BANGALORE: Durga Puja, the most happening festival of the Bengalis symbolises the victory over evil. This puja reconnects the heart of the people with their friends and relatives.Durga Puja is an occasion when the familiar sound of Dhak (Dholak), Dhunchuni nach (Traditional Bengali dance with smoke) and the mild fragrance of Shiuli phool (jasmine flower), give a familiar tug to everyone’s hearts."Tora aaye re chute aaye pujor gondho aisheche’, this famous old Durga Puja song says, ‘hey you all, come out of your house, the aroma of Puja has spread around’.This fragrance of the Puja is diffusing in the atmosphere of Bangalore too.Bangalore with four lakh Bengalis has no fewer than 30 Bengali committees celebrating Durga Puja.The oldest and the prominent puja is the Ulsoor Durga Puja, which is known for its themes and number of stalls.The Jayamahal Sarbajanin Durga Puja Samiti is another committee that is known for its specialised idols of Durga made by artisans from West Bengal. There are many other small Bengali committees that have not yet come to people’s notice but are special in their own way.Antaranga Bengali Association is one such Bengali committee that not only celebrates all the Bengali festivals but also is also involved in many social activities, for which it has got even the Prime Minister’s nod of approval.Project Kiran and project Karuna are the two major projects that have been taken up by this association.This association was started in 2004 and stepped into the field of social service in 2005.Under project Kiran, the association has sponsored 15 children from a government school.The association provides these children with notebooks, pens, pencils, uniforms and shoes every year. This social work is carried out by the retired and senior members of the association.Under Project Karuna, the association provides the destitute children with blankets every year.This Bengali committee is in association with Lion’s club too. Every year the association holds blood donation camps. Apart from all these activities the association also contributes money to the government relief fund of India in order to extend help in the disaster prone areas of India.“We don’t believe in helping people just during festival time, but throughout the year. We have also received a letter of recognition from the Prime Minister of India as we had donated funds during the Tsunami that had occurred in 2004,” said Ashutosh Chakrabarty, secretary of Antranga Association.Apart from all these activities the association celebrates all Bengali festivals with joy. A number of competitions and programs take place throughout the day and night.There is another association of Biharis, Shri Siddharth Sanskritik Parishad, in RT Nagar that celebrates the colourful festival of Durga Puja and organises other cultural programmes.This 33-year-old association is also involved in social services.Rajendra Babu Memorial trust that was introduced 10 years ago, is run by the members of this association. Every year this trust holds blood donation camps and also a yearly health checkup.“We have more than 100 volunteers who run this trust. Every year we contribute around three to four lakhs to this trust in order to carry out these activities.We also send funds to the government relief funds,” said Ashish Mishra, trustee of the association.SORRBA (Sarjapur Outer Ring Road Bengali Association), the Bengali association on Sarjapur Main Road, has come up with the idea of assisting the people in need. This Bengali committee was established in 2009.The main objective of this committee is to extend a helping hand to poor children and promote Bengali culture in the city.“Last year we contributed money to a government school in Iblur.This year we have donated furniture to a govt school in Kaikondrahalli.We have also distributed notebooks, pencils and shoes.The main aim of SORRBA is to expose the children to Bengali culture in Bangalore as they are aloof from the tradition of Bengalis,” said Paromita, general secretary of the association.
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