Celebrates Durga Puja 2016

Transcription

1 Celebrates Durga Puja 2016

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3 WELCOME LONDON DURGA PUJA DUSSERAH ASSOCIATION UK REGISTERED CHARITY: As president I would like to thank all the present and past members, volunteers, patrons, Wac Arts and most of all participants without whose support and cooperation this celebration would not be possible. Wishing you all the best for the Puja. Dr. Nirendranath Dutta, FRCOG, President of London Durga Puja Dusserah Association CHARITY STATUS AND GIFT AID DONATIONS The London Durga Puja Dusserah Association is a fully registered UK charity. Our continued success is entirely dependent on the goodwill of and donations by our visitors. The UK government operates a scheme called Gift aid for charities that enable us to claim the basic rate tax on every pound donated by individuals who pay UK tax. We therefore ask that you fill out a Gift Aid form. This provides us with the minimum information required for us to be able to claim Gift Aid on a donation. Please ensure that all the information asked for on the form has been filled out correctly this is important for us in order to make a valid claim. This year we have the ability for visitors to our Puja to set up standing order payments (either for a one-off donation or more regular payments). Please ask at the donations desk for more details. Satyen Barua, Chairman of Trustees

4 Story Telling on Saturday 8 October pm to 4pm We re excited to tell you that renowned researcher and expert in narrative practices, Seema Anand, will be hosting a storytelling session for children, based on her new online series, Durga the Warrior Goddess. We do hope you and your family can join us. London Durga Puja Dusserah Association Requests the pleasure of your company to celebrate KALI PUJA On Saturday 29 October 2016 (from 6pm to 9:30pm) At Hampstead Town Hall, 213 Haverstock Hill, London NW3 4QP For further information contact Mrs Ruby Bunker on or

5 LONDON DURGA PUJA DUSSERAH ASSOCIATION UK REGISTERED CHARITY: TRUSTEES TRUSTEES: Mr. Satyen Barua, Mrs. Ruby Bunker, Dr. Nirode Bhadra, Mr. Swagata Ganguly, Mr. Nemai Ghosh-Chowdhury, Mrs. Chandana Sanyal CHAIRMAN OF THE TRUSTEES: Mr. Satyen Barua PUJA COMMITTEE PRESIDENT: Dr. Niren Dutta SECRETARY: Chandana Sanyal, Swagata Ganguly TREASURER: Ruby Bunker CHARITY TAX ACCOUNTANT: Anjana Mukherjee CULTURAL SECRETARY: Sangeeta Datta, Paulami Ganguly BROCHURE EDITORIAL: Mukulika Banerjee, Ambuja Bose WEBSITE DESIGN: Nupur Ganguly PRIEST: Pandit Padmaker Mishra PUJA SECRETARY: Neela Ghosh-Chowdhury FOOD SECRETARY: Ajoy Ball, Sagar Barua AUDITOR: B P Bhattacharya SUPPORTERS AND VOLUNTEERS Dr. Reena Ball, Rita Ball, Alpona Banerjee, Dhruba Banerjee, Nilanjana Banerjee, Pradeep Banerjee, Mahua Banerjee, Balaji Banerjee, Mukulika Banerjee, Sasanka Banerjee, Leena Banerjee, Jolly Barua, Shyamal Bakshi, Dr. Subham Basu, Arindam Bhattacharya, Sitesh Bhattacharya, Susmita Bhattacharya, Hashi Bhattacharya, Ipshita Bhattacharya, Debi Bose, Jayanta Bose, Kingshuk Bose, Birbhusan Chakrabarti, Amita Chakravorty, Anup Chakravorty, Suparna Chakravorty, Dr. Bijoy Chakravorty, Dr. Pratibha Chakravorty, Subrata Chowdhury, Mitali Choudhury, Dr. Sibdas Chaudhury, Ishaan Choudhury, Dr. Ranan Dasgupta, Soumilya Datta, Souvid Datta, Soumik Datta, Ratan Das, Pijush Dasgupta, Pritha Dutta, Satyen Dutta, Ronny Dey-Hazra, Emily Dey Hazra, A Dey-Hazra, Anju Dey Hazra, Leena Dhingra, Sunit Ghatak, Dr. Neeta Ghosh- Chowdhury, Dr. Nina Ghosh-Chowdhury, Kaushiki Ghosh, Tathagata Ghosh, Ravi Gupta, Anindita Gupta, Shyam Jagpal, Putul Kar, Nilavra Mukherjee, Dr. Angshuman Mukherjee, Anjana Mukherjee, Rani Mukhopadhyay, Anirban Nandy, Hiten Patel, Sisir Roy, Tanya Sanyal, Neil Sanyal, Dilip Sinha, Satyaban Sarkar, Priyanka Sarkar, Soma Sarkar, Indranil Sircar, Dr. Piyal Sen, Rana Roy, Anju Roy, Shalini Sharma, Anita Sinha, Sujit Sil, Mandira Chakraborty, Mr and Mrs Waltz CULTURAL PROGRAMME SPONSORS Ravi and Anindita Gupta ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Miles Eady (Head of Events, Wac Arts), Mira Kaushik (Director, Akademi)

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7 Durga Maa Warrior Goddess by Amita Chakravorty The painting seen opposite is part of a small collection produced for an up coming exhibition by Amita Chakravorty. This piece is entitled "Durga Maa Warrior Goddess" and is created on Canvas (52X50CM) using oils, charcoal, gold leaf and Swarovski. It took 6 weeks to paint and although ready for the brochure will have a few additional touches for the exhibition. All 10 gifts from the gods given to Durga Maa are also depicted subtly In the painting. Lion- represents courage Lotus- detachment Chakra- righteousness Trident- courage Club- loyalty and love Sword- discrimination Bow and arrow- character Conch- happiness Hand- forgiveness Red- representing passion For further information on the upcoming exhibition or the collection please contact durgapujalondon@gmail.com in the first instance. Kid s Arts & Crafts Competition with Amita Chakravorty On Sunday 9 October 2016 From 2.00pm to 4.00pm The London Durga Puja Dusserah Committee are delighted to inform you that we will be holding an Arts & Crafts competition for children in the Main Hall on the afternoon of Ashtami, Sunday 9 October 2016, with the assistance of Amita Chakravorty. Amita, a former headteacher, will be on hand to help your child unleash their creative talents and encourage them to develop their artistic skills. The competition is open to all ages from 4 to 14 and the winners will have their pieces exhibited in next year s brochure. We look forward to your participation in the competition! The image opposite has been reproduced with the kind permission of Amita Chakravorty. Any copying, reproducing or taking images is protected by copyright and cannot be done without the artist s express permission.

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9 Bisarjan On a cold damp day in November 2015, in a traditional ceremony on the banks of the River Thames, we bade farewell to our beloved old Protima, who we had prayed to fondly over many a year. Having obtained permission from the relevant authorities, a group of our committee members gathered to perform the immersion, or Bisarjan, rituals in a stunning and peaceful ceremony that attracted interest from local residents. Thank you to the Port of London Authority and Sudip Ghosh for your assistance. Here are a few pictures of the day so you can share in our memories.

10 Exhibition & Sale Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 October Hampstead Town Hall Come and visit our exhibitors who will be showcasing traditional artisan Indian crafts including shawls, purses, saris, home accessories and jewellery. The Asian Music Circuit presents Tagore s Travelling Trunk An enchanting performance combining music, dance and poetry that explores the musical influences on one of India s greatest minds. During his travels, Tagore absorbed the classical, folk and Sufi music of India including the Sikh Sabadhs from Amritsar, devotional music from the south and folk music of Gujarat. During his travels across the United Kingdom he encountered opera, parlour music and Irish & Scottish folk music. Vocals : Pramita Mallick, Sangeeta Datta, Rosabella Gregory & Sasha Ghosal Sarod - Soumik Datta, Dance : Aindrilla Ghosh, Sejuti Dass & Purbita Mullick A Baithak Production Written & Directed by Sangeeta Datta Presented by the Asian Music Circuit 11 th December 2016, Time Cadogan Hall: Venue Website: Cadogan Hall 5 Sloane Terrace London SW1X 9DQ, UK Box Office Tel: This event is dedicated to the late Peshawar Singh OBE - Trustee of the Asian Music Circuit

11 From Ballygunge to Belsize Park the story of our puja By Satyen Barua Belsize Park in London is a far cry from Ballygunge in Kolkata. But besides the cultural links, there are religious links between the two cities, the real jewels in the crown. Durga Puja is a big religious festival in Kolkata. In 1963, a man from Ballygunge dreamt of uniting the two cities by organising Durga Puja in London. His name was Soumen Dutta, widely know as Manna-da. Through journalist Biswanath Mukherjee, Manna-da persuaded Mr Tushar Kanti Ghosh, editor of Jugantar and Amrita Bazaar Patrika to donate the Durga Pratima. Tushar Kanti Ghosh agreed and arranged to ship the Pratima to London. Amiya Bose arranged to print leaflets which were distributed on Oxford Street. Going through the telephone directories, looking for Bengali sounding names, Manna-da asked them for donations. He later even re-mortgaged his house to further fund Puja expenses. In 1963, the first Durga Puja was held in Maryland Centre in Russell Square. At that time, the stalwarts were Ashalata Bhattacharya, Bidhan Bose, Ajit Banerjee, Manju Banerjee, Dipak Dhar, Tara Pal, Anjali Pal, Anil Dutta, Manab Mazumdar, Subodh Burman, Rakhi Mukherjee, Priti Dutta, Dr Sunit Ghatak, Sujit Sil, Ratna Sil to name a few. The Puja moved to Belsize Park in The year I myself became associated with the Puja. Sunil Kar, Shyamal Mukherjee, Anita Bose were all Secretaries. Dilip Chaterjee, widely known as Nabi-da assisted by his brother, Sisir, was the priest. I joined in the group of donation collectors along with Nemai Ghosh Chowdhury, Niren Dutta, Kabul Mazumdar, Gobindo Bose, Mihir Nag-Chowdhury, Barin Roy, Ashoke Basu. Manna-da used to sit further behind the donations table entertaining the collectors and buying the children treats. Continued overleaf

12 From Ballygunge to Belsize Park the story of our puja continued. By Satyen Barua There was a small kitchen at Belsize Park, adjacent to the Main Hall, and this is where Sita Nath Shaw used to cook all the Kichuri for all 5 days of the Durga Puja festival. In later years, Mr Ajoy Ball took over that immensely difficult job. The ingredients for the food and for the puja festivities was bought early in the morning from the old Covent Garden market by myself, Kabul Mazumdar and Nitai Bose. Our Puja has been graced by many celebrities over the years, including movie megastar Raj Kapoor. We ve also been visited by Nikhil Banerjee, Rahul Bose, Ravi Shankar, Anoushka Shankar, Sharmila Tagore, Om Puri, Bappi Lahiri to name a few more. Whilst there are several Puja s who claim to be the oldest in the UK, the true origin is Manna-da a man of true vision. Born in Ballygunge, destined to be remembered thousands of miles away in Belsize Park. This is the new tale of two cities. Thousands of miles apart, but united in heart, Ballygunge to Belsize Park.

13 Maa by Andrew Shelley

14 Puzzle Corner Some Hindu deities have got in a muddle can you help unscramble them? 1. WAISTRAAS 2. HANGES 3. VASIH 4. RAINSHK 5. ALIK 6. SMIKHAL Now some letters have gone missing can you fill in the blanks to find words related to our Puja? 1. H_MP_TE_D _OW_ H_L_ 2. _EL_IZ_ P_RK _U_E 3. A_JA_I 4. _RA_HA_

15 WORD SEARCH Puzzle Corner Answers Saraswati, Ganesh, Shiva, Krishna, Kali, Lakhsmi, Hampstead Town Hall, Belsize Park Tube, Anjali and Prashad..

16 PUJA PROGRAMME 2016 Friday 7 th October - Shashti Bodhan Puja 7.30pm Saturday 8 th October Maha Saptami Puja 12:00pm Anjali 2:00pm Sandhyarati 7:00pm Cultural Programme in the Main Hall starts from 7.00pm Sunday 9 th October Maha Ashtami Puja 12:00pm Anjali 2:00pm Sandhyarati 7:00pm Sandhi Puja 7:45pm Cultural Programme in the Main Hall starts from 7.00pm Monday 10 th October Maha Navami Puja 12:00pm Anjali 2:00pm Sandhyarati 7:00pm Tuesday 11 th October Bijoya Dashami Puja and Bisarjan 1:00pm Protima Baran & Sindoor Khela 2:00pm

17 Saturday 8 th October :00 pm: Variety Performance Dance Guitar and Piano Performances Choir Contemporary Songs And a surprise guest performer! Sunday 9 th October pm: Singing Gala CULTURAL PROGRAMME Old Bengali Hits performed by our committee members followed by an exciting performance from a noted Bengali singer. CONTEM PO RARY & TRADITION AL INDIAN ART sales exhibitions advisory info@nuga-arthouse.com thouse.com

18 Happy Pujo to all from B P, Susmita, Tara and Bishi Bhattacharya and all Staffs 189 PICCADILLY Restaurant & Cocktail and Karaoke Bar 189,Piccadilly (Next to Princess Arcade), St James, London, W1J 9ES T: info@1 picadilly.co.uk Website: piccadilly.co.uk BSS ASSOCIATES LIMITED Chartered Accountants & Business Advisors 189 Piccadilly St James London, W1J 9ES T: , F: , Website : FRENCH PARTRIDGE Boutique Hotel & Fine Dining Restaurant Holistic Spa & Wedding and Events venue Newport Pagnell Road, Horton, Northampton, NN7 2AP T: , F: info@frenchpartridge.co.uk Website: CUCINA BELLA Italian Rendezvous Marble Arch 30 Connaught Street, London W2 2AF T:

19 Some thoughts from our Junior Committee Members Durga Puja by Ananya Basu Durga Puja has always been a constant in my life. I knew that no matter the ups-anddowns of school, holidays and general Bangali disorganisation, on 4 days in the midst of October Puja would happen. We would trudge up (or wobble precariously, depending on the complexity of our attire) the stairs of Hampstead Town Hall, bejewelled and triumphant (for finding parking is no small feat) and wonderful chaos would descend upon us. For Puja has always been something so different from the quieter practises of my London upbringing. It is loud, vivacious and passionate- bright against the eternallygrey sky of the city. In my memories it was, simply put, a child's heaven. The joy of being with people we didn't know- but shared a sense of camaraderie with. Our friendships, whether novel or familiar, were practiced the same way: running up and down barefoot around blurs of bright saris, the plastic plates once piled with food left askew on whatever surface we could find- banisters were our friends. Intricate gym routines at the mirror on the stairs were interspersed with the crinkle of sweet wrappers- stolen from/ donated by the Dadus from downstairs. Things changed, of course. Bars were for leaning on when chatting became tiresome; contortionist routines no longer feasible. Visits to the balcony were for putting up decorations, not for the many explorations of past years- often accompanied with guilty ducking behind the safe obscurity of the railings (you didn't hear it from me). We learned to chart the maze of corridors beyond the main hall. We stretched our involvement in Puja beyond infrequent sightings at the food tables. But the same spirit of excitement remained and friends became closer over time. The spaces seem smaller, but love for Puja seemed to have only grown. We could understand the buzz in the air, the reasons why we traipsed from all over to be here. We did Anjoli with the same concentration as the maths homework done frantically half an hour before (even the ink in my fountain pen recognised the importance of Puja, not a single drop on my new Salwar Kameez). We saw the solemnity in the bright colours of the "religious festival" (as cited to my teachers in lieu of the essay due in the next day). We learnt all about fund-raising. It was hard to explain to friends. I distinctly remember when we had to take care of the class teddy bear for a week and write about the experiences Mr Fluff had. Nobody could quite understand the logistics of this Poo-ja"- misread, of course, by my teacher as some twisted, six-year old derivative of pyjama. It s difficult to express the connotations of Puja (though I hope that I ve done a decent job) because Puja is so unique. Some see worship as something ordered- silent and grave to be close to God. We achieve closeness through closeness to life- and all its vibrancy and noise. Puja is about worshipping. We just do it with more panache Happy Durga Puja!

20 Depictions of Ma Durga by our Junior Committee Members

21 Some thoughts from our Junior Committee Members Durga Puja by Aria Gitanjali Banerjee Watts Durga Puja- A week of hustle and bustle, late nights, KFC snacks and worship. One of the best times in the year to meet and chat with friends, to run around the towering staircases and endless corridors of Hampstead Town Hall. The best part, in my view, is the sense of community we all share. The feeling of being absolutely safe and at ease is overwhelming. Some friends we meet only once or twice a year, others we meet regularly at parties and meet ups. And the best thing is, it doesn't really matter who you are or where you come from. You don't have to go to the temple every day or say prayers in the morning. You don't even have to entirely believe all the myths and legends told to you, or thoroughly enjoy being summoned from the fun and games outside to say your prayers and offer Anjali. You know that you will always be accepted. As a child, perhaps I don't appreciate the full benefit of being a Hindu or being blessed. But, it is important to enjoy it in our own way, and respect and understand that everyone appreciates Durga Puja differently. I enjoy meeting up with my friends and messing around and playing with them. A highlight would be perhaps selling perhaps the most overpriced drinks in existence! But people buy them because they know the money is going to a good cause (or maybe just because the subzi is too spicy and they forgot their water!), it is fun tormenting mashis and meshos to buy our cokes (for whatever reason they buy them)! Over the years, I suppose I have come to appreciate Puja in a different way. It s always been a great opportunity to dress up and show off all our gifted finery! But when I was smaller, it was ALWAYS my job to prepare the Chandan. But now, someone else does it I suppose. Thinking about it makes me feel strangely sad, but I m sure if I ask I will still be allowed to do it! As always, the pub is a wonderful place to crash or get even more tired depending on which members of the Puja crowd you are! Earlier, my parents would rush me home, worrying about bedtimes and such, but now, we do tend to stay out longer. Though not in the actual hall, or in the presence of the goddess, the community spirit is as strong as ever. The sense of celebration and joy for the future is evident all the way through. Durga Puja is universally loved as a festive and joyous time of the year, not only for the worshippers, but the workers in the pub! For them, it s fabulous business I imagine, until they have to try and kick us out when it gets too late. My advice: Start kicking us out 45 minutes before we are ACTUALLY required to leave: you know how we all are with our Indian goodbyes! But at the end of the week, after the various cultural evenings which are always a treat, fabulous food and general celebration, it is time to say goodbye to the goddess. A time to reflect on another year gone, but another year and a Puja to come.

22 SHIVIA Working in West Bengal to empower the poorest to create livelihoods, boost income and inspire permanent change Everyone at Shivia would like to offer you our very best wishes for Durga Puja with health, happiness and prosperity for the whole year! Shivia is a UK charity founded in 2008 by Olly Donnelly. Our aim is to empower the very poorest families, those often excluded from aid agency projects simply for being too poor, to create enterprises, boost income and inspire permanent change. We fundraise in the UK and, through our partner organisation Shivia India (known locally as Nirdhan), we operate our Livelihood Programme in West Bengal, one of the poorest states in India. The Livelihood Programme gives families, in particular women, the tools and skills to start new enterprises and improve their power to earn from home. Our programme, based on enterprise and not just aid, includes training in backyard poultry farming and agricultural management. We have already helped over 7,700 people living in poverty start their own farming enterprise, enabling them to boost their household income, better support their families and change their lives in a positive and permanent way. With a donation of just 15 you could help a family in West Bengal start their own backyard poultry enterprise. HAPPY DURGA PUJA! Facebook/Shivia Registered charity:

23 By Mira Bhattacharjee, age 10 Depictions of Ma Durga by our Junior Committee Members

24 Durga Puja by Anika Basu Some thoughts from our Junior Committee Members To me Durga Puja means our community all contributing to make something special happen for Ma Durga. Durga Puja is something that I look forward to every year because I meet my friends and their families whom I haven t seen all year and I love the feeling of everyone coming together. There are a range of different ages here, so no matter how old you are, there is always someone to talk to and play with. At Durga Puja, everyone plays their part, whether it s the Dadus collecting donations at the front, or the kids (Aria and I) helping to sell food and drinks at the concerts and we all are happy to help with anything: serving food to giving out the Anjali. Over the years, the number of people attending our puja has risen, filling the hall with men and woman wearing vibrant Indian clothes and exquisite jewellery. The amount of decoration has also increased, making Hampstead Town Hall more colourful and welcoming each year. You can smell the delicious food being served at the back, and the scent of fresh flowers and candles burning at the front. We children probably will be weaving in and out of the hall and staircase playing some form of tag, careful not to bump into anyone. You can hear people talking, laughter, giggling, discussions, debates, sometimes adults moaning about their jobs and colleagues. All in all, we all love Durga Puja, and I wait all year for it to come, maybe even more than Christmas.

25 Food Glorious Food TiffinboxLondon is a Facebook page run by two 'hangla' ladies who crisscross London in search for recipes, restaurants, food markets and innovative chefs. Here is a recipe from their stable, which reminds them of their Kolkata days and eating out around Durga Pujo Chilli Chicken, a perennial Kolkata favourite. When replicated in a London kitchen this dish makes for a trip down nostalgia lane. We hope you enjoy! Legendary Calcutta Chilli Chicken Marinade mix: 500 grams boneless chicken 4 bulbs garlic - grated 1 beaten egg (large) 1 teaspoon chilli powder Mix all of the above in a bowl, cover with a cling film and refrigerate overnight. Cooking ingredients: 1 tablespoon cornflour (or plain flour) 1/2 tablespoon crushed black peppercorns 4 bulbs chopped garlic 1 chopped green chilli 1 small onion finely sliced 1 teaspoon brown sugar 1 onion cut into quarters, and each layer separated 1 small green pepper cut into medium sizes soy sauce sweet chilli sauce chopped spring onions for garnishing Method overleaf

26 Food Glorious Food Legendary Calcutta Chilli Chicken The Method Take the marinade out of the refrigerator at least an hour before cooking. Mix the cornflour with the marinated chicken pieces 10 minutes before cooking. Heat oil in a deep pan. Fry the chicken pieces till they turn brown. Take the pieces out and keep them in a bowl. Adjust the oil amount and add the black peppercorns, garlic, chilli and sugar. Stir for a bit and add the finely chopped onions. Let this cook for about 3-4 minutes until the onions turn light brown. Now add the larger onion quarters and stir till the onions become translucent. Add the chicken pieces, soya sauce and cook for another 10 minutes. Add the sweet chilli sauce and mix well. When the dish looks well done, remove to your serving bowl and garnish with spring onions. Enjoy it as an appetiser like a proper 'Calcuttan' or have it your own way with a bowl of steamed rice or noodles!!!

27 Greetings & Best Wishes for Durga Puja & Dusserah from Sun Global Investments Limited 34 Dover Street, London W1S 4NG T: +44 (0) ; DD: +44 (0) , M: +44 (0) ; Fax: +44 (0)

28 Support us on Social Media The London Durga Puja Dusserah Association is on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Like us and follow us to show your support and to keep updated on our activities and events. And if you re posting pictures from this year s Durga Puja please use the following hashtags: @hampsteadpuja

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