Close X
Friday, November 1, 2024
ADVT 
International

UK Soaks In Durga Puja Fervour, Pandal Set Up in Berkshire County

Darpan News Desk IANS, 04 Oct, 2019 08:58 PM

    A sprawling Durga puja pandal set up in a cricket ground in Britain's Slough town has recreated the ambience of Kolkata's crowd-pulling Maddox Square, as the five-day festival commenced on Friday in different parts of the UK.


    The pandal at the cricket ground in Slough, a town in Berkshire county, is quite unprecedented in the UK as the pujas in the country usually take place in community halls or hotels and not in an open ground, said Prasenjit Bhattacharjee of Adda, an organisation of expatriate Bengalis which is organising the puja.


    The pandal is of 110 ft x 70 ft x 25 ft size and adorned with handicrafts of different states like Assam, Rajasthan, Odisha, Gujarat, apart from West Bengal.


    To add more to the ambience of Maddox Square and other Kolkata pujas like Baghbazar Sarbojonin and Park Circus Sarbojonin, an exclusive Kolkata food court has been set up on the Slough ground where visitors can savour Kolkata "phuchka", "bhetki machher chop", "vegetable chop", chicken/mutton/egg roll and biryani cooked in Kolkata style, Mr Bhattacharjee said.


    A spokesman of Maddox Square Puja in Kolkata said, "We are happy that some of our friends, living in the UK, are bringing the ambience of Maddox Square in their puja at Slough. This shows our puja has become a brand."


    The Durga puja celebrations are also being held in other parts of the UK with different themes.


    London Durgotsav Committee in north London has a theme entitled "Your Durga, My Durga" based on a poem written by writer Subrata Paul.


    "The theme emphasizes the grit and harshness women face, especially in the Indian society, and paints a stark, contrasting picture of the colour, pomp and glitter that is seen during a festival," says Mainak Roy, Trustee of London Durgotsav Committee.


    The idols for the puja celebrations at Swiss Cottage Library in London are made by sculptor Pradyut Pal and shipped from Kumortuli in West Bengal. The fibre glass idols are designed to retain all the traditional aesthetics of Durga idols in India.


    The charity aims to support organisations in India through its events, including the Ragpickers Association in Kolkata.


    The London Borough of Camden, which hosts the festivities annually, expects thousands to turnout during the course of the devotional events until mid next week.

    MORE International ARTICLES

    UK PM's MP Brother Quits Citing 'National Interest'

    The UK Prime Minister's brother Jo Johnson announced his resignation as a member of Parliament and Minister on Thursday, saying he was "torn between loyalty to his family and the national interest".

    UK PM's MP Brother Quits Citing 'National Interest'

    Trump Tariff-Hit US Firms Keen To Relocate To India From China

    About 200 US companies have expressed interest in coming from China to India, according to Mukesh Aghi, the president of US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF).    

    Trump Tariff-Hit US Firms Keen To Relocate To India From China

    Ex-Pak Envoy Abdul Basit Mistakes Porn Star For J&K Pellet-Gun Victim, Shares PIC

    The ex-envoy's tweet became the centre of jokes after being highlighted by Pakistan-based journalist Naila Inayat who posted screenshots of Basit retweeting the post on Twitter.    

    Ex-Pak Envoy Abdul Basit Mistakes Porn Star For J&K Pellet-Gun Victim, Shares PIC

    Love My Father, But My Home Is Pakistan: Adnan Sami's Son Azaan Sami Khan

    Singer-composer Adnan Sami might have opted for Indian citizenship, but his son Azaan Sami Khan insists on calling Pakistan his home.  

    Love My Father, But My Home Is Pakistan: Adnan Sami's Son Azaan Sami Khan

    Chandrayaan 2 To Benefit Mankind Across Globe: Former NASA Astronaut Jerry Linenger

    Former astronaut Jerry Linenger, who spent five months inside the space station Mir, says Indias contribution towards space exploration over the years has been instrumental in unravelling some great discoveries.    

    Chandrayaan 2 To Benefit Mankind Across Globe: Former NASA Astronaut Jerry Linenger

    Converted Pakistani Sikh Girl Jagjit Kaur To Return To Her Family: DSGMC

    The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjinder Singh Sirsa claimed on Tuesday that Jagjit Kaur, the girl who was abducted from Nankana Sahib in Pakistan, will be handed over to her parents

    Converted Pakistani Sikh Girl Jagjit Kaur To Return To Her Family: DSGMC