is placed with her eyes covered. It is believed Ma Durga travels from her husband's home in the Kailash Parbat (Mountains), down to the plains, to her parent's home, along with her four children. Bengalis welcome her into their houses. On Sashti, the eyes of statues of the Goddess are unveiled, symbolising her arrival and entry into the world. Arati marks the beginning of the celebrations in the evening, where blessings of the Goddess are invoked using lamps, bells, incense sticks and flowers. The conch shell is blown three times to ward off all evil forces and invite in good spirits. In Sanskrit, Arati means 'towards virtue'. Anjali or Pushpanjali is also a central part of the worshiping and takes place each day during the puja. A priest offers prayers that the devotees repeat, who then offer fresh flowers to the Goddess which are handed out prior to the ritual. Often, people may fast until the anjali is performed. After Sashti comes Saptami, followed by Asthami, which is considered to be the most important day as Durga's triumphant defeat over the buffalo demon is celebrated; on this day, Banana, Cucumber and 'Chalkumro' (a type of pumpkin) are sacrificed in the place of the buffalo or goats which had been sacrificed in the past. After which follows Navami, the final day of the celebrations when rituals of offerings and devotion take place. Dashami is the day of bidding farewell to Durga, when she sets off on her journey of returning back to her husband s home. Before her departure comes the Dhunuchi Naach during which the Dhak (drum) is played before the Gods as a form of entertainment, and people dance to it's beat with Dhunuchis (earthenware pots containing burning perfumed coconut husks) as an offering to God. In India, it has almost developed into an art form where people dance whilst balancing several at once, which has led to various competitions. Then the Shidur Khela takes place where married women apply vermillion to the Goddess and feed her sweets and then in turn they apply it to other married women. After which Durga is sent off with fanfare that rivals that of her welcome, and processions carry around the statues until they are submerged in a river or lake which has traditionally been the Ganges. People greet one another with a 'Shubho Bijoya' and 'mishti' (sweets). 11

12 In my box By Yash Gummalla, 9 years My box is made of the finest wood from ancient Egypt; With a secret compartment to hide my most prize possessions; The border made of glittering gold, oh so precious! I will put in my box The beautiful colours of nature; The colours of spring; The sparkle of dew; And the flash of lightning touching the far skies; I will put in my box My first day at school; The day I saw my baby brother; His first laughter, his first words; And his first steps; I will put in my box The smell of melted chocolate that makes me so hungry; The taste of cookies straight out of the oven; The first lick of ice-cream on a hot day; And this box I will treasure all my life. We are deeply indebted to Dean & Dyball Civil Engineering who has kindly sponsored the stagings for our Puja and cultural performances. Dean & Dyball Civil Engineering Ltd. Endeavour House, Crow Arch Lane, Ringwood, Hampshire BH24 1PN T: E: enquiries@deandyball.co.uk W: 12

13 Maa Durga (A Bengali article) By Piyali Das 13

14 About Slough By Dr. Indranil Kundu After finishing my GP training in the region in 1998, I decided to move down south to get a partnership in a practice. I was keen for a practice, not in London, but close by. Going through the BMJ classified for partnerships, I spied upon one in Slough. My senior colleague sneered at the mention of the place, but my gut feeling took the better off me. I applied for the partnership and after numerous interviews with the partners in the practice, I got offered the partnership. 10 years later, I am still in Slough and am I glad that I followed my instinct; otherwise I would have missed a great chance to be in one of the most vibrant part of the country. Being a part of the community, I am proud to serve the people here and thankful for the warmth and acceptance that this town can offer to anyone. A bit of history: The first existing record of the name Slough dates from 1196 when it was spelt as Slo. This might have been the old English term referring to the marshlands in the borough. Slough originally developed as a stopping-off point for the coaches travelling between London and Bath. One of my branch surgeries is on the Old Bath Road and it is a surreal feeling to think that just a century ago, this was one of the various stops people used to take to break the uncomfortable monotonous journey between London and Bath. It remained a small village until the mid 1800s but with the coming of the railways, it became a thriving centre for commerce and business and continues to remain so. The Slough Trading Estate or SEGRO, as it is now called is Europe s largest commercial hub. After the city of London, SEGRO is the next largest contributor to the British economy as a trading partner. It prides itself in housing some of the world s best known blue chip companies. It has a big contributing factor in establishing the M4 corridor where property prices have boomed and remained high because of the strong commercial nexus. At the last census, the population of Slough was approximately 120,000 with 23% from the ethnic minority group. Of the ethnic minorities, Asians form the largest group and it is quite amazing to see how people of Indian and Pakistani origins live in such perfect harmony, even when the conflict remains thousands of miles away. You will not be surprised to find Diwali, Holi, Ramadan and Christmas all being celebrated with equal vigor across the town. With a good Bengali population across the Thames Valley, Slough is the ideal place to launch the new Durga Pujo where acceptance of this gracious event will be with open arms. About Slough 14

15 Baylis House: The pujo is being held at the Baylis house which is a Grade1 listed building with magnificent buildings and wonderful lawns. It was originally built in 1684 by Dr Gregory Hascard who was the Dean of Windsor. With the passing years it changed hands numerous times. In the 1800s, it was a Roman Catholic school which closed down in the early part of the last century due to bankruptcy. It was also run as a hotel for a short time and then taken over by the council for maintenance. It now runs as a conference centre and is a well looked after property. The Royal Berkshire Bengali Association has thought carefully as to where to start their pujo and it could not be happier and contended that Slough will be there to grace the pujo with open arms. We welcome you to our Pujo and also to our town Slough and hope that you can enjoy both to your heart s content. 15

16 Wishing everyone a very Happy Diwali From EXOTIC SUPERSTORE Your local Fresh Green Grocery, also providing Fresh Meat and Poultry Supply to cater to all your daily household needs. No need to go elsewhere for your one stop shop; At Exotic we will meet all your food needs! Visit our shops for weekly special offers Mr Bhandal Mobile: Oxford Road, Reading, RG30 1EH Tel: (0118) Fax: (0118)

17 Pujor Maane (A Bengali poem) By Shantanu Nath 17

18 Ranna Banna Recipe Rui or Betkir Paturi By Mamata Roy (Hashi mashi) Ingredients: 8 pieces of Rui of Betki, 4 Banana leaves, Mustard oil and Cooking oil. Paste Ingredients: 1tbspn Poppy Seeds, 1 tbspn Mustard Seeds, 2 or 3 green chillies, ¼ tspn Salt, ¼ tspn turmeric powder. Apply salt and turmeric to the fish and fry in cooking oil until golden brown and then place on a plate and set aside. With the ingredients listed above create a paste by adding some water. Once the paste is ready apply the paste evenly to both sides of the fried fish. Lay a clean banana leaf and sprinkle a drop of mustard oil place two of the fried and pasted fish in the middle of the leaf, and then wrap to form a parcel. Tie the parcel with some string. Place a frying pan with some oil in it on the gas and place the parcels in the hot pan on a low heat and fry the parcels for 7 minutes on each side. When the Banana leaf appears burnt then it is ready to be served with boiled rice. Golok Dhada WordSearch K A P U S H P A N J A L E E A A W M U H B D K E P C F K G W R X I B H K J I G O H B V J T T M T J I V U K A L W Y P N A I A A O D K P R N A T P X H W K H W S U I A T E U U A V A S E A S B R V R H S S O R B A A Y A A H G J P U H W B U H R R A S R S A A L P A H A S O T A I H A H P W A U X G L A I H S W T S I U N X U V A A S U W H I A R V J K M J X W K I A K Y X M X A A P A M E J I H G V J J E L X A H I O B P K A U S H B I M A T H S A A H A M W X D DurgaPuja; Kartikeya; Ganesha; Saraswati; Laxmi; Pushpanjali Bhog; Aarti; MahaAshtami; Mahisasura; Ambika; Kalabou; Shiva; Sati; Gauri 18

19 What does Durga Puja mean for teenagers outside India? By Devina Majumder Festivities have a buzz of their own. Excitement laces the air and be whatever the weather, it never dampens the feeling. Durga Puja boasts a larger-than-life festivity which binds together millions of Bengalis all around the world. It holds a deep significance for those people who have left their hometown in the search of a better life for their families. However what does it mean for us, teenage children who have been brought up outside India for a majority of our lives? For most of us, our lives are conducted in the same way as our foreign friends so what is it that binds us to Durga Puja? The celebration of Durga Puja is the year's largest Hindu festival of Bengal. It is believed that the celebration is to welcome Goddess Durga to her maternal house with her children. Many teenagers these days have become atheists so why is Durga Puja the exception? I can t say for everyone but I definitely do know that never has a thing asked for from Durga Maa ever been refused. One doesn t have to be polytheist to get a wish fulfilled from Durga Maa. All a person needs is a pure heart and a burning desire. For us, our exams mean the do-all and end-all. Every year, thousands of teenagers ask for outstanding results; including me. During Durga Puja, I never do ask what my friends wish for but I do know that like me when they join their hands together, close their eyes and ask for something from Durga Maa, dazzling results and a sparkling future are always mentioned. A dazzling future may be what most teenagers wish for but the pandals created to host the festivities transports most of our parents back to memory lane. Kolkata Pandal s are usually inspired by themes that catch the reader s eyes in newspapers for example The Hogwarts Castle from Harry Potter or RMS Titanic. The atmosphere that these pandals host can rival the Rio De Janeiro Carnival. Though, these pandals cannot be re-created here in England, the essence of the atmosphere is always recaptured perfectly. Many of us have never spent Durga Puja in India so we don t realise what these pandals actually turn out to be but from what we hear we definitely do know that we don t miss out on much living outside India. The similarity that remains between the nostalgia of Durga Puja s past celebrated by our parents and the Durga Puja s we have celebrated is that electrifying atmosphere is still there. The buzz in the air is still there. That is what attracts us to Durga Puja. It calls onto us to immerse ourselves in the thrill and merriment. What does Durga Puja mean for teenagers outside India? 19

20 The key to a successful Durga Puja is to feed a room full of Bengalis good food. Food is and has always been an essential part of Durga Puja. Most of us eat Bengali food at home and would love to see the back of and without a doubt I would say that it includes me as well however, there is something about having piping hot food at Durga Puja. No matter how conscious we may be of what we eat, no one can ever stop themselves from digging their fingers into the various delicacies. Delicacies may be the thing to lure people who enjoy food to Durga Puja but no girl can and will ever say no to new clothes. Durga Puja means shopping. Durga Puja means dressing up. The anticipation of what dresses to wear, what accessories to match, what make-up to put on builds up months before the actual event. Though it may be very materialistic but it is one of those things that bind atheists to the spectacular that we call Durga Puja. We hear about our friends receiving various gifts and goodies during Christmas and it sort of feels good to be able to throw to their faces that we receives gifts both during Durga Puja and during Christmas. Durga Puja is the only time that the shimmers on our array of colourful Indian clothes are released. Usually, it hides behind the dullness of jeans and cardigans. No matter what the weather may be, the latest blouse styles are worn with saris. Latest celebrity inspired lehngas and salwars are sewn and bought. For every teenage girl, it is her four days of freedom. She is a red carpet celebrity as well as a princess on those days. Everyone s eyes should be on her. That may not be the traditional essence of Durga Puja but for a teenage girl that is the main thing that may make her year. Fashion is always a topic of discussion. Most of the time we may speak Bengali at home but for majority of our time we speak in English. We don t realise how effortlessly we switch between the languages despite having not spoken a large amount of Bengali throughout the year. Surprisingly, we sometimes end up speaking to our friends in Bengali when the norm of communication is usually English. So what does Durga Puja mean for a teenager living outside India? Food, tradition, clothes, pandals, wishes, language; these and so much more! Durga Puja is festival which lives within us. It is the one thing that binds us to our home and to our friends. We usually find differences between us and our cousins and friends from India but the one thing that binds us is Durga Puja. We may be living outside and certain parts of our upbringing may be according to western ways but the simple festival of Durga Puja reminds us of our culture and heritage. Durga Puja is one thing that has been and will be passed to kids in coming generations to remind them of their roots. 20

21 Jigyasha The Durga Puja quiz 1. Where is the abode of goddess Durga? a) The River Ganges b) The sky c) Mount Kailash d) 11, Beverly Hills 2. How long does goddess Durga normally come to her mother's house for? a) 5 days b) 7 days c) 21 days d) As long as she wishes to 3. What is the name of Ganesha's wife? a) Saraswati b) Kalabou c) Madonna d) Komlabou 4. What is Hinduism's sacred book? a) Doesn't have one b) God of small things c) The Bhagawat Gita, but other important scriptures being Manusmriti, Vedas, Upanishads etc d) Ramayana 5. What language are most of the Hindu scriptures written in? a) English b) Latin c) Hindi d) Sanskrit. 6. Who is the Goddess of Wealth? a) Lakshmi b) Kali c) Sarasvati d) Melinda Gates 7. Durga Puja involves the worship of which other gods & goddesses? a) None other than Durga b) All 330 million of them c) Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva d) Shiva, Kartikeya, Ganesha, Saraswati, Laxmi, Kalabou 8. Which occasion marks the onset of the festival of Durga Puja? a) Mahalaya b) World Tourism Day c) Shosti d) Navami 9. Which year was Durga Puja first celebrated in London? a) 1963 b) 1979 c) 1985 d) Why does goddess Durga have 10 arms? a) Two hands were not enough to manage all her children. b) Two hands were not enough to kill Mahisasura. c) She looked a normal human with 2 arms - with 10 it is obvious that she is not one. d) She needed them to carry everything without using a bag 21

22 With Best Compliments from [Meat Market] Your Local Wholesalers, Retailers & Suppliers to the Catering Trade Fresh & Frozen Meat and Poultry Special Rates for Wedding Parties, Social Events and Diwali So the next time you need some meat and a warm welcome come to Apna Panjab at 2 Baylis Parade, Oatlands Drive, Slough SL1 3LF Tel: or Mob: Front cover artwork by Mr. Samiron Ghoshal. ARTWORK CREDITS: All other pictures / artworks in this brochure are hand drawn by the following children between the age of 4 and 15: Aditya Bose Mandal, Amrita Dasgupta, Arushi Ghoshal, Megha Dutta and Satvik Nath. WORDSEARCH CREDIT: The word search in Pg 16 has been prepared by Amrita Dasgupta and Oshmita Ray. QUIZ CREDITS: The Durga Puja quiz in Pg 19 has been compiled by Amrita Dasgupta, Oshmita Ray, Arushi Ghoshal and Megha Dutta. 22

23 Sharadiya Puja Greetings From Women s Health Care Ltd. Women s Health Care Limited is founded by Dr Pampa Sarkar, MD (Lond) FRCOG and Dr Alak Pal MD, MRCOG, offering a wide range of services from gynaecological to preconceptual care and counselling, prenatal screening and care during pregnancy, through and after delivery. Pampa Sarkar is Consultant Obstetrician at Wexham Park Hospital and Alak Pal is Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Ealing Hospital. Answers to Jigyasha in Pg c) 2. a) 3. b) 4. c) 5. d) 6. a) 7. d) 8. a) 9. a) 10. b) 23

24 Wishing everyone a very Happy Dussehra From EXOTIC SUPERSTORE Your local Fresh Green Grocery, also providing Fresh Meat and Poultry Supply to cater to all your daily household needs. No need to go elsewhere for your one stop shop; At Exotic we will meet all your food needs! Visit our shops for weekly special offers Mr Bal Mobile: Farnham Road, Slough SL1 4XL Tel: (01753) Fax: (01753)